Results 321-340 of 7,773 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Financial Resolutions 2024 - Budget Statement 2025 (1 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the budget. Like most Deputies, I welcome the increases for carers and our elderly. Childcare supports and the €2,000 increase in the threshold before entering the higher tax bracket are also welcome. Nobody will be against these changes. The only problem is that today is a day when the Government has a lot of money. We did not have a fraction...

Finance (Provision of Access to Cash Infrastructure) Bill 2024: Second Stage (26 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. If anything was ever to be learned by people across this country or, indeed, across Europe, it was when there was a bit of an outage in technology a few months ago and nobody was able to use their phone set-up or card set-up. Sometimes people go down a road and it is the cool thing to have this card and swipe everywhere they go. That day,...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Minister and his staff for coming in to the committee. Probably everyone in the committee does a good few appeals. I find them pretty quick, in fairness. It can happen to anybody and was not a reflection on the person in the appeal I was involved in. If an independent appeals officer happens to become sick, which is not his or her fault - I am not taking aim at anyone - there...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I do not want to go over it, nor am I saying-----

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes, it can happen. Is there anything that can be looked at again in respect of appeals when someone, through no fault of his or her own, becomes sick, be that the appeals officer or someone else? The appeals officer is really the relevant person.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank Ms O'Regan.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I have a question on that. Generally, when dealing with the Department regarding a review, be it in Portlaoise, Wexford or wherever, am I correct that an appeal must be made within three months to the appeals office? Is that after the oral hearing is over?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Okay. Is it six months after that point?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Okay. Lovely.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: On Deputy Mythen's point, if we agree this section now, will the Minister come back to us so that we can put forward amendments on Report Stage? Is that what the Minister is saying?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I appreciate that. Will the Minister look at the issue ahead of Report Stage?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The Minister can set regulations. Can he say on what he would base them?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Will force majeure and the like still count?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Office of Public Works (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am not on this committee, so I thank the Chair and members for allowing me to speak. I was listening from the seats at the back of the room when it was stated that the OPW identified the back way into Leinster House beside Agriculture House – I am familiar with the area – because it would not have to remove any parking spaces, given that it was a wide area across from the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Office of Public Works (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: How many parking spaces have been removed from the current site?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Office of Public Works (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is more than that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Office of Public Works (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Deputy Boyd Barrett and I are based on that side of Agriculture House and people have to pass through security, including at the gate. Could the committee be forwarded a letter – I am not a member, but I would like to see it – about the grounds on which the decision was made? Obviously, the OPW received a letter from the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, which handles that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Engagement with Office of Public Works (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There are probably 110 sq. m or 112 sq. m of granite. Is the part where people walk granite?