Results 24,941-24,960 of 34,778 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Macroeconomic Forecast for 2016: Department of Finance (6 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: There is, however, no caveat to say that in the figures. The other point I wish to make is that the SMEs produce figures to show that the bulk of the increase in lending has been in the form of very large loans to the bigger SMEs rather than the smaller SMEs. Where is the Department of Finance on the demographic factors in respect of its forecasts for this year? Or is it able to give an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Macroeconomic Forecast for 2016: Department of Finance (6 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: Can Mr. McCarthy indicate this deficit in monetary terms?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Macroeconomic Forecast for 2016: Department of Finance (6 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: Can the committee hear that in monetary terms?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Macroeconomic Forecast for 2016: Department of Finance (6 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: So, €4.6 billion is the projected deficit for-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Macroeconomic Forecast for 2016: Department of Finance (6 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: Can the witness indicate if we are ahead of that at the moment, based on revenue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Macroeconomic Forecast for 2016: Department of Finance (6 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: If there is a lower deficit in 2015 does this mean a reduction in the deficit of 0.5% next year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Macroeconomic Forecast for 2016: Department of Finance (6 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: Would it be easier to achieve a deficit in 2016 if the deficit is higher this year, for example, if there was a splurge of money spent before the end of 2015? We would be making life more difficult for ourselves in 2016 if we had a small deficit this year, so there is a-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Macroeconomic Forecast for 2016: Department of Finance (6 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: What is the structural deficit for this year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Macroeconomic Forecast for 2016: Department of Finance (6 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: I thank the witness.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Macroeconomic Forecast for 2016: Department of Finance (6 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: In the context of the framework for the forthcoming budget and changes to the new national fiscal framework, now that we have entered the preventative arm of the pact, one of the key rules is expenditure benchmark, which will allow expenditure to grow only with reference to potential GDP within the context of the medium-term economic strategy. That was based on a ten-year rolling figure up...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: 630. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if adequate funding will be provided to complete a project (details supplied) in County Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34010/15]

Other Questions: Flood Risk Assessments (1 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: 11. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the catchment flood risk assessment and management studies; when they will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33416/15]

Other Questions: Flood Risk Assessments (1 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: I wish to ask the Minister the status of the catchment flood risk assessment and management studies, when the plans will be implemented and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Other Questions: Flood Risk Assessments (1 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: I appreciate what the Minister of State said about the three areas for further assessment in the 300 locations but perhaps he could give me an overall picture. A few years ago we had river basin catchment plans for the rivers Lee and Shannon and in the south east, among other areas. Perhaps they are the six regional study plans to which the Minister of State referred. I do not recall...

Other Questions: Flood Risk Assessments (1 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: I heard that Europe has indicated it does not want six bitty plans for Ireland but one national plan. Will much work be involved in joining up the six plans into one national plan? One could say that all that is required is for them to be added together. However, it should not be as simple as that. We are a single island. Could the Minister of State refer to the transition from that...

Other Questions: Flood Risk Assessments (1 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: I wish to raise two particular issues with the Minister of State. The first is the draft flood maps that are currently available. They are very important. I ask that the Minister of State would give a little guidance to local authorities in respect of their county development plans. I said previously to the Minister of State that some local authorities included the draft plans in their...

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (1 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: When this office was set up I supported it, but I am disappointed at the rate of implementation. I said they seemed very busy. I said I supported the principle of centralisation, but I want it to be in touch. The Minister has said he is still waiting to recruit 60 staff into that organisation. It has been in operation for two years and the full complement of staff still has not been...

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (1 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: 8. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost of the operation of the national procurement office in 2014; the estimated cost in 2015 and for 2016, his views on its operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33417/15]

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (1 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: I ask the Minister to give us an indication of the cost of the operation of the national procurement office in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and his views on how that office is operating.

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (1 Oct 2015)

Seán Fleming: They all seem to be very busy but I do not get the impression they are achieving very much. I was a supporter of this office but I am disappointed not just with what the Minister said but, specifically, what he did not say in his response. I refer to the Revised Estimates for the Public Services 2015, and Vote 39 is the Vote we discussed in committee. The Minister came into the committee...