Results 21-40 of 34,832 for speaker:Seán Fleming
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: Business of Joint Committee (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: Absolutely. I am going even stronger than what the Deputy has said. I appreciate that. We will suspend for a moment while our guests from IBEC take their seats.
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: In this session, the committee will discuss the findings set out in IBEC's report, entitled "Our Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy". I am pleased to welcome Mr. Aidan Sweeney, head of infrastructure and environmental sustainability, and Mr. Gerard Brady, head of national policy and chief economist. On privilege around speaking at the meeting,...
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: I thank Mr. Sweeney. Deputy Tóibín has indicated to be the first speaker. I have a few brief questions for the witnesses first. In the document they published, Our Infrastructure Ambition, they show on a chart the number of days to get from dealing with construction tendering practices to a decision. The average in Ireland is about 300 days. That is the same as Greece and a...
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: Is Mr. Sweeney saying a project went to tender without having the funds in place before it went to tender?
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: Okay. That is a key takeaway here.
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: I call Deputy Tóibín, who indicated first.
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: Senator Flynn has gone to vote, so I will hold her slot until she comes back. I call Deputy Sheehan.
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: By way of clarification, Mr. Sweeney remarked that the court should not be a planning authority or make planning decisions. I thought the courts recently, in some cases anyway, have referred appeals that have come to them for judicial review back to An Bord Pleanála for it to reconsider its decision as opposed to the courts making that decision. Will Mr. Sweeney explain that difference...
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: When the court sends it back to An Coimisiún Pleanála, does the applicant have to go through the public consultation? What happens then?
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: What are they obliged to do? Do they start the appeals process from scratch?
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: We will now go back to Senator Flynn, who had been next to speak. She had to vote and now she is back. The Deputy is next after that. I am catching her on the hop but is Senator Flynn ready?
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: Have you any idea or have you access to the information as to how much of the total construction happening in Ireland as we speak is publicly funded versus private? I refer to people building factories, warehouses, IT and so on, as well as housing. What is the scale of-----
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: Give us an indication of-----
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: It was 70:30 in favour of what?
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: If there is less construction activity in the private sector, does that mean there might be more people available to work on some of these projects if the balance is moving to the public sector? That is the logic of what you are saying. Tease that one out.
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: I see the plus and the minus but I am sure the taxpayer is concerned that more of the construction activity going forward will have to be funded by the taxpayer proportionally than has been the case, and that is a bigger burden on the taxpayer. Going back over the years, and maybe you do not know this, were we in that ratio in the past where the majority of construction was from the State or...
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: That is a big risk you are highlighting.
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: Can you put it in context in terms of the construction activity in Ireland last year? How does the Apple tax fund of about €16 billion compare? It is really only about a year's funding. Some people think this Apple fund will-----
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: -----keep us rocking away for the next-----
- Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery: IBEC Report on Infrastructure Ambition for a Competitive, Productive and Resilient Economy: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)
Seán Fleming: Yes. The Apple tax is only 4% of that. Are we overestimating what the Apple tax can do?