Results 2,801-2,820 of 6,295 for speaker:Michael D'Arcy

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (5 Jul 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: 217. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a reader for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19637/16]

United Kingdom Referendum on European Union Membership: Statements (Resumed) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: I want to contradict the views of the previous speaker. I am astonished by the amount of ignorant and uninformed rhetoric that has just come from her. I would like to explain to her the subsidiarity of national law to EU law, which was in place when we joined the EU in the 1970s, but I cannot do so because she is walking out the door. We will have to pretend we do not know that the system...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister of Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: I welcome the Minister. The budget for the Tax Appeals Commission is €1.5 million versus the Revenue budget of €330 million. It is less than 0.5%. From memory, the predecessor to the Tax Appeals Commission overturned a significant number of cases. Is the budget sufficient for that office at €1.5 million?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister of Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: In the Department the banking and financial services policy group has €11 million according to page 9 of the document we received. The output to the end of May is €2.5 million. The output for consultancy services is €162,000 but the Estimate for the year is €5 million. It seems very low given the importance of the banking and financial services sector and given...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister of Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: They are almost zero from the budget of €5 million.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister of Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: How many staff are within the SMU?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister of Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: On the shareholder management unit, SMU, the Minister does not have the number of full-time staff. Is there a figure for consultancy in regard to the SMU?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister of Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: The SMU has such a huge brief, involving the banks, NAMA, IBRC and the credit unions. Multiple billions of euros are overseen in terms of the policy. Nearly half the members of the banking inquiry are in this room. We were concerned that the Central Bank was not on top of its brief. Is the SMU on top of its brief?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister of Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: I am aware of that but I am referring to the importance of the staff being completely on top their brief to ensure the NTMA and the other agencies do their job appropriately in advising the Minister.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister of Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: The Minister is satisfied it is doing so.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister of Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: On miscellaneous and incidental items, while I do not mean to be picky in this regard, there is a bill under Vote 7 for hospitality and official entertainment amounting to €35,000 and a bill for water for €40,000. Has the Minister a breakdown of this expenditure?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister of Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: With regard to banking and financial services, there was some conversation on splitting the section into domestic and non-domestic categories. Has there been any further conversation on that prospect?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister of Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: I could not find a breakdown anywhere within the documentation we received. The Irish Financial Services Centre has a staff of tens of thousands. Could we get a note on the oversight available for the non-domestic sector of financial services?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: I welcome the Taoiseach. I would like to raise the issue of principal dwelling homes. According to the briefing document we have received, some 8% of principal dwellings are in arrears. The actual figure is approximately 85,000 homes. I would mention as evidence of the sustainability of that figure that it is almost twice what it would be in a normally functioning housing market. I would...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: I am suggesting that approximately 12% of principal dwelling homes are in arrears, and that this figure is approximately twice what it would be in a functioning market. Some 85,000 people live in these homes. I would like to hear the Taoiseach's view on how financial institutions are interacting with their clients who are in arrears. I have evidence that they are interacting very badly -...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: When MABS tries to help, it is ignored in many cases by financial institutions that are intent on one action. I am seeing a lot of evidence that these institutions, rather than leaving those who are only partially paying their mortgages in their homes, are choosing to repossess properties now that the increase in asset values means they will get all their money back. There is a great deal...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: The allocation for commissions of investigation has increased substantially from €2 million in 2015 to €3.4 million in 2016. Some members of the committee were involved in the banking inquiry which sat for almost two years. Does the allocation for commissions of investigation represent value for money? A figure is not provided for the cost of the Fennelly commission, while...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: What I am saying is that the O'Higgins report was produced after €157,000 had been spent on the Guerin report and resulted in the Dáil record having to be amended. Was the cost of the report by Mr. Seán Guerin SC money well spent?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: Does the Taoiseach believe the €157,000 spent on the Guerin report was value for money given that its findings were contradicted by the O'Higgins report?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Michael D'Arcy: The Taoiseach's opinion on the €157,000 cost of the Guerin report would not be a legal issue.