Results 5,461-5,480 of 10,435 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education and Supports Provision for Displaced Ukrainian Students: Discussion (14 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank all the guests for appearing before the committee this morning and for the excellent work they have done in assisting and facilitating the Irish Government in its response to this crisis. It is important at the outset to acknowledge the generous response of the Government and, more importantly, the generous response of the Irish public. My assessment is that this generosity is due...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education and Supports Provision for Displaced Ukrainian Students: Discussion (14 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: Ms Ryan thinks it is appropriate and there is not undue delay in terms of trying to fix up families with Irish homes, and that it is a necessary part of the vetting process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education and Supports Provision for Displaced Ukrainian Students: Discussion (14 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: Ms Ward mentioned in her statement that a number of unaccompanied minors have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine, which is obviously an issue of great concern to all of us. Is she satisfied they are being cared for adequately? Can she give us an update as to how that is progressing for those unaccompanied minors?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education and Supports Provision for Displaced Ukrainian Students: Discussion (14 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: I notice that Ms Ward's statement refers to an assessment of children with significant learning difficulties. Is that a much more difficult task in terms of the language difficulties that exist, with children coming here who may not have the capacity speak English?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education and Supports Provision for Displaced Ukrainian Students: Discussion (14 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: Ms Carroll in her statement referred to the difficulties that early years educators have in supporting children from Ukraine, and Barnardos is having webinars in this regard. What issues is Barnardos confronting and trying to resolve in order to update early years educators as to what support they need?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education and Supports Provision for Displaced Ukrainian Students: Discussion (14 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: Mr. Henderson referred to how the Irish Refugee Council is going to concentrate on further and higher education. I am conscious that the European Commission back in March or April made a recommendation about the recognition of professional and academic qualifications. Is enough being done in Ireland to facilitate Ukrainian people who have come with qualifications so those qualifications can...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education and Supports Provision for Displaced Ukrainian Students: Discussion (14 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: An interesting point mentioned by Ms Moran is that some of the libraries are opening early to enable Ukrainian children to continue remotely with their education in Ukraine. At some stage, is that going to have to terminate? I can understand the benefit of it but, as time goes on, could it become confusing for children?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education and Supports Provision for Displaced Ukrainian Students: Discussion (14 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank all of the witnesses.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (2 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: 230. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the organisation that nominated the current deputy chairperson of An Bord Pleanála for appointment as an ordinary member in 2014, as required by section 106 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). [28779/22]

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (1 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: I commend the Minister and Minister of State on bringing forward this very important legislation. I am sure they would agree it is embarrassing that in Ireland today, people still have to make applications under the Lunacy Regulation (Ireland) Act 1871. As Deputy Berry indicated a few moments ago, that legislation is 150 years old. Notwithstanding the archaic language within that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Minister, the Minister of State and their officials for coming before the committee late on a Wednesday evening. I acknowledge and commend the generosity of the Irish people, the Government and the school communities who have accommodated up to 6,000 children from Ukraine. They have done so seamlessly and without complaint, and that needs to be acknowledged. The Minister...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: Language is another issue that may affect children coming from Ukraine. I suspect the vast majority of them will not be proficient in English and may not even have learned English. Can anything be done to provide language support hours for them? Is that an issue we may need to revisit in future?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am conscious many adults who have come from Ukraine have academic or professional qualifications. It may be the case people have come from Ukraine who have the academic qualifications to be teachers in Ireland. It is obviously a different education system. The courses are different but these Ukrainians may have qualifications in maths, physics or chemistry. I am also aware the EU...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Use of Section 110 by Russian Firms: Dr. Jim Stewart (1 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank Dr. Stewart for the work he did in preparing his paper and appearing before the committee this afternoon. Section 110, introduced I believe back in 1991, was originally to promote securitisation for the financial sector operating in the State. It was designed as a tax-neutral regime for securitisation transactions. Before looking at the Russian firms' use of section 110, I have a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Use of Section 110 by Russian Firms: Dr. Jim Stewart (1 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: When Dr. Stewart says they are lower risk, does he mean that they create a bankruptcy-remote structure and because of that there is less risk involved?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Use of Section 110 by Russian Firms: Dr. Jim Stewart (1 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: Is Dr. Stewart aware of circumstances where, for instance, the European Central Bank might require orphaning for the purpose of some of its regulatory schemes?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Use of Section 110 by Russian Firms: Dr. Jim Stewart (1 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: I only mentioned that because the Revenue Commissioners issued a manual which, curiously, identifies valid commercial reasons for using an orphan structure. One of the points mentioned was that certain parties such as the European Central Bank may also require orphaning but Dr. Stewart is not aware of that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Use of Section 110 by Russian Firms: Dr. Jim Stewart (1 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: Obviously, section 110 only applies to Irish resident firms. For that purpose, does Revenue look to see that there is a bona fide migration of a securitisation to Ireland and does it have to be for genuine commercial reasons?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Use of Section 110 by Russian Firms: Dr. Jim Stewart (1 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: Is Dr. Stewart aware of any public decisions or findings by Revenue indicating that certain section 110 firms have not met the criteria and as a result, have been disqualified?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Use of Section 110 by Russian Firms: Dr. Jim Stewart (1 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: I will move on to the assets of Russian firms and whether or not any of those assets come within the section 100 structure. Are we aware of whether or not any assets of sanctioned Russian individuals have been frozen in Ireland because those assets exist within the section 110 structure?