Results 281-300 of 34,019 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: This is the same as previous assessments. I do not want to talk about the fiscal council and the valuable work it does but, after the passage of this Bill, what legal weight is on the recommendation of IFAC? I presume the Minister just has to consider it and that after that he or she can just put it up on a shelf if he or she wishes or can take the recommendation and implement it or tweak...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: I move amendment No. 16: In page 20, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following: “(c) housing and infrastructure deficits in relation to such years as the Minister considers appropriate,”.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: I do not agree with the way in which sections 25 and 26 have been drafted, the reason being the considerations that have been stipulated, again by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. All you have to do is have regard to them. Again, it fails to deal with, for example, the issue of infrastructure or housing deficits in determining its consideration. I just wanted to make that point as to why...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: May I make a point? It may not be tied to this section, but we are trying to get through this. All the reports being made available, including the report from IFAC and the report from the NTMA, will be published. Is that correct? Will every report be published? In terms of the timing, the IFAC report happens on a date in September, from memory. It is just before the budget cycle. Will...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: The reason I have concern with this is that heretofore IFAC has published all of its stuff; it is not given to Government. This legislation strays from that, where it provides it to Government. It should be simultaneously published, in my view. IFAC is independent.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: On section 31, can we get the follow-up note from the Department on the justification of the 15% investment in terms of maximum aggregate turnover of a particular investment in fossil fuel undertakings? We would still be able to make investments that had less than 15%. I know it stems from previous legislation but I would appreciate if we could get the note for consideration before Report Stage.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: 282. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when a technical review will be completed for a defective block scheme application (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20542/24]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Coroners Service (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: 339. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the average waiting times for inquests, per county, for the past five years, in tabular form; the number of coroners, per county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20105/24]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Official Apology (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: 434. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if, following his discussion in Dáil Éireann (details supplied) on 6 December 2023, he has considered offering an apology on behalf of the State to a person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20377/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: 490. To ask the Minister for Health when a person in County Donegal (details supplied) can expect to receive a date for an operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20176/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Qualifications Recognition (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: 532. To ask the Minister for Health if a full-time MSc in an occupational therapy course (details supplied) is a qualification recognised by CORU, and if so, the average processing times for recognition and registration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20330/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Reports (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: 569. To ask the Minister for Health if a report, believed to have begun in June 2022 into 11 allegations of abuse at a disability centre (details supplied), will be made public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20489/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Cards (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: 585. To ask the Minister for Health when a medical card decision will be made for a cancer patient (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20591/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: 598. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive an appointment at Letterkenny University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20689/24]

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: As I said to the Minister, section 8 is the meat and bones of the legislation, so we should take a bit of time on it and hopefully then make progress on the rest of the legislation. I support the establishment of the funds but I am opposed to the idea that we set down in legislation that a percentage of GDP would go into the fund at a set point in time and that the Minister would have the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: On the timing, it is "up until" but the timing is very close to the budget cycle. It could be in the following ten days. Given that it is quite a significant consideration in respect of the budget process, and the information is from the previous year, I would suggest looking at that.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: On section 33, I thought we should discuss this as it is separate and not repeating previous discussions. This is in respect of the numbers that make up the agency. Could the Minister talk briefly to that point? It goes from six to eight. Are there any stipulations regarding the make-up of the committee?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: I have two questions on section 35(1). When does the Minister envisage giving effect to section 35(1), which provides for the transfer of the €2 billion from what is known as the rainy day fund into the infrastructure and nature fund? That will trigger the remainder going into the future Ireland fund no later than a month later. Can the Minister update us as to what would be the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: When do you expect the Act to be commenced?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)

Pearse Doherty: Okay. Obviously this is a good move. The rainy day fund is not invested so it is not generating any income at all. What is the total value of the rainy day fund at the moment?