Results 2,401-2,420 of 35,540 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes (15 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: 189. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if flood relief plans or river drainage works are planned to deal with the repeated flooding of the area between Ballyshannon and Belleek, County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7400/24]

Recent Developments in Northern Ireland: Statements (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: The 3 February was an historic day. It was also a day full of hope. The restoration of the Assembly and the appointment of a new Executive truly marks an opportunity for a better and shared future. I echo the words of the First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, that the restored Assembly and new Executive have an opportunity to commit themselves to an ambitious agenda for change and to work...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: 153. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) in County Donegal will be granted an ASD unit on its premises; if she is aware of the importance of this matter given that the closest school with an ASD room will no longer have spaces in September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6841/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: Cuirim fáilte roimh achan duine go dtí an coiste. I wish to begin by dealing with an issue I raised last week with the Minister for Finance. It is one I get quite frustrated about. I think members of this committee have been told untruths in reality. I deal with the 2015 credit servicing Act. In the intervening period, Ministers have come in, taoisigh have mentioned that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: With respect to Mr. Makhlouf, I will give the example. I do not intend for him to follow all of what has been debated here with the Minister and the issues that appear in the Irish Independenttoday. The FSPO does not have the same reach a bank would have. Thousands of households that have thousands of loans that have been sold to vulture funds do not have the same protection that they used...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: Before we go to Ms Rowland, with respect, let me clarify this. The comments were made. I do not suggest that Bernard Sheridan or anybody else came in deliberately to mislead us. Let us be clear on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: The point is that we now have a clear interpretation of the legislation that shows that the words and assurances that were given by the Central Bank are not true. It is not just about a judgment by the FSPO, and I am sure Ms Rowland will deal with that. The key issue is that credit servicing firms were regulated under the 2015 Act. However, the definition of a credit servicing firm...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: Does Ms Rowland accept that, as things stand, homeowners who have had loans sold to vulture funds do not have the same protection today as they would have had if their loan had stayed with a main street lender?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: No, it does not. That is the problem. It actually does not. This has blown everything out of the cloud. With respect to Ms Rowland, what she will not say, which is fact and I think she knows it is fact, is that, as matters stand today, households which have had their loan sold to vulture funds do not have the same protection as those that have their loans with regulated financial...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: With respect, that is not the point I made. Can somebody who has their loan with a vulture fund make the same complaints to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman as somebody with a mainstream lender can if the complaint that they are making was a key decision which was carried out by the owner of the loan as opposed to the servicers of their loan, before 2019?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: Therefore, the code of conduct does not apply equally, in terms of its enforceability, to all loan owners.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: Okay, let us get agreement. The policy framework is the same.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: The big difference is that if I am with a vulture fund and Rose is with AIB or Bank of Ireland, Rose can go to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman and I cannot.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: I cannot do so if the issue about which I am complaining, in terms of the code of conduct, is a key decision that was taken by the loan owner, which was unregulated prior to the first quarter of 2019.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: Okay, it is one set of issues. Ms Rowland made the point-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: Ms Rowland makes the point fairly and we agree it needs to be fixed. I made the point to the Minister that we have legislation going through the Dáil which needs to be held, if need be, in order that this issue can be dealt with and sorted. It must allow for complaints still to be made to financial institutions that are leaving the jurisdiction. It is perfect legislation for fixing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: It is. The issue at the heart of this is that the definition under the 2015 Act is that a credit servicing firm excludes key decision-making. This was dealt with on Committee Stage at the time when this was put to the then Minister of State, Deputy Simon Harris. He said there is another section below the relevant section which basically states that if the owner of a loan forces the credit...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: Absolutely. Let us all work together to try to resolve this. There is also, however, a responsibility on the Central Bank collectively, not individually. What does Ms Rowland say to Elizabeth and Jerry, who were told by the Central Bank that protections would follow?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Pearse Doherty: I will come to one other point. Unfortunately, there were other issues I wanted to discuss-----