Results 4,061-4,080 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Heads of Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Discussion (2 Jul 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: We are committed at this stage to the Kyoto Agreement and a 20% reduction by 2020 in the heads of this Bill. There are further negotiations in 2015, which will likely tie us to a target of a 40% reduction for 2030. Due to what happened after the Second World War, Europe has a real concern about food security. Does it not make sense to negotiate across the European Union as a body, rather...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Heads of Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Discussion (2 Jul 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: I welcome Professor Kirby. He has said the Bill has no targets. However, head 3, which relates to the Kyoto agreement, ties in a 20% reduction on the 2005 figure. Is that not a target?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Heads of Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Discussion (2 Jul 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: Professor Kirby mentioned earlier that we should adopt a year to year target. In the context of decarbonisation, there is no gradual drop year by year. Policy indicates a higher drop towards the end of a policy rather than a year on year target. Is that correct? Is a year-target not too short?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Heads of Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Discussion (2 Jul 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: If the Bill goes through as currently proposed, it will tie us into a target of a 20% reduction by 2020.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Heads of Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Discussion (2 Jul 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: With regard to the expert advisory board, did Professor Kirby have a chance to look at the fiscal advisory council and its terms of reference? If the expert advisory board was constructed in the same manner as the fiscal advisory council, would that strengthen it? The independence of the Fiscal Advisory Council is recognised in its terms of reference. If the same was the case for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Heads of Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Discussion (2 Jul 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: The Fiscal Advisory Council was appointed by the Government, but it also gives counter advice to it and does not always go along with Government policy. That is the reason I made my suggestion. If the expert advisory board was strengthened along those lines, it would meet with Professor Kirby's proposal.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Heads of Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Discussion (2 Jul 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: Professor Kirby mentioned in his opening paragraph that conditions written into the outline heads of the Bill may limit the achievements of the proposed decarbonisation. What are the limits written in that impede this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Heads of Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Discussion (2 Jul 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: Does Professor Kirby think consideration of economic circumstances should not be written into the legislation? Is he saying that section should be extracted?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Heads of Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Discussion (2 Jul 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: Professor Kirby is an expert on this area. If we look at the level of carbon emissions, Ireland is unusual among European countries in regard to our dependency on agriculture. What kind of agricultural industry would we have if we were to achieve a target of 80% reduction in emissions by 2050? There is a sectoral roadmap and emissions in energy and transport are quite low in comparison....

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Overseas Development Aid Issues (2 Jul 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: 75. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will outline, in relation to the proposals on taxation in the Lough Erne declaration made by the G8 in June and the call for greater policy coherence in the recent Irish Aid policy paper One World, One Future, the way Ireland is planning to respond to the call for developed countries to help developing countries collect the taxes owing to them, and...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Money Laundering (2 Jul 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: 169. To ask the Minister for Finance if there are plans to change the anti-money laundering requirements that applies to the purchase of prize bonds; if anti-money laundering requirements will apply to purchases of prize bonds over €25; if he will consider setting the limit to €100; if he will elaborate on the reasons for such a low limit being applied; and if he will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Money Laundering (2 Jul 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: 190. To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to change the anti-money laundering requirements that apply to the purchase of prize bonds; if anti-money laundering requirements will apply to purchases of prize bonds over €25; if he will consider setting the limit to €100; the reasons for such a low limit being applied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31707/13]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Collection (2 Jul 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: 256. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will confirm that VAT is being collected on sales in Irish airport duty free areas to customers travelling within the EU and have these sales been audited in recent years to ensure VAT is applied to these sales; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32037/13]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Collection (2 Jul 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: 257. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide in tabular form the amount of VAT collected from sales in duty free areas in our airports in each year from 2008 to present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32038/13]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Collection (2 Jul 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: 258. To ask the Minister for Finance the ratio between duty free, and duty applied sales in Irish airports from 2008 to present; the way the application of VAT and other stamp duties are audited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32039/13]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Business of Joint Committee (20 Jun 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose Deputy Nash.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: I could not let the Minister go without raising a issue that is close to my heart.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: I will be quick. On NewERA, the water supply for the eastern coastal region is important because investment is going into the city regions. If employment in the greater Dublin area is to grow, we need a water supply in 2020. It seems to be dragging its feet. Are there clear targets on how a water supply will be delivered to the greater Dublin area?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: He has already answered a Topical Issue and questions on it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Disposal of State Assets and Quarterly Review: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (19 Jun 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: It comes under NewERA. I worked in the pharmaceutical sector. Industry takes decisions three or four years in advance. If we cannot give an undertaking or clarity that there will be a water supply, they will not make that financial investment. That goes for the pharmaceutical sector, Intel and Hewlett Packard on all major investments. Where are we at this stage with this item?