Results 6,821-6,840 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Stability Programme Update: Minister for Finance (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: However, upside risks and downside risks are described in the document. There is also a section on European developments and a section on long-term sustainability. If a deal were to be reached, and a deal was announced to have been reached in July 2012, it would have a major impact on public finances. As a constructive comment on this, which the Minister invited, I believe it should be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Stability Programme Update: Minister for Finance (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: We are not looking for hard numbers, and the Minister does not include hard numbers in his upside and downside risks section. An agreement was announced by the Taoiseach almost two years ago. That agreement, which would have a massive impact on the public finances, should be included in this document. It would also remind Europe that we are still looking for it because someone reading this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Stability Programme Update: Minister for Finance (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I find that hard to believe because there are so many items in the document. The Minister mentioned a number of upside risks that in no way could be described as hard figures, and they have not been announced as decisions reached at a European level. The Minister states regarding upside risks that economy-wide investment remains close to record low levels, therefore, if they go up there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Stability Programme Update: Minister for Finance (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: That is fine.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Stability Programme Update: Minister for Finance (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I will be making a submission, based on what I said earlier, that the Minister might consider incorporating it. It would be helpful to the country's case, and I believe it is an omission.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Hospital Accommodation Provision (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: Táim an-bhuíoch don Chathaoirleach as an deis luath seo a thabhairt dom an t-ábhar tábhachtach seo a phlé sa Seanad anocht. Táim ag caint anocht maidir le hospidéal réigiúnach d'oirthuaisceart na tíre. I wish to raise the issue of the proposed regional hospital for the north east. This was promised by Fine Gael in the run-up to the last...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Hospital Accommodation Provision (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I accept that.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Hospital Accommodation Provision (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I do not expect the Minister of State, Deputy McGinley, to reply to this because he is not the Minister of State at the Department of Health. The Minister of State has been given a response dealing with Our Lady's Hospital, Navan. The question related to the regional hospital that is proposed for Navan, but there was nothing in the reply about that. One can conclude there are no plans at...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Bank of Ireland (10 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I will just ask the question again. Could Mr. Boucher provide us with the figures?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Bank of Ireland (10 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: Could Mr. Boucher say that no one has got a debt write-down in capital or arrears in the past year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Bank of Ireland (10 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: Could Mr. Boucher tell us how many people did?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Bank of Ireland (10 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: But clearly people have received a debt write-down from Bank of Ireland and I would like Mr. Boucher to tell the committee how many have got one.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Bank of Ireland (10 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: So Mr. Boucher is not prepared to give the committee the figures in that regard.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Bank of Ireland (10 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: Is Mr. Boucher prepared to give the figures to the committee for the amount of write-downs of capital and arrears that Bank of Ireland has given in the past year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Bank of Ireland (10 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: That is standard for banks.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Bank of Ireland (10 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: Sure, but how many bankruptcies have taken place in the past year? Very few. That is not an issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Bank of Ireland (10 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: But the point is that reading between the lines, there clearly is a practice, even if it is an unofficial one, that Bank of Ireland offers write-downs on capital and arrears of mortgages.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Bank of Ireland (10 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I am sorry, but how many people have gone through the insolvency process with Bank of Ireland and agreed a write-off, or not agreed a write-off, as part of the process? I estimate it is very few. It is a handful.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Bank of Ireland (10 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: We are aware of the corporate write-downs, but I am interested in the mortgage book. Off the top of my head, the public cases of write-offs relate to corporate accounts, not individual customers. Reading between the lines I presume customers can avail of write-downs in Bank of Ireland if they push hard.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Bank of Ireland (10 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: Has Bank of Ireland offered write-downs outside of the insolvency process or the bankruptcy process? We know there have not been that many of those processes.