Results 24,061-24,080 of 35,894 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: 81. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if any study has been completed by his Department on the impact on local economies of the centralisation of procurement currently carried out by local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26445/15]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Delays (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: 225. To ask the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in processing an application for a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal, which was submitted and received along with the requested medical evidence in January 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26645/15]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Public Procurement Contracts Expenditure (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: 260. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown, in tabular form, of the amount of money spent by each local authority over the past five years on the procurement of goods and services that will in future be secured by the local government operational procurement centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26446/15]

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: I just want to pick up ... go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh, agus fáilte roimh an tUasal. I just want to pick up on that point because we've been hearing evidence from different agencies, the Department of Finance as well, and your own evidence, and from the ESRI, the Central Bank. Can you explain to me this ... because we've heard a lot of people say, well, in terms of the soft...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: And you would have seen those projections?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: No, the projections ... forget about others for this point, because you're speaking on behalf of the Department-----

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: You would have see those. So what did the projections say? What did the ... how did, what-----

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: So, the projections for a soft landing, we're talking about. So what did they look like in terms of how soft was this landing going to be or how hard was this landing going to be? What did you see?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: So what type of drop in house prices were they suggesting, and ... on the document, the internal document to the Department-----

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: And what was the impact, from your point of view, in relation to taxation and employment and, therefore, other pressures on the service as result of that? What hole did that create, in terms of the soft landing, from a budgetary point of view?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: And was that first round effects only?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Did you model the entire effects of a soft landing?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Okay. How did you get it so wrong in relation to the soft landing, first of all. And it seems that there would have been more effects even if you were to see a drop in house prices of the nature that was suggested by the ... to the Department or by the Department?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Mr. McNally, there's a parable in the book that you swore your oath on; it's called the parable of the two builders. It talks about one builder who builds his house on rock and the other who builds his house on sand. One was foolish and one was wise. Was the Department's strategy, budgetary strategy, foolish or wise during your time in office?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: You've been employed with the Department of Finance in a range of roles since 1986, and appointed to the second secretary general in 2002. In your views, what changes do you believe were necessary to the operation of the Department prior to your appointment to the Department, and what steps have you taken to highlight any perceived shortcomings or improvements in fiscal strategy and...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Did you believe that changes were needed prior to your appointment as ... in the Department of Finance as second secretary general?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Okay, okay. You mentioned in ... on, in your opening statement, page 10, you talk about external, expert advice. You say:In relation to the use of outside expert advice in my time this was mainly in the area of tax issues and tax relief schemes where independent advice was seen as necessary. The standard of this advice was good and generally followed. So what were the main tax issues and...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Would you say they accepted ... sorry for interrupting, would you say they accepted the majority of those recommendations, or a minority of them, or all of them?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Yes.

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (1 Jul 2015)

Pearse Doherty: Okay, and in relation to your own ... the internal opinion, as opposed to the external advice. The internal opinion in the Department of Finance in relation to the continuous extension of property tax reliefs was in the negative, you were ... am I right in saying you were arguing with the Minister, or recommended to the Minister that they should be abolished or not extended?