Results 641-660 of 2,015 for speaker:Pat Casey

Seanad: Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Jul 2020)

Pat Casey: I thank Senator Crowe for sharing his time and wish him the best of luck. He opened his doors last night for the fist time in four months, and I opened mine about a month ago. We are living examples. We are both living through this so we have a full understanding of the huge benefit this credit guarantee scheme can bring. I welcome it. It is the largest guarantee scheme in the history of...

Seanad: Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jul 2020)

Pat Casey: On the area of the guarantee, the big game-changer is that the State is now backing these loans to 80%. A lot of the SMEs have been through a horrendous time with the banking industry. There is very little trust between the SME sector and the banking sector. The banks were offering the SME sector millions of euro in 2008 and 2009 but would not even give them a €50,000 overdraft in...

Seanad: Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (16 Jul 2020)

Pat Casey: I congratulate my colleague, Deputy Fleming, on his appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for financial services, credit unions and insurance. His background in accountancy, chairmanship of the Committee of Public Accounts and experience as spokesman on public expenditure and reform before that mean he is ideally placed to deal with the issues ahead of us. One of the key...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2020)

Pat Casey: The reality of the survival of the tourism industry has become more apparent and more clear to me since we reopened our doors a week ago. When we think of the tourism industry, sometimes we just think of hotels, pubs and restaurants but the industry has a much wider impact than that on society. I refer to the transport sector. We have airports, ferry ports and taxis while limousine hire...

Seanad: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (9 Jul 2020)

Pat Casey: I congratulate the Minister of State on his new appointment. I welcome the Bill. The SME sector was probably the sector hardest hit by the last crash. As we know, most of them are small family-owned businesses with a few employees. They suffered the most. There was no back-up support or social welfare for them when their businesses closed. They had nothing to hang onto. When they went...

Seanad: Election of Cathaoirleach (29 Jun 2020)

Pat Casey: Can I give you my congratulations, a Chathaoirligh, on your success of being elected Cathaoirleach today. It is a huge honour for you and for your family. As previous speakers have said, I too know you going back as far as 2006 to that famous strategy of yours to win a Seanad seat in 2007. Some of us have tried to replicate parts of the campaign that you ran then. I had my final meeting...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Retention (17 Dec 2019)

Pat Casey: 300. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the actions she has taken to protect jobs at a company (details supplied); if she has spoken with management of the company regarding protecting the jobs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52686/19]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (17 Dec 2019)

Pat Casey: 672. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the supports that will be put in place by her Department and agencies under her aegis for employees that lost their jobs in a company (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52686/19]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (17 Dec 2019)

Pat Casey: 679. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the supports and advice her Department will make available to workers laid off at a company (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52685/19]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Rebuilding Ireland: Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (12 Dec 2019)

Pat Casey: In preparation for this meeting, my intention was to try to focus on the number of people exiting and entering homelessness and trying to get an average. I then tried to look at what the impact of not having it off-balance sheet would have on the delivery of housing over the next five years. I also wish to focus on how we have failed to convert vacant private housing into use. In addition,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Rebuilding Ireland: Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (12 Dec 2019)

Pat Casey: I mentioned the off-balance sheet model, but I did not expand on it. The concern is looking ahead four or five years and the fact that any debt is part of the fiscal space. This morning we heard an announcement from Circle Voluntary Housing Association about a new public private partnership process in relation to the delivery of social housing and investment. I do not know the details of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Rebuilding Ireland: Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (12 Dec 2019)

Pat Casey: There is a trend and I am concerned.

Rent Freeze (Fair Rent) Bill 2019: Second Stage [Private Members] (10 Dec 2019)

Pat Casey: Tonight's debate provides us with the opportunity to discuss solutions to the housing crisis in the rental sector rather than continue to play politics with the national emergency caused by the failure of current Government policies in respect of the rental sector. Rents are at an all-time high and many families cannot afford their rent because of the rack-renting taking place in certain...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Dec 2019)

Pat Casey: On the same issue, I wish to share my devastation at the news of yesterday's announcement that Rondo Food is closing and moving its facility. This will have a significant impact on the company's 150 workers and their families coming up to Christmas. What was most disappointing about this process was the 30-day procedure put in place. The works committee of the firm put forward practical,...

Housing Solutions: Statements (5 Dec 2019)

Pat Casey: I am sharing time with Deputy Troy. In all fairness, the Minister of State is now asking us to come with a full housing plan. Everybody on the committee has worked with the Government on major pieces of legislation to progress through this House. We have also presented 13 Bills. It is wrong to say we are not part of the solution. We have been part of the solution. That should be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee (5 Dec 2019)

Pat Casey: Apologies have been received from Deputy Noel Rock and Senator Victor Boyhan. I propose that we go into private session to deal with some housekeeping matters. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2019: Discussion (5 Dec 2019)

Pat Casey: At the request of the broadcasting and recording services, members and visitors in the Public Gallery are requested to ensure that for the duration of the meeting, their mobile phones are turned off completely or switched to airplane, safe or flight mode, depending on the device. It is not sufficient just to put phones on silent mode as this will maintain the level of interference with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2019: Discussion (5 Dec 2019)

Pat Casey: I thank the Minister. As there are no members indicating, I will ask a few questions myself to clarify matters. Do the regulations relate to Dublin and Rosslare ports only? Who determines if an EIA or AA is required, and what is the process in that regard? Do the powers in the draft regulations relate only to the OPW? There are other ports around the country, some of which are controlled...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2019: Discussion (5 Dec 2019)

Pat Casey: No other ports have these same requirements.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2019: Discussion (5 Dec 2019)

Pat Casey: It is only for Dublin and Rosslare.