Results 641-660 of 1,974 for speaker:Arthur Spring

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Network (1 Jul 2014)

Arthur Spring: 610. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated cost per mile of construction of additional roadway on existing two lane local roads to facilitate, where possible, the addition of cycleways and if such a project has been completed on Irish roads. [28098/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Adult Education (26 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: 87. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider the extension of the dates of adult literacy courses being taught in adult literacy and basic education centres nationwide; and if summer courses will be introduced for students who wish to continue their learning during the traditional summer break in education. [27699/14]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Provision (24 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: 124. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if increased funding for 2014 will be provided to an organisation (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26835/14]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (24 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: 125. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the foreign aid programme will provide for a co-ordination strategy of a global education unit whereby a best practice template for foreign aid education could be provided using EU and Irish State funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26836/14]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (19 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: We are in no hurry.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (19 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: Has the council considered the sale of some State assets? For example, we have acquired the banks, unfortunately or fortunately. Has the council considered the value that will be built into those assets in the future? As for the sale thereof, has the council made recommendations to the State or the Department of Finance as to how that could be used to offset some of the burden?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (19 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: For example, Irish Water has been set up but no payment was made to the Irish State. I am aware it was for the purposes of allowing it to borrow off-balance sheet and so on but is that typical best practice internationally, whereby the assets essentially were bequeathed to an organisation without the State getting a payment or that organisation borrowing money to fund it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (19 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: Yes, but it is off-balance sheet. I believe it had the capacity to borrow €1.6 billion without putting it on the State balance sheet. However, if it is an entity in its own right, should it not borrow money and give that to the State for the purposes of it being a special purpose vehicle or whatever?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (19 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: Some of it would be. I was just wondering-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (19 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: From the sounds of things, the Acting Chairman is catching a train so I will turn to the bank recapitalisation. I am aware the council thinks there is a small chance and we should keep asking for it. Is that the best chance we have of a silver bullet or, as a country, should we be examining anything else such as the sale of the banks or something else? Is there anything that is not being...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (19 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: I find it very frustrating to be around organisations that say what a great success the programme has been for Ireland. I hear from the OECD, the Commission and all the rest. I am sure the Acting Chairman and I, together with the other parliamentarians, would state that when one goes to people's doors, they say the programme has been a disaster, as people's standard of life has decreased....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (19 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: Do the witnesses want to come canvassing in north County Kerry in the early part of 2016 and explain that on the doors?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (19 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: By the looks of things, I could do with a couple of the witnesses. The other point I wished to make was that I appeared on "Prime Time" last September and got something wrong, in that I stated the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council was okay with an adjustment of €2.6 billion instead of €3.1 billion. I was wrong and the witnesses did a fantastic job of getting me back on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (19 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: I was always going to say it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (19 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: If we could have a spike in March 2016-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (19 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: I have some general questions. Does the council meet with the European Commission, the ECB, the IMF or any particular bodies on a regular basis?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (19 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: Would it be fair to say that the council is more or less in agreement with most of what they suggest?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (19 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: I find it very difficult to impress this on European partners. Labour Party Deputies talk to the Social Democrats. If one put it to the Germans or the French that essentially 10% of their population, 6.8 million people, were going to leave the eurozone for the purpose of gaining employment in Anglophone countries or a similar language country, and asked them what would happen in their...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (19 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: If one compares the Chinese, US and Japanese economies with the eurozone, which of those would have quantative eased the least over the last five or six years? Would it be fair to say the eurozone has done the least?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (19 Jun 2014)

Arthur Spring: The eurozone would be a great deal less.