Results 61-80 of 72,498 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revenue Commissioners: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: The Revenue Commissioners are to be congratulated on the way they calculated the various segments that have been collected, the integral ones such as foreign direct investment, larger operations and so on. It is obvious that if a company is not able to meet its current taxes, the reason has to be identified and whether that reason can be addressed and remedied in sufficient time to enable...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revenue Commissioners: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: With regard to the equalisation of taxation all over the globe, which has been much pursued in some areas, as a nation we will not have too many friends. Whatever looks to be the most punitive is the one that will be foisted upon us. We have to be very tenacious in our pursuit. Our friends are ourselves. We will not have anybody else. I know some of the people pursuing the other option,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Revenue Commissioners: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I think that is acceptable because it is easier to set it out.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I welcome our guests and thank them for their submissions. Much is made of the embargo as a reason for the cessation or the lack of services at the moment but there was quite a considerable extension of spending before the embargo came in, to the extent that a number of Ministers called out the fact that there was a danger of runaway spending that could become very threatening to the entire...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: Who was privy to them?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: That is correct but, given the importance of the lack of services already outlined, should that not be at the top of the list for all people involved in the negotiations regarding the availability of funding and specialist places and so on, and in particular the areas where CHOs 1 to 7 have been funded but no team as yet has been funded in CHOs 5, 8 and 9? Surely those things should have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: The only problem is that we do not attend the meetings where these goodies, these necessities, are handed out. Who is the person we need to talk to? I know the head of the HSE is one of the people we need to talk to and we will talk to him, but it is very easy to say "Look, it is the embargo. We cannot do anything." It is not the embargo. It is the order of importance along with all the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: One Minister is actively pursuing the issues to which Ms Rogers has referred, to her frustration, I would say, at this stage. Again, it comes down to the same issue. It is not the embargo. It is something else. There is something else that needs to be addressed and that is in the overall situation whereby everyone lines up to make their case. That is the natural thing and it has to be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: Does Ms Rogers think that at this stage, coming late to the table, as it were, that we are going to be successful given that we were not successful in the past? What do we need to do to unlock the cupboard door before making this a vital issue, which it is?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: It might be no harm for the Deputy to remember that we had the IMF here for five years.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: The Deputy keeps churning that out. I have no wish to correct the Deputy or interrupt her, but I ask her to remember that we had five years of the IMF.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I agree with the motion that was read out earlier. That is absolutely it. The only addition I would make is for the specific areas I mentioned and any other area similarly affected in order to ensure nothing is left out. Mention was made earlier to the new philosophy regarding Sláintecare. We spent a lot of time in this committee trying to ensure that representation for the regions...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I again thank our guests for their very logical presentation which sets out the goals and requirements. Nothing is worse than setting out the goals and requirements and then nothing happening afterwards. Given the sensitivity and importance of this area, I do not accept the notion that other areas went forward and received what they sought at the time but other areas received less and some...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Enrolments (14 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Minister of State for a comprehensive reply. In it, he identified all of the pinch points that are already visible and causing problems. The Minister of State is correct. There has been huge investment. However, even new schools that have been built recently are now overflowing and there is difficulty for pupils in catchment areas in gaining access to those schools. In some...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Enrolments (14 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Minister of State.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Enrolments (14 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this particular matter again. I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to reply.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Enrolments (14 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: In north Kildare we have a particular problem. We have a rapidly growing population. This population growth continues year after year but particularly in the last couple of years. We at local level, Oireachtas Members and members of local authorities et al., have put forward proposals ourselves to ensure catchment areas were regularly defined and that they were logical in terms of travel...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (14 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Minister of State for that reply. Again, I am a bit puzzled that we have the incidents repeating and we have the technology to alleviate the problem. While we can say in the long term that we can reduce emissions, which is beneficial to the environment, at the same time we have a situation where parts of the island are being rewetted. I would think most people would agree that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (14 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I can assure the Minister of State I have done so.