Results 31,561-31,580 of 35,932 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Order of Business (21 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: It is a continuous trend of this Government to impose the guillotine, and I have said this on numerous occasions on other pieces of legislation. There has been debate - this will be the third day of debate on the Finance Bill - but this Finance Bill contains serious measures that will impact on citizens the length and breadth of this State, and imposes additional hardship on many of them who...

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Can the Tánaiste genuinely claim that after two years of the Labour Party being in government, it has provided any peace of mind or any breathing space for those in mortgage distress? That claim cannot be made despite having been in power for two years. The Tánaiste talked about the Personal Insolvency Bill but the banks retain a veto so they have the final say. The...

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Will the Government call the banks in?

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: What about the interest rate hike? That was the question I asked.

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: The problem is now twice as bad.

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Will the Tánaiste call the banks in?

Leaders' Questions (21 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: This week, the CEO of AIB announced that further mortgage interest rate hikes were on the way. Every quarter of a per cent rise in interest rates adds €30 per month to the cost of repayments for every €200,000 borrowed. This increase will affect 70,000 AIB variable interest rate mortgage customers directly, and the move is likely to be followed by other banks, as has been the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation Issues (21 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs created by Industrial Development Agency supported businesses along the border region; and the total number of job losses in IDA supported business along the region. [9051/13]

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Retail Sector (21 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the impact of upward only rent on the retail sector in terms of lost competitiveness and in terms of jobs lost. [9050/13]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: May I finish on this point?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Is there a requirement to examine the setting up of the Credit Review Office and to extend the scope of the office by means of legislation so that banks which operate here would be compelled to co-operate with the Credit Review Office?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Would Mr. Trethowan welcome it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: It is quite startling that only 323 appeals have been made to the Credit Review Office over a three-year period. I can see the value of the Credit Review Office but these types of figures must result in concerns about the operating costs of the office. Mr. Trethowan claims that he has saved a number of jobs and we can deal with that at a later stage. It is not in dispute because there is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: That was my next point. The State owns AIB and has a large stake in Bank of Ireland. We are paying the staff in AIB to carry out the internal review and then we are paying the Credit Review Office to carry out the other review. A total of 55% of these decisions by the banks have been overturned by the Credit Review Office. Is it time to cut out middle process or at least to give them that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Has Mr. Trethowan had sight of the decline letters? I have seen those letters. People do not seem to know about the Credit Review Office.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I understand that. What are Mr. Trethowan's views on cutting out the middle process or at least providing the option to go directly to the Credit Review Office?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Deputy McGrath referred to the amount drawn down as new lending. The re-financing has been drawn down but it was drawn down years ago from other institutions. Therefore, it is not new lending. The restructuring would have also been drawn down in the form of an overdraft which has been turned into a long-term or short-term loan. The draw-down is €2.5 billion for applicants who are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Mr. Trethowan has said the proportion drawn is €2.5 billion, 27%. It is quite interesting that what he has not given us is the proportion that was sanctioned.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: We may not agree. The Credit Review Office has produced ten reports on this matter. Would it be fair to say that Mr. Trethowan's reflection on this matter has changed as the reports progressed? The earlier reports were very clear that this was new lending which would fall into the category of the 27%. Later it started to include re-financing and restructuring. Agreements between the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Access to Credit Provision: Discussion with Credit Review Office (20 Feb 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I welcome Mr. Trethowan. Will he outline what the Credit Review Office does? Many do not know what it does. From my experience of discussing business with SMEs, which is similar to that of Deputy Michael McGrath, people get so weary of the process with the banks that it takes a long time to convince them to lodge an application with the Credit Review Office, of which the State has...