Results 601-620 of 951 for speaker:Garret Ahearn

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Apr 2022)

Garret Ahearn: A number of months ago we had the great announcement of sports capital grants for about 1,900 successful applicants across the country and some €140 million was invested into sports clubs, which has been hugely welcomed by those clubs. It is the largest sports capital investment that has been given to clubs since the measure was reintroduced by a Fine Gael Government a number of years...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Apr 2022)

Garret Ahearn: I too congratulate the Cathaoirleach on the address by President Zelenskyy today and thank him for his contribution on behalf of us in the Seanad. In highlighting the case of the mother and five-year-old daughter who have travelled to Ireland, he described the decisions we are making and the challenges we face. What is happening is all being done in the best interests of the citizens of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: I ask the Deputy Leader for some information or to seek a debate with the Minister for Justice regarding Garda stations, especially the proposed new Garda station in Clonmel. It is in the capital building programme, along with a new station in Macroom and the children's court. Clonmel Garda station is ready to go, just like Macroom is, but it is being held up in the process because of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Bill 2022: Discussion (30 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: I thank the officials for coming in today and for the work they are doing on this. Mr. Maher stated that the longer we keep people in PIAB, the better it is in terms of reducing costs to the Exchequer in terms of insurance. I ask the witnesses to expand on two statements they made. The issue relates to payouts for individuals. If someone has an accident in a place of employment, as we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Bill 2022: Discussion (30 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: I can see the point exactly. My point is that it could sometimes be frustrating for people if they felt someone was getting too much and they could not really do more about it because it would cost more. Mr. Newham used a very good phrase in implying the process under discussion is to be an alternative process to solve claims. For a long time, there has been an alternative process to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Agriculture Schemes (24 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: I thank the Cathaoirleach; I think that is his official title for today anyway. I thank him for stepping up to make today possible. It is appreciated. I thank the Minister for coming into the House. He is always very good. When anyone has a Commencement matter, as lead Minister, he always comes in and takes it.. As someone from a farm of tillage farmers, it is first important to note...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Agriculture Schemes (24 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: I thank the Minister very much for his detailed response. I raised the matter of supporting farmers with the rising cost of fertiliser in recent months and he came to the House on that occasion to respond to it. We discussed the matter before Christmas. We have one party in government with us that will be in up in arms with this suggestion. Is there a way to support tillage farmers with...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: If Senator Gavan could convince his councillors to actually vote in favour of housing projects, we might have more in towns like Castleconnell----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: -----than the five being built. There are thousands throughout the country that have been refused.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: We have members of Sinn Féin who have never in their time as public representatives ever voted for housing projects and yet claim they will be able to solve the housing crisis. I was in the House yesterday and I listened to very fitting contributions by a number of Senators, including the Leas-Chathaoirleach, on the very sad passing of Mr. David Hill at the weekend.I was playing with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Fuel Costs: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (23 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: I thank the witnesses for the contributions. I want to follow up on the issue raised by Senator Crowe in terms of complaints. The witnesses said in their contributions that there have been 200 complaints which the CCPC is dealing with at the moment. On a yearly basis, in terms of fuel costs alone, not the display of fuel costs, how many complaints does the CCPC get a year? For example,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Fuel Costs: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (23 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: Almost no one would make complaints to the CCPC in regard to the price of fuel.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Fuel Costs: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (23 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: If I drove to a fuel pump today and the price was €2.60, which was totally out of sync with everywhere else in the country, who do I make the complaint to?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Fuel Costs: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (23 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: In his contribution, Mr. Godfrey spoke about how the CCPC has a responsibility to make sure that pricing is attractive to customers. If I drive into a fuel station and it is 50 cent higher than everywhere else in the country, who do I complain to? There is no point complaining to the fuel station. Who do I complain to?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Fuel Costs: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (23 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: If the fuel stations know that the CCPC does not act on a complaint, or not that the CCPC does not act but that there are very few complaints brought to it on the pricing of fuel, how is the CCPC a deterrent to companies having an increase in their prices?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Fuel Costs: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (23 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: The argument is that there is no need for a service to regulate it, which is a strange argument to make. Everyone knows of places where, if it is perhaps not 50 cent higher, prices are much higher than other places in the country. That is sometimes because it might be the only fuel station within 20 km and there are many reasons for it, for example, the profit margins are different if it is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Fuel Costs: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (23 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: I get that. I get the display part of it. In Mr. Murphy's contribution as well as in Mr. Godfrey's, they spoke about the penalties that are there for companies that do not act accordingly. One of those penalties is up to a ten-year prison sentence. The ten-year prison sentence is not going to someone who did not display a price rise and that is clearly for a different offence. For an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Fuel Costs: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (23 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: What is the level that is not competitive, in Mr. Godfrey's view?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Fuel Costs: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (23 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: I am conscious of time. Mr. Godfrey's argument is that it is unlawful for them to have a cartel and to work with each other to set a price, but there is nothing the CCPC can do if I drive into a filling station and I spend way over the odds, for example, €2.50 per litre on diesel today. If I make a complaint to the CCPC, that complaint is pointless, really. Mr. Godfrey said people...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Fuel Costs: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (23 Mar 2022)

Garret Ahearn: The CCPC will check collusion but it will not check the price.