Results 49,041-49,060 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Matters Relating to the Economy: Discussion with Governor of Central Bank (16 Jan 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: In the ongoing negotiations on the promissory note which we are told will be finalised and signed off by the Government before 31 March, could there be a solution whereby the entire amount - the €28 billion - is completely written off?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Matters Relating to the Economy: Discussion with Governor of Central Bank (16 Jan 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Is it therefore the Governor's opinion that the deal, regardless of its structure, will involve the future appropriation of public money?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Matters Relating to the Economy: Discussion with Governor of Central Bank (16 Jan 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Governor. I move on to a very serious case of a constituent in Wicklow that came to my attention on Monday. It seems to be a case of quite serious harassment by Permanent TSB. She is on an autodial whereby the bank is calling her mobile phone on average six times a day. When she answers the phone she hears the message to hold for a member of the debt collection team or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Matters Relating to the Economy: Discussion with Governor of Central Bank (16 Jan 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: I agree.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Matters Relating to the Economy: Discussion with Governor of Central Bank (16 Jan 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: She is engaging but just asked for time to be left alone on medical grounds. I move to the Personal Insolvency Act. Richie Boucher issued a public statement stating that there would be no debt surrender by Bank of Ireland under the Personal Insolvency Act. The chief executive of Permanent TSB, Jeremy Masding, informed this committee that it is the policy of Permanent TSB that there will be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: The Minister referred to enforcement and criminal charges. I wonder if this is too binary in terms of enforcement. In cases in which a State body is dragging its feet with regard to compliance with freedom of information requests which may be low-level nuisance requests, I suggest that a criminal charge would be a rather heavy instrument. Perhaps a small fine to bring the body back in line...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Does this mean that private contractors can compete on any given bus route?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: That is exactly my point. There are lots of areas in which semi-state companies have monopolies, be they geographical monopolies-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: What about the ESB and power generation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Why would the NRA be excluded from freedom of information requests?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Minister.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: Can I ask a quick follow-up question?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: I wish the Minister a happy new year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (10 Jan 2013)

Stephen Donnelly: It is great to see the Bill getting this focus. The Minister and his officials are to be congratulated for generally making a great deal of information available on websites across the public sector. The plan is to continue to do that, which is fantastic. There are a few points I wish to raise for the Minister's consideration as he proceeds from the heads of the Bill to the draft Bill....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Role and Contribution of Public Interest Directors in Financial Institutions: Discussion (20 Dec 2012)

Stephen Donnelly: As I understand it, what the witnesses are saying is that the €1.1 billion was necessary to facilitate the voluntary redundancy of approximately 2,500 staff. Is it the case that, had the State not rescued the bank, these people would not have received voluntary redundancy packages?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Role and Contribution of Public Interest Directors in Financial Institutions: Discussion (20 Dec 2012)

Stephen Donnelly: Is it reasonable to assume that had the State not intervened all of the employees of the banks would have lost their jobs and would have done so without very generous voluntary retirement packages?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Role and Contribution of Public Interest Directors in Financial Institutions: Discussion (20 Dec 2012)

Stephen Donnelly: Is it not reasonable then to say the State, the people of Ireland, should not have paid €1.1 billion to facilitate voluntary banking redundancies when, had the State not stepped in, those people would not have received those packages?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Role and Contribution of Public Interest Directors in Financial Institutions: Discussion (20 Dec 2012)

Stephen Donnelly: With the greatest of respect for both of the witnesses, whom I thank for attending today and for their public service, I put it to them that in this case they oversaw a €1.1 billion payment to facilitate voluntary redundancies for staff who, had the State not intervened, would not have been afforded voluntary redundancy and that that was a bad call and a bad use of public money. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Role and Contribution of Public Interest Directors in Financial Institutions: Discussion (20 Dec 2012)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank Mr. Spring and Dr. Somers for accepting the invitation of the committee. In the interests of time, I will skip straight to the core issue, which is the pension top up of €1.1 billion. Can each outline his role in that decision?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Role and Contribution of Public Interest Directors in Financial Institutions: Discussion (20 Dec 2012)

Stephen Donnelly: The kernel of it is whether the public interest directors support Mr. Boucher's position. The personal insolvency legislation is where the public interest and the interests of the bank are in conflict. The whole point of the public interest directorships is to act, as compelled by legislation, in the public interest where there is a conflict with the interests of the bank. Mr. Boucher's...