Results 23,661-23,680 of 26,097 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: A genie might have been released from the bottle.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: How big is Dundrum Credit Union?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: What is its size asset-wise?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: It would be at the upper end - a big credit union.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: My understanding of the credit union was that people went to it when they required a loan for a specific purpose - maybe to buy a car or whatever. What is the motivation for providing this particular product?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is an administrative issue.

Personal Insolvency Bill 2012: Second Stage (5 Jul 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: They have a high king.

Personal Insolvency Bill 2012: Second Stage (5 Jul 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: I compliment the Minister on this substantial body of legislation which runs to almost 120 pages. It is comprehensive in nature, but it comes from a simple, threefold premise: first, bankruptcy is a measure of last resort; second, it relates to people who are unable to pay as distinct from those who will not pay; and, third, every effort should be made to ensure people remain in their homes....

Microenterprise Loan Fund Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Jun 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Microenterprise Loan Fund Bill 2012, which is a welcome measure. I have no doubt the Minister, Deputy Bruton, will ensure it is innovative. More than 6,000 people are employed in the SME sector in Ireland and they are the lifeblood of the economy. It is great to see the multinational sector doing well but the SME sector is a huge...

Written Answers — Rent Supplement Scheme: Rent Supplement Scheme (26 Jun 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: Question 306: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm that persons with special needs such as those with disabilities or those coming from situations of homelessness may have higher rent levels under the rent supplement scheme due to their specialised housing requirements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30831/12]

European Stability Mechanism Bill 2012: Second Stage (7 Jun 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: I welcome that people passed the treaty. It provides an absolute guarantee of access to the ESM fund. The current situation in Europe revolves around Spain. From media reports, it appears that any rescue fund for Spain is being done as a banking rescue package as distinct from a sovereign rescue package. I would expect if such decoupling happens with Spain, any such solution should be...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (6 Jun 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: Question 143: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason ICT is not an examination subject for the Junior and Leaving Certificates in view of the growth of the ICT industry and the necessity of being ICT literate in today's work environment; his views on the fact that ICT forms part of the school examination curriculum in other countries; the plans he has to address this issue;...

Credit Guarantee Bill 2012: Second Stage (16 May 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am delighted to speak on the Bill. Deputy Boyd Barrett made reference to public sector jobs in, for example, hospitals. I agree with what he said but we must not forget that enterprise provides the taxes to pay for public services. It is my fundamental view that we must support private enterprise. It provides jobs as well as taxes. It enables us to provide public services and to look...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (24 Apr 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: Question 251: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a person who holds a masters degree from a university outside the State and which did not attract grant aid from either Ireland or the UK will qualify for a maintenance grant for a professional diploma in education at University College Cork, due to commence in September 2012; his plans to review the third level grants system; and...

Written Answers — Water Services: Water Services (18 Apr 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: Question 798: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the establishment of the Irish Water Authority; the timeframe for its schedule of work to be carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17819/12]

Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am delighted to contribute to this debate. I am surprised that Deputy Donnelly is undecided because he is normally a man of great certainty. I know him as a fellow financial economist and I have no doubt if he was advising a client in the morning and Ireland Inc., or the Irish Government was the client, he would advise everyone to vote "Yes" for the treaty. He is increasingly entering...

Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: -----not one that is politically oriented but in terms of the hard facts. The public want it to be based on facts. People are aware that under the IMF-EU programme there are major constraints. We have to get down to under 3% of debt to GDP by 2015. Deputy Donnelly and I agree that too much debt is effectively an anti-growth measure in itself. It is a regressive measure. We need to get...

Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: The structural deficit is 0.5% and that is an issue to be measured. We have to get our debt to GDP ratio down to 60% and that will be done over a period of time. What needs to be explained to people is that this is not about getting debt levels down to 60% of gross domestic product overnight. We have to bring down by one twentieth per year the difference between the 60% and what the debt...

Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: Once again the Deputy is not presenting all the facts. Growth will be a key ingredient. If we achieve a reasonable level of growth, that will take care of that particular measure. Furthermore, as the Deputy will be well aware, most debt is never repaid by governments, they roll over the debt. We are in a difficult bind at present. We are in the IMF-EU programme and to access funding we...

Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2012)

Kieran O'Donnell: I know what will happen when we vote "Yes". If we vote "Yes" we are putting in place in a structured form what we have already agreed; it is good housekeeping. We also get a guarantee, if required, as an insurance policy, that we will have access to the ESM, if we need it. If we vote "No" we are in a situation where there is a huge degree of uncertainty for both Ireland and Europe.