Results 2,881-2,900 of 5,388 for speaker:John Deasy

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 – Social Protection
Chapter 21 – Expenditure on Welfare and Employment Schemes
Chapter 22 – Welfare Overpayment Debts
Chapter 23 – Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Social Insurance Fund – Annual Accounts 2011 (14 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: The Department does. I understand that we are talking about people with very little money. I deal with enough people who are in very tight situations. I will go back to the example of England. For those convicted in court, the Department for Work and Pensions has proposed introducing a two strike regime for imposing benefit deductions. It proposes to impose a loss of benefits for three...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 – Social Protection
Chapter 21 – Expenditure on Welfare and Employment Schemes
Chapter 22 – Welfare Overpayment Debts
Chapter 23 – Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Social Insurance Fund – Annual Accounts 2011 (14 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: I welcome Ms O'Donoghue and the other officials. This is a complex area involving many payments. I deal with many social welfare queries in my office. I am not saying I know everything about it, but we are quite busy. We have a slight concern over deterrents and how people view the system before they engage in fraudulent activity in particular. I will give an example of an application I...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 – Social Protection
Chapter 21 – Expenditure on Welfare and Employment Schemes
Chapter 22 – Welfare Overpayment Debts
Chapter 23 – Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Social Insurance Fund – Annual Accounts 2011 (14 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: Because it is.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 – Social Protection
Chapter 21 – Expenditure on Welfare and Employment Schemes
Chapter 22 – Welfare Overpayment Debts
Chapter 23 – Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Social Insurance Fund – Annual Accounts 2011 (14 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: I believe 2% to 3% of fraudulent cases are referred to prosecution. I asked the liaison officer to check in a different jurisdiction and look at what its rate is. There is a massive difference. Scotland was the one we looked at. The referral for prosecutions in Scotland was about 34%. Of that, probably 30% to 40% were prosecuted in criminal courts. I look at Irish figures of 2% to 3%...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: Both the Department and Enterprise Ireland raised the matter of banks' interaction with small and medium enterprises, SMEs, in particular. The comment from one of the Enterprise Ireland officials a few weeks ago was that the banks were, frankly, not fit for purpose when it came to dealing with non-financial issues. It was made clear that in some cases there was a geographical challenge, and...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: I will reiterate what Deputy Donohoe said before he left. We appreciate the work done by the Department of Finance, and it is a high-stakes game for Ireland right now. There has been much progress in the past year and I thank the witnesses for their work.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: The Department needs to take a look at its policy in this area and its constant targeting of this particular cohort. It should perhaps engage with the banks on how else they could become profitable-increase their profit base by other methods as opposed to raising variable interest rates steadily over time. The figures I have seen suggest the norm before too long across the board will be...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: My next question relates to property tax and where the money collected will go. Media reports differ on how it will be apportioned. A figure of 60% has been mentioned when it comes to funding local authorities, with the remainder going into a general fund. What is Mr. Moran's understanding of where property tax receipts will go and how they will be used?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: No determination has yet been made on where the money will go.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: My next question relates to the Finance Bill and the definition of the living city initiative in respect of Limerick and Waterford. I previously raised the issue of the definition of a Georgian house during the debate on the Bill in the Dáil. The definition in this regard as per the Bill is "a building constructed in the period 1714-1830 for use as a dwelling and comprising at least...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: I apologise, I did not mean to lecture Mr. Moran.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: I am seeking some leeway. Perhaps the Department might give those with expertise in this area a chance to make an input before a decision is made. I am aware that once the consultant's report is finalised, the Department will have to go through the EU approval process and then take another look at it before the commencement order is signed. I am slightly concerned that if definitions are...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: Therefore, there has not been a reduction.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: I will start with a question on standard variable rates, SVRs. Many people with these are feeling victimised. On the one hand, the Taoiseach stated yesterday that the issue of mortgage arrears was one of our greatest problems while, on the other, the CEOs of AIB and Bank of Ireland have teed up another increase in SVRs. These banks are wholly or partially owned by the State. The public...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: That is fair enough. The number of people in question who are on variable rates versus tracker mortgages is small. There is an element of injustice. They believe that they are being targeted constantly, in that their rates are being pushed up while tracker mortgages are protected from the banks by the European Central Bank, ECB. Does Mr. Moran understand my point? The line is that we...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts and Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 6 - Office of the Minister for Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Outturn for 2011
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 3 - Banking and Insurance Measures
Chapter 5 - EU Financial Transactions (7 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: -----the Department helping by reducing borrowings, which would filter down to the banks. Bankers have complained to me that they cannot borrow money cheaply. The small cohort of 50,000, 60,000 or 70,000 people are feeling victimised. If one believes what one reads in the newspapers, they are facing another increase.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Quality and Qualifications Ireland (5 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the limbo endured by aspirant providers due to the setting up the new Quality and Qualifications Ireland; when new applications for FETAC level accreditation will be accepted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11707/13]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Appeals (5 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in issuing files from the invalidity pension section to the appeals office; if she will examine the case of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford who requested an appeal on 27 March 2012 and whose file has not yet reached the appeals office; if she will ensure that information between the sections in her Department...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (5 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding the proposed Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011 in view of the EU Commission's concerns about Irish legal costs and the need for system reforms and independent regulation. [11593/13]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Harbours and Piers (5 Mar 2013)

John Deasy: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide funding for urgent improvements to the harbour slipway at Dunmore East, County Waterford, in view of the importance of this work being carried out before the summer. [11708/13]