Results 5,381-5,400 of 74,100 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I will have to stop Dr. Sweeney there. I used to hear that on a daily basis before the financial crash. Our wealth was made up of incomes and salaries and also property prices, both of which collapsed. Both of them went down the river at the same time. That was something that had the ability to fluctuate so we were not really one of the richest. Indeed, we still are not thus because we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: We will not go into that debate. I have my own views on it. I remember having that debate in Britain in 1988. Luxembourg was top of the league in terms of wealth at that time, followed by the Netherlands and a couple of other countries like that. The European Free Trade Association, EFTA, countries were also high in the rankings at that time. Things have changed since. That is right....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: There is a question that arises from that. I could go on about this all day, although I am not going to, because I still feel hurt about what happened around that time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: We were walking in the dark before.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: What percentage of those employed are currently employed in the construction sector?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: What was not taken into account is the expanding population and the expanding economy. It should be remembered that, at the height of the financial crash, 500,000 people were unemployed, which was a very stark situation. Having to work with that was a chilling factor when looking in the mirror every morning, no matter how one did so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Examination of EU Fiscal Rules: TASC (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: We may have to go for them again. I thank Dr. Sweeney very much indeed. His colleague was unfortunately tripped up by the modern technology that is supposed to work all the time but which, as we know, does not. Dr. Sweeney's address has been very informative. We do not always agree with his scenarios but we have a little bit of experience from what happened before and we have to keep that...

Select Committee on Health: Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: What do these amendments propose to do that was not provided for before?

Select Committee on Health: Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: Is there practical evidence to underline the points made from cases in the past that showed blockages in the system regarding employment of professionals in this jurisdiction? On the one hand, there have been several controversial issues in recent years and it appears that permission should not have been granted by whatever means for some professionals who ended up on the wrong side of the...

Select Committee on Health: Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: Are there likely to be any unforeseen consequences?

Select Committee on Health: Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I have come across a number of conflicting situations that can arise where professionals may have competence or recognition in another field that is not their own area and it may require specific qualification. To put it crudely, say an engineer in construction may not be appropriate even though he or she might have a good grasp of the subject but they do not have a qualification in that...

Select Committee on Health: Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I agree.

Select Committee on Health: Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I am a bit uneasy about this. My unease has not been in any way assuaged. I know the Minister is very persuasive. I raise another issue which is not directly related to this one but which it affects professional individuals who may well have a degree in one area and feel that with a little bit of training, on-the-job practice and so on they will be suitable to deal with, for instance,...

Select Committee on Health: Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: There is a problem with that.

Select Committee on Health: Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: They cannot; that is the problem.

Select Committee on Health: Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I know that.

Select Committee on Health: Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: This is the last intervention. I am still not satisfied. The reason I am not satisfied is that over the past 12 months in particular, I have had numerous conversations along these lines, not directly related to what we are at but some of the people involved and likely to be regulated may be affected. This may allow some of people who are not regulated at present to become regulated because...

Select Committee on Health: Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I accept it reluctantly. I emphasise "reluctantly".

Select Committee on Health: Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I will be the first person to raise this if I see it going into practice as we have feared.

Select Committee on Health: Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 May 2023)

Bernard Durkan: I still have issues. I do not want to vote against a Bill sponsored by Government but I will not vote against my conscience either nor will I vote contrary to what I have learned over the past number of years about people who, while in a different category, will definitely be affected by the legislation. I know what is going to happen. Constituents whom I have represented have claimed that...