Results 7,161-7,180 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: State Agencies (26 Sep 2012)

Alex White: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the State agencies turning down requests from employees to reduce their five day contracts to 2.5 or three day contracts when particular personal circumstances may obtain; his views on such requests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40938/12]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: We have learned a lot today.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: Is there anything else Mr. Ó Cearbhaill would like to add?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: I do not think I asked Mr. Mulvey if he had anything to add and I want to be fair to everybody. Does he have anything to add which he did not get the chance to state?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: That happens.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: I thank Mr. Johnson, Ms Gilleece and Mr. Ó Cearbhaill for their patience, attention and coming to assist us in this important exercise which has been extremely useful. I have certainly learned an enormous amount, as I am sure have my colleagues, even those who are more expert on these matters. I again thank the representatives for their attendance. By way of clarification, it is not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: It is unlikely we will have an opportunity to do that, but we will circulate what we propose to send. We are not making recommendations in the report. This is a pre-legislative exercise to give the various organisations which made submissions an opportunity to elaborate on them and answer questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: No because this is a pre-legislative process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: Before the Senator makes his point, let me be absolutely clear about what it is we are going to do. We are going to publish the submissions, transmit the transcript of our hearings to the Minister and prepare a summary of the issues we have identified as being important.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: We did not make recommendations as such. We certainly would have done more than what we will be able to do in this instance because we had more time; in fact, we had a couple of months in which to do so. In this case, we have about ten days or two weeks available to us.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: Regarding head 4(1), we spoke earlier about the withdrawal of shares. There is a reference to non-withdrawable shares in the credit union sector. Can Mr. Ó Cearbhaill explain that to us?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: Another issue raised by one of the earlier witnesses concerns the term provident and productive purposes. Apparently it is no longer included in the scheme. One of the earlier witnesses from University College Cork, UCC, thought it should be retained. Is that the point Mr. Ó Cearbhaill is making?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: On governance, subhead 20(12) requires that directors have a certain level of knowledge, skills and experience. Is that too onerous?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: Does that refer to an industrial credit union rather than a community-based one?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: That is understood. Subhead 20(10) refers to the so-called prohibition. A person may not become a director if the person is a member of the credit union and is in arrears for more than 90 days. Does Mr. Ó Cearbhaill have a difficulty with that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: The CUAC has been examining this very carefully, line by line, which is very helpful. Similarly head 20(11) provides that one is supposed to resign if one falls into the prohibited categories. The point is that this should be a deeming provision if the person does not resign.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: Head 26 concerns a conflict of interest arising from a family relationship.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: Is Mr. Ó Cearbhaill saying that it is automatically a conflict of interest when there is a family relationship?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: In head 28, Mr. Ó Cearbhaill queries the failure to provide for credit unions to have a committee that does not contain a majority of directors. Should provision be made in the Bill for committees comprised of at least one director?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Bill 2012: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Sep 2012)

Alex White: Head 30(2) deals with stabilisation support. What is the position if one has received stabilisation support in the past ten years?