Results 41-60 of 2,274 for speaker:Richard O'Donoghue

Energy Costs: Motion [Private Members] (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: I would like the Minister of State's full attention for this. This is not a laughing matter, I am afraid. Crecora Mills installed a 400 kW solar farm in July 2023. It produces 20% of the power to run the mill. The company applied to the ESB to sell the excess power to the grid at that time. It took the ESB two years to process the application and it is looking for €3.8 million...

School Transport: Statements (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: Last Saturday, we were at the Holy Family school in Charleville for a fundraiser where up to 100 motorbikes came out. They do so year after year to raise funds for additional resources for the school. There is a shortfall year on year and resources are raised. Money from last year went in for part of a playground for the children in that school. Looking around the country, vintage clubs...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: Recently, we were told that 20 new gardaí are being appointed into Limerick city, where they are much needed. How many can the Minister give me in the county as well? County Limerick is a big place, with 40 sq miles per Garda station. There is Bruff Garda station and a new Garda station at Newcastle West. When the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, talks about recruits, he says that 200...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: Apologies have been received from Deputies Richard Boyd Barrett, Cathal Crowe and Mattie McGrath. I ask everyone to turn off their mobile phones and devices or to put them on silent. Before we begin, I wish to explain the limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practice of the House as regards references witnesses may make to other persons in their evidence. Witnesses are...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: If people ask questions when they have only ten seconds and expect an answer, then we might get caught for time at the finish.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: It is my question this time. To follow on from the last comment on reducing VAT to 9%, it is a good thing because it can also counteract inflation. At the moment, if you are on a 13.5% VAT rate, you are looking at wage increases and food production cost increases. When you look at your tax base, it is only year on year you are talking about the tax base being reduced. If you go back three...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: I apologise. I only have a couple of minutes. With the VAT reduction, it means businesses from that sector, if they get the 9%, can absorb costs without raising the price. That means the consumer gets value for money. It stays the same. If the VAT rate does not come down, they have to charge more because of the base coming in. It is about absorbing and keeping businesses going without...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: I will come back to Dr. Kelly again on that. I call Deputy O'Meara.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: I have been very lenient with the time. This concludes the session. I thank our witnesses for attending the meeting. It has been a very engaging session. We enjoy sessions such as this on both sides and hearing the various aspects and related questions around the table. I look forward to another engagement in the future. We will suspend for a few minutes while the witnesses for our next...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: I ask everyone to turn off their mobile phones and devices or to put them on silent. Before we begin, I wish to explain the limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practice of the House as regards references witnesses may make to other persons in their evidence. Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the presentation they make to the committee. This means that...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: The witnesses may come back in the next ten minutes.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: The Deputy can come back in again later. In the opening statement, Dr. McDonnell said the institute would consider some lower taxes that could be adjusted. One was property tax, but he never mentioned all of the other ones that have increased. Some properties have doubled in value because the cost of building has increased from €120 per sq. ft to €200 per sq. ft., so there...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: We often say that if we ran our businesses the way a Department runs its business, we would not be in business. We need a model for accountability that will bring in design and delivery, give us more bang for our buck and make sure projects are delivered on time. Then we may not have to increase taxes and could instead curtail what we have and spend it properly.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: On the number of people living at home, I have experienced it myself. I have four sons, two partners and two grandchildren living with me. I am a building contractor. Each time they try to get on the ladder they are finding it next to impossible to get on the ladder. Every time they are saving and trying to meet the criteria from the banking system, they save hard for 12 months and it is...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: Basically, we have the squeezed middle of people who have worked all their lives. The next generation might find life a little easier because of what happens. People might see a benefit go to their children or grandchildren down the line.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: I thank Dr. McDonnell for that contribution. It concludes this session. I thank both of the witnesses for coming and I look forward to bringing them back again in the not too distant future. The interaction today was positive and informative. I thank them for their time. We will now suspend for a few minutes while the witnesses for the next public session join us.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: I ask everyone to turn off all mobile phones and devices or to put them on silent. Before we begin, I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practice of the House as regards references witnesses may make to other persons in their evidence. Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the presentation they make to the committee. This means that...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: I thank Deputy Nash. I call Deputy Neville.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: From my own perspective, after meeting with IBEC yesterday, and we met a lot of companies from around the country, some of which had an international presence as well, their concerns were that, in their trade with the likes of the US and other countries, they were going to price themselves out of the market with the way the structure is set up here with energy costs, water costs, PRSI costs...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed) (23 Sep 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: Looking at our budgets at present from private delivery versus Government delivery of projects and the overruns, and I have asked this in the other two committee meetings, I am a business person myself, so it is design and delivery. You design it, you deliver it, you get an extra percentage because you take the risk but you are getting value for your buck. It is delivered on time and, if...