Results 6,581-6,600 of 10,460 for speaker:Gerry Horkan

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: I wish to remind Members that we are discussing amendments Nos. 86c, 86d, and 86e together. If Members wish to speak on amendments Nos. 86d and 86e and they have not done so already, this is their last chance. Otherwise, I will put the question if nobody has anything further to say.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: Many of the points have been covered. I thank the Minister for being here and for his opening remarks. Those of us in the Upper House get fewer chances to see him as we cannot see him at select committees. It is good that he is here and I have a number of points to put to him. What is his opinion on the chances of a no-deal scenario emerging?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: Would it be a 45% chance to 55% chance?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: I thank the Minister and appreciate the position in which he finds himself. He mentioned some unilateral temporary measures. In that regard, he referenced aviation. Will he give us an idea of what some of these unilateral temporary measures might be, giving real and concrete examples?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: What exactly are those measures? Does it involve implementing legislation or just ignoring rules for a while? What does it really mean?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: Regardless of whether there was a deal or no deal.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: I thank the Minister. I was not clear on that matter. The Minister made reference to the level of unemployment increasing by approximately 2% and a deficit of 1% in gross domestic product. In absolute numbers, what are we talking about in the level of unemployment? Equally, what amount of euro would equate to a deficit of 1%?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: Would they be the net numbers? Jobs would be created in certain sectors and lost in others. Are we saying there would be 52,000 fewer people employed in 2020?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: The Minister is referencing employment, which is perfectly fine. I am sure the Department has looked at unemployment figures going from A to B.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: What does that mean in numbers of people?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: There would be 30,000 to 40,000 more registered as unemployed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: That is as full-time equivalents or whatever else. Fewer jobs would be created, which is a separate point. I thank the Minister for clarifying the matter. The Minister stated some of the figures may be conservative, but I argue that they are not conservative enough because we are talking about a central scenario. Do we have figures for worst case scenarios and the least worst or best case...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: Okay. I can appreciate the sensitivity and the Minister not wanting to announce to the wider world what is the worst and best case scenario. I presume the Department is preparing figures for a worst case scenario rather than the central scenario. It is not just looking at what will happen if everything goes reasonably okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: I am not accusing the Department of having a secret set of figures. I could understand it if the Department had many iterations of what was ongoing and that it might not necessarily want to share figures for a "nuclear fallout" or worst case scenario. The Minister is saying the most likely scenario affects the creation of approximately 50,000 jobs and that there would be more people on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: I will touch on a very small point raised last week related to VAT on food supplements. I appreciate that nobody else has covered it, but we have been considering it as a committee. Most members have highlighted it both here and in the Seanad and the Dáil. I appreciate the independence of the Revenue Commissioners. The Minister took the relevant Bill on Committee Stage, but the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: When will the review be finished?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: I thank the Minister. I accept that this affects a broad range of products and that not everything is as good as other products. Quite often it is elderly people or those who are genuinely very unwell with chronic illnesses who buy some food supplements to help with whatever conditions they have. Their prices will increase by almost one quarter if a VAT rate of 23% is applied to them. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: I suppose the Minister did not dwell on the European Commission's proposal in his opening statement because he had much more to say. Is it fair to say that, given the veto possessed by Ireland and other countries, the proposal will not proceed any further and is dead in the water?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (5 Feb 2019)

Gerry Horkan: Regarding the hospital, much has been examined. I am the chair of a school board that sometimes considers building an extension and looks at various prices. I understand building inflation and initial guesstimates, but we are talking about a cost that started at €600 million or €650 million nearly tripling. Some people say it might even hit €2 billion. We are not far...