Results 2,681-2,700 of 7,961 for speaker:Imelda Munster

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: I am sorry to cut across Mr. Hogan, but time is of the essence. When was that group set up?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: Would Mr. Hogan accept that the resignation of the entire board is a damning indictment of a scheme that is excessively restrictive, not fit for purpose and in need of change?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: Owing to time, can Mr. Hogan answer "Yes" or "No"? Does he believe the Ombudsman's report and the entire board resigning are a damning indictment of a scheme that is not fit for purpose and needs to be changed?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: I am glad to hear that. My next question is on Home Building Finance Ireland. Why was taxpayers' money used by Home Building Finance Ireland to fund the construction of private rental properties that were sold directly to cuckoo funds?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: We did, yes.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: Let me just touch on one. Some 83% of all properties constructed under the Home Building Finance Ireland momentum fund were private rental apartments, all of which were sold to institutional investors, to pre-agreed contacts. Has Mr. Hogan expressed concern about this at the quarterly meetings?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: Some 83% were private rental apartments.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: When it was before the Committee of Public Accounts last month, Home Building Finance Ireland confirmed that the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment under the scheme would be €1,800 per month. It would be €2,100 for a two-bedroom apartment and - wait for it - €3,100 for a three-bedroom apartment. One has to ask the question, who the hell are these apartments for?...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: Who are those apartments for? If one can afford those prices-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: They probably still do not, because there are not many who can afford those sorts of prices. It comes back again to the distortion of the market. The Department said earlier that its remit was to avoid distorting the market. My question is about taxpayers funding the distortion of the market when we have to subsidise it.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: I want to specifically speak about it. It also confirmed to the committee last month that the expected unit price of a property funded through their momentum fund was €485,000. This is a ridiculous waste of public money that could have been used for social or cost rental-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: Does Mr. Carville consider that cost affordable?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: No, we are talking about this particular aspect of it-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: -----which is publicly subsidised, and the question was that it said that-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: Right. I am quoting the figures that it gave us when it was last in. Was it not supposed to finance small builders who wanted to build affordable homes for people the length and breadth of the country?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: Okay. I just wanted to ask the question. Our committee has been advised by Home Building Finance Ireland of a percentage-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: -----of properties constructed under the momentum fund that have gone into the rental market. They were 52% more expensive than those built without the momentum fund. How would the Department explain that?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 7 - Finance
2020 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 1 - Exchequer Financial Outturn for 2020
Chapter 16 - Ireland Apple Escrow Fund
Audited Financial Statements of the Exchequer for 2020 (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: Hold on. I am asking a particular question. How is that something built through the momentum fund is 52% more expensive as opposed to units built without the momentum fund? How is that value for money? How is that not distorting the market? Why are we subsidising that?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tourism Industry (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: The situation is so bad now that some restaurants and pubs have to close early or are having to close a few days a week to cope with the shortage. The shortage of chefs is particularly acute. The Minister of State mentioned Fáilte Ireland's tourism careers research. That showed that there is currently a shortage of 40,000 workers in the tourism and hospitality sector, and 30% of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tourism Industry (5 May 2022)

Imelda Munster: It is not up to Fáilte Ireland to solve this problem. I asked what the Minister of State's opinion was on the Government increasing the minimum wage to a living wage for workers in the sector. Retention is equally as much a problem along with recruitment. According, again, to Fáilte Ireland's research, one in three workers in the sector was new to tourism and hospitality, and 42%...