Results 6,901-6,920 of 7,789 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Leaders' Questions (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The reality is that if a person is building a house with €50,000 or €60,000 worth of materials, the person that supplied them, that is, the merchant or the hardware business, would pay back to the bank approximately €1,000 of the money they took in because they accepted this card.

Leaders' Questions (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: This is a scandalous situation. As bad as the chequebook situation was, where a person might write five, six or eight cheques and they cost approximately 70 cent each to the person that was writing them, what is happening now-----

Leaders' Questions (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: People are being lured in by this new great card they are being given. The people who have accepted them are being robbed by the banks, with what is going on.

Leaders' Questions (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I ask the Taoiseach to join with me and make it very clear to businesses, while this con job is going on around the country, in the banks that we have bailed out-----

Leaders' Questions (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: -----that people are told to continue using their chequebook-----

Leaders' Questions (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The situation at the moment, in most places, be it in marts or in business-----

Leaders' Questions (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: -----is that they are not accepting those cards.

Leaders' Questions (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Will the Taoiseach join with me and put out this warning to the Irish people?

Leaders' Questions (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Everyone else talks as long.

Leaders' Questions (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: This is a problem that has arisen over the last two months, where banks have said to their customers, "We are moving from cheque books and we are going to give you this card". Businesses accepted those cards in good faith, believing there would be the normal charge. There is a duty on politicians to explain to businesses what is going on. We do not want to see businesses losing money...

Leaders' Questions (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: He means it is okay for the banks to rip off businesses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: ESB: Chairperson Designate (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank Ms Graham for her presentation. Like other Deputies and Senators, I would like to see the ESB drive on its apprenticeship programme. For far too long, we have neglected apprenticeships in this country. I would ask Ms Graham to pursue this programme and, where possible, to increase numbers in that regard. I read in the media recently that the ESB subsidises wind energy to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: ESB: Chairperson Designate (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I would ask that ESB drive it on to ensure the creation of as many apprenticeships as possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: ESB: Chairperson Designate (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is Ms Graham saying that ESB does not give any money to wind farms?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: ESB: Chairperson Designate (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: We have been hearing for years from people that they will look at this, that and the other. Actions speak louder than words. I am asking that Ms Graham take an interest in the issue so as to alleviate problems for families and the ESB.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: ESB: Chairperson Designate (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I know that. I am asking if Ms Graham foresees a day when, despite our having put in place additional infrastructure, it will be cheaper for us import electricity than to produce it here? Electricity prices here are the third highest in Europe. Businesses here are struggling to be competitive because of the cost of electricity.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: ESB: Chairperson Designate (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I understand where Ms Graham is coming from, but there are days when the wind does not blow and other days when it is at 50%. With the rock-off on the generation, we cannot handle any more than 50%. There is pressure on the ESB at the moment to bring that higher in order to take more of it when there is a windy day or night. Is it not true to say that an €800 million investment on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: ESB: Chairperson Designate (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: For the ESB to be able to handle the wind side of it if we go from 50% to 75%.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: ESB: Chairperson Designate (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Does Ms Graham think €800 million would be a worthwhile investment if my figures are correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: ESB: Chairperson Designate (18 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The issue is that these answers must be given within the next 18 months because they have to go and look at it. The regulator or other body has given an ultimatum to the ESB that it will need to do that. Are we looking at viable economic options or are we living in cloud cuckoo land because of EU laws that have been shoved on the ESB to the effect that it must meet certain targets?