Results 2,321-2,340 of 3,649 for speaker:Michael Collins

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: My thanks to both gentlemen for being before us today. Small and medium-sized businesses throughout the country are haemorrhaging, especially those in rural parts but perhaps everywhere at this time. We have to try to reopen our communities in a safe manner. I sat in at a Zoom meeting yesterday with SMEs. They were mainly hairdressers and barbers. It gave me a clear indication of the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Do the organisations believe that basing grant aid in these times on business rates is wrong? My meaning for this question is that many struggling businesses do not necessarily pay rates but are still struggling at this time. They are finding it difficult to access grants to kick-start their business.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Those supports are not in place at present for mobile businesses, are they?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Are the banks making it more difficult? At the moment, from what I can gather, businesses are looking for loans but the banks are seeking a 12-month cash flow forecast.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: We have been calling for a zero VAT rate in the tourism and hospitality sectors. Do ISME and IBEC believe that would kick-start small businesses in these sectors?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Many of the grants and aids available are based on rates a business has paid. While this may be fair for some businesses, others struggling as a result of Covid-19 are not paying rates but they are paying staff and paying to keep vehicles on the road. What can the Department offer these types of businesses in these times?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: There are still a good few people who want to start businesses, even at this very difficult time. I met a few of these individuals in the past few weeks. How accessible is it for new start-up businesses to get grants? Much of the criticism that comes from people who are trying to start businesses is that the grants do not exactly come straight to them to get their operations up and...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Yes. Enterprise Ireland obviously will be very much at the forefront in any business recovery in these times, but politicians will also be at the forefront. How can we work together? It is not good enough for us to just be passing on phone numbers or email addresses. Is it possible that public representatives could have one-to-one contact with Enterprise Ireland going forward in order...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I thank Ms. Sinnamon. I have another question. Young couples - mainly the employees of businesses - who had secured mortgage approval to buy their first homes have had it withdrawn by their banks because one of them is availing of the temporary wage subsidy scheme. This situation also means that they may not even get their deposits back. Couples are being told that the banks cannot now...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I would greatly appreciate it if that was done because it is causing a lot of stress for people who were almost across the line with their mortgages and who have now been pulled back. Dr. Quinn mentioned the Safe Pass. Are we close to something being done about that because quite a number of people are looking to get a Safe Pass across the line and are struggling at this time.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I appreciate that. I thank Dr. Quinn.

Covid-19 (Justice and Equality): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Community policing has served us well down through the years in west Cork with excellent gardaí such as Damian White and Brigid Hartnett who have been second to none in carrying out their duties and protecting the people they serve. This has not been made easy through the years due to the closure by the previous Fine Gael Government of seven Garda stations in west Cork, namely, those in...

Covid-19 (Justice and Equality): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: The Minister might answer some of my questions.

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Bantry General Hospital has been a centre of excellence through this Covid-19 crisis and before. It covers more than 80,000 people in west Cork, many of whom are three hours away from Cork University Hospital, CUH. Yesterday I was informed by a family member in Bantry, who is only 1 km from our hospital, which is a centre of excellence, that their 88-year-old mother fell at 10 a.m. The...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Island living has not been easy throughout the Covid crisis. With eight great islands in west Cork, every effort must be made to keep young families living there. Sherkin Island national school closed its doors in June 2016. For four years it has been trying to secure adequate access to education for the island's children. Its successes over these four years have been hard won. It has...

Covid-19 (Taoiseach): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: It costs €50 in west Cork with same-day results.

Covid-19 (Taoiseach): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: At his press conference on Friday, 15 May 2020, the Taoiseach announced that horse racing was to return on 8 June. Horse racing worldwide is known as having two codes, thoroughbred and trotting racing. Trotting is the largest form of horse racing within Europe, and where both codes exist, the relevant governments allowed both to recommence at the same time. These countries include France,...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Use of Private Hospitals (2 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I welcome the witnesses. Do they think the takeover of private hospitals was done in a hasty and poorly thought-out manner?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Use of Private Hospitals (2 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Was the decision seriously damaging to public health?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Use of Private Hospitals (2 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Was the decision correct to deny 2.2 million people their legal rights to gain access to what they paid for?