Results 7,081-7,100 of 74,100 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Report of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I disagree. It is not simplistic. I assure Mr. O'Brien I have as much experience in dealing with the housing market as he has, and maybe more.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Report of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Mr. O'Brien said it is simplistic. It is not simplistic. The fact of the matter is that it was always better to meet the housing requirements of people. If there are people coming in from outside and they want a house, they can buy a house or they can rent the house, but they need that option.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Report of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Hold on a second. They need to have that option. For Mr. O'Brien to come to the conclusion that what I was suggesting is simplistic is, I think, simplistic on his part.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Report of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: We will.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Report of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: That remains, as I do not agree with Mr. O'Brien's viewpoint either.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Report of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I have spent a long time dealing with that issue for all types of people. I have a fairly good idea of what people want and what they will take.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Report of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I thank Mr. Davitt.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Report of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Deputy Michael Healy-Rae gave a very impressive précis of the rural economy and what keeps it going. He knows it well; there is no question about that. Impact assessments make those who make the decisions aware of what the impact might be, be it good, bad or otherwise. An extra burden will never help anybody in business, in any event. We realise, appreciate and accept that there is a...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Report of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: It is still to play a part. It is not to say that they will not survive; they could be under challenge for a while. However, the same number of people – the customers – need to be attracted back into the pubs in the same way that they felt they were beforehand. People became accustomed to living their lives a different way. As a result of that, it is open to the industry to...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Report of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I can never resist an opportunity.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Report of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I support business and industry. We had a discussion before about extra taxes, which could be a punishment to the sector concerned. While it may sound good and the rhetoric may be great, we should remember that at the height of the Celtic tiger, I used to hear speeches in this House saying we were the richest country in the world and should be doing more for everybody, spending more in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) Bill 2022: Department of Health (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I welcome the witnesses and thank them for their advice. I am a bit concerned about this legislation. Can we be certain that the proposals before us are adequate to deal with situations that have been brought to our attention in the past, whether in respect of older people, people with disabilities or other vulnerable people? Can we be assured that it is adequate to safeguard their...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) Bill 2022: Department of Health (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I should mention that I have been in attendance, from the outset, from my office. Reference was made earlier to a number of relevant Ministers. Who are they? Why do we have to have a number of them? How many Ministers might be regarded as designated Ministers under the proposals?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) Bill 2022: Department of Health (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Would it not be better if one Minister was designated as being responsible for the overall application of the regulations?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) Bill 2022: Department of Health (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Well, whatever was reflected in the past was not good enough. There were massive gaping chasms in the application of standards and the protection of people deemed to be vulnerable, and there was difficulty in producing evidence and reports. We are still waiting on reports on some of the institutions. Can we be certain that a single standard applies right throughout the system, in respect...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) Bill 2022: Department of Health (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: There have been instances of abuses in institutions throughout the country. We have seem almost to have difficulty in identifying them in early days, obtaining a report, publishing a report and taking action to prevent any repetition. Does this legislation meet that challenge?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) Bill 2022: Department of Health (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I wonder why it has not been found possible to have a system whereby the inspection system is first to identify any deficiencies and to bring those to the attention of the respective authorities and management in private nursing homes and public institutions in order that efforts might be made to correct any deficiencies that might exist. Can we expect that in the future?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) Bill 2022: Department of Health (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: What is the rate of unsolicited inspections, where there was no public outcry first, the inspection was carried out, and deficiencies were identified by the inspectorate and brought to the attention of the respective authorities, as opposed to the number of situations where inefficiencies or otherwise were brought to their attention as a result of there being a particular problem in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) Bill 2022: Department of Health (23 Nov 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Are we happy about the extent to which regulations and legislation lay down the requirements of the various institutions in the present climate? How does it tie in with the proposed legislation? Is the legislation sufficient to identify such situations as have been brought to our attention in the past as a result of unfortunate happenings?