Results 541-560 of 10,577 for speaker:Barry Cowen
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: The representatives of the Central Bank might be able to answer the Deputy's question.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: We learned that the hard way in recent years. I am going to pause Deputy Durkan there and conclude the session because I am aware our next group of speakers is waiting outside. I thank the representatives of the ESRI for coming to the meeting. As always, they produced an astute and useful opening statement. I thank them for their attendance.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: I welcome Mr. Vasileios Madouros, Dr. Martin O'Brien and Dr. Robert Kelly from the Central Bank. Before we begin, I will explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practice of the Houses as regards references witnesses may make to other persons in their evidence. The evidence of witnesses physically present or who give evidence from within the parliamentary precincts is...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: I thank Mr. Madouros for his opening statement.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: It is totally valid to ask the same question to another group.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: I think that might be outside the remit of the Central Bank.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: That is an issue around consumer protection as well. We will put that to the Central Bank.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: I remind the Deputy that he has named a bank and used certain language - misleading, lies and words like that. I caution him to be careful with his language.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: Fair enough.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: I want to return to the issue of the labour market which has come up in other contributions. We are at pretty much full employment now and that is challenging for a number of sectors. Which ones do the witnesses think are particularly challenged? Why do the witnesses believe it has happened? We have talked here before about the impacts post Covid of a certain cohort of people leaving the...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: I have a quick question on the National Reserve Fund, NRF. Would our guests expect to see the Department of Finance, or whoever might be tasked with the role, to remake the limits of that fund at some stage, as in, the fact that it has a limit that is set out in a very specific way? Are we looking, in the immediate future, at a rewriting of how that fund is set out?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: That is my question. In a practical sense, are we going to have to reorganise it?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: The windfall tax has been mentioned in the context of the NRF. Dr. McQuinn has described how one takes anything that qualifies as an excess based on the forecast or benchmark. Does he mean an excess as defined by the Department of Finance?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: That was going to be my next question.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: Is Deputy Healy-Rae happy with that?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: Yes, very soon. Will we reach it in the next two years?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: The witnesses mentioned our debt and that we are in a relatively secure position up to 2025 because of the way it is structured. Post 2025, a number of layers of our debt will come to fruition. Do our guests know if the work in this regard has started, particularly as 2025 is not too far away? This committee is tasked with looking at the medium to long term, so this falls within our remit....
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: It must really be one last question, Deputy. I will hold you to this.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: Is that okay with the Deputy?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Stability Programme Update: Discussion (22 Mar 2023)
Barry Cowen: I also thank the officials. I apologise again for holding them longer than we were intending to, but the votes set us off course, unfortunately. That concludes the session. I thank the officials for attending and for staying so late.