Results 401-420 of 984 for speaker:Aidan Davitt

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Common Agricultural Policy (9 May 2019)

Aidan Davitt: I fully agree with Dr. McCarthy, whose response fed into the contributions of the other witnesses. As the Co-Chairman said, many farmers, including many small-scale farmers, have left the industry.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Insurance Costs for Small and Medium Businesses: Discussion (4 Apr 2019)

Aidan Davitt: I have considerable experience in the insurance industry. It is very easy to kick the industry. Given what has happened with PMPA and Quinn Insurance, Ireland has not had a great track record with Irish-owned insurance companies. We need to be mindful of that. If FBD were not in the insurance market in Ireland, we would be totally at the mercy of the German, British and French insurance...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Insurance Costs for Small and Medium Businesses: Discussion (4 Apr 2019)

Aidan Davitt: Regarding FBD's network, it would be remiss of me not to mention Barbara and the team in Mullingar. I encourage FBD to keep up the good work. It is easy to criticise insurers, but if we did not have the Irish-owned FBD, we would be in a very precarious position.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Apr 2019)

Aidan Davitt: Today, I rise to raise the matter of ash dieback, which is a disease that has infected the forestry population of Ireland. Ash dieback is a quite a serious disease, particularly in the midlands and a lot of the Ulster region. Let me explain my reason for asking the Leader to raise the issue with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. His Department closed the scheme to tackle...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2018: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Apr 2019)

Aidan Davitt: I welcome the reports of the Law Reform Commission and of the Company Law Review Group. They are very comprehensive. Like Senator Reilly, I have been reading through them as we talk. I have just two points. First, not to sound too crass or to the point, there is a general perception portrayed in the media, as we are all aware, that Ireland is soft on corporate or white-collar crime. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2018: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Apr 2019)

Aidan Davitt: They are two straight questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2018: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Apr 2019)

Aidan Davitt: I appreciate the answer. However, I am concerned, for example, when one looks at HSBC and the fixing of rates. It was difficult enough to catch the company. There was also Bernie Madoff and his Ponzi scheme. However, in the context of Ireland we had less than a handful of people facing short enough prison sentences. The State was practically defunct afterwards. We had to get bailed out....

Seanad: National Training Fund: Statements (28 Feb 2019)

Aidan Davitt: I welcome the Minister of State who is one of the most active Ministers of State in government. He is hard working and always willing to listen to those who make logical arguments. I welcome the good news he has brought to the House. However, as an employer, I find it hard to understand why some employers are being treated as fish and others as meat. In the context of the apprenticeship...

Seanad: National Training Fund: Statements (28 Feb 2019)

Aidan Davitt: I thank the Minister of State.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Feb 2019)

Aidan Davitt: How can the Leader say that?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Feb 2019)

Aidan Davitt: With respect, the Leader cannot say that. He has zero credibility.

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Feb 2019)

Aidan Davitt: I shall be brief. I fully agree with Senator Reilly. I agree with his call for an immediate review because small businesses are feeling the brunt of the insurance squeeze. I commend the Senator on what he said.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2018: Discussion (19 Feb 2019)

Aidan Davitt: Like Senator Reilly, I was tied up with the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill so I had to leave for a while. I kept a check on the screens and many of the questions have been answered. I acknowledge much of the great work the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement has done. As Mr. Drennan said, the office had four big results out of five and the one is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2018: Discussion (19 Feb 2019)

Aidan Davitt: I appreciate that and Mr. Drennan's answer. Did the ODCE feel pressure at any stage to get a result at all costs, something that might have led to this situation? I have examined the matter in some detail and it seems like a result had to be achieved at all costs in this case and that, apart from staffing and so on, it possibly led to further problems.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2018: Discussion (19 Feb 2019)

Aidan Davitt: Mr. Drennan was not put under pressure as head of the ODCE to get a result. He did not feel there was-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2018: Discussion (19 Feb 2019)

Aidan Davitt: I just wanted to hear that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2018: Discussion (19 Feb 2019)

Aidan Davitt: I thank Mr. Drennan and appreciate the honesty of his answer.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Aidan Davitt: Is the Senator texting Teresa May?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Aidan Davitt: As much as I like Senator Devine, I have to say that I will take no lectures from a party that is elected to two parliaments and will not take its seats, yet claims massive expenses and wages in both. When the gauntlet was put down-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2019)

Aidan Davitt: I did not open my mouth when Senator Devine was talking. When the gauntlet was thrown down to Sinn Féin to form the Government here it ran away. We will take no lectures from Sinn Féin; its words are shallow. I would appreciate it if the Leader could ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to come to the Chamber to discuss the need to protect local and...