Results 3,841-3,860 of 10,120 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023: Second Stage (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I think Deputy Lawless will be coming. I welcome this legislation and I commend the Ministers, Deputies James Browne and McEntee, for introducing it into the House today. I have a limited amount of time, but I want to speak in respect of a number of sections in the Bill. In particular, I refer to section 7 of the Bill because it contains quite a significant...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: I thank Mr. Tobin and his colleagues for coming before the committee. I thank Mr. Tobin for his concise and very informative brief presentation. To begin, I will talk about the first track. Is it common for there to be a midterm review in terms of what is proposed here or is it the unusualness of the situation in Ukraine and inflation that is prompting this review?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: This proposed change is around €100 billion. Have we had a proposed change of that magnitude in reviews recently, as in this century?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: Mr. Tobin referred to 50% of this €100 billion as money that is needed for support of Ukraine. What actually are we, as the European Union, paying for in Ukraine? Is it providing subsidies for the Government there so it can continue to operate?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: I can understand the logic of that. Presumably not only the European Union is providing funding for the support of Ukraine. I presume the United States of America is. What other countries are providing support?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: So this funding is not providing military material support by way of military material.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: Has the €25 billion allocated by the Union to Ukraine to date been provided in a similar way by way of subsidies and loans?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: On the second track issues, Mr. Tobin spoke of the unanimity not being required in the second track. Is that correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: Is unanimity required with regard to Ukraine?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: So it does require unanimity at EU level.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: Has the decision been made already or is this something we must look to make in the future?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: The witnesses are not politicians but is there any concern that we may not be able to achieve that unanimity because of political or governance changes taking place in some member states?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: I appreciate that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: It would be €2.5 billion then.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: I apologise to Mr. Tobin as I should know this myself but what contribution does Ireland make annually to the EU at present?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: Okay. I get the gist of it.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: I will ask Mr. Tobin a few questions on the second track issues which he said are not as urgent. Am I correct in stating that in respect of some of those proposals on emissions, we are supportive of them, but when it comes to the corporate own resources, CPOR, we are not supporting that. Is that a correct analysis?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: Do they make that directly to the EU or is it to the member states?