Results 61-80 of 4,206 for speaker:Martin Browne

Defence Forces: Motions (3 Jul 2024)

Martin Browne: My party colleague Deputy Cronin made the point earlier that what we owe to our Defence Forces personnel is to maintain a system that minimises risk and maximises the contribution they can make to global peace, but the unfortunate reality is there are only 7,500 personnel, as opposed to the target of 11,500. The Tánaiste may revert to the claim that the issue was inherited by the...

Gender-Based Violence: Motion [Private Members] (3 Jul 2024)

Martin Browne: I also thank the Labour Party for bringing the motion before the House. I also thank Natasha and Bláthnaid and other women who have got this issue back on the agenda again, because we as public representatives must ensure every woman feels safe, going forward. Considering all that has been discussed this morning and what will be discussed later when members make statements on...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage [Private Members] (2 Jul 2024)

Martin Browne: I too welcome the students and Ógra Shinn Féin to the Gallery and thank Deputies Farrell and Ó Broin for bringing the Bill before the House. The rent-a-room scheme, or digs, is increasingly becoming a necessity for people, especially students, when there is a lack of available or affordable accommodation. While incentives have been put in place to make the proposition more...

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: I welcome everyone to our public meeting this afternoon. We have apologies from Deputy Pat Buckley. We approved the minutes of the private and public meetings on 19 and 20 June 2024 in a virtual private meeting but we must do this publicly for procedural reasons. Are the minutes agreed? Agreed. I remind members of the constitutional requirements that members must be physically present...

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: No, Senator Craughwell has another few minutes and can work away.

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: I will give Senator Craughwell leeway this week.

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: I want to come back to a few things Senator Craughwell has largely covered. The office referred nine complaints to the Central Bank during 2023. What happens when they are sent to the Central Bank? Does the Central Bank feed back to the FSPO and does ombudsman have any input after that?

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: The Central Bank will not feed back to the FSPO on the nine referrals that it gave.

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: In his opening statement, Mr. Sloyan said that the office was established by legislation in 2018 for any consumer, individual, small business or organisation, where they were unable to resolve a complaint or dispute with the financial service provider. Would the witnesses say the consumers or financial services and pension providers are aware of the important role that it plays? Is there...

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: I thank Mr. Sloyan and call Senator Craughwell.

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: When complaints are dealt with by the FSPO, they are dealt with informally at first. The opening statement mentioned that this is done through telephone calls and that. DO FSPO staff have physical meetings with complainants? Are the decisions made immediately following the information coming back, or are they conveyed to them at a later date?

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: According to the overview of complaints, 247 complaints were withdrawn at various points throughout the process. The reasons for withdrawing vary from time to time. Are all withdrawals be in writing to the FSPO or how do people convey that they have withdrawn their complaints?

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: Yes. There have been reports in the media which have been critical about the length of time it takes the office to consider and resolve complaints from consumers. I assume the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman will challenge that. Will the witnesses respond to those reports and indicate the average length of time from the start to the finish of a process, if there is one?

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: On the issue of complaints with legally binding decisions, is it correct that of the 107 tracker mortgage complaints that were closed with legally binding decisions, 103 were not upheld by those decisions? Is there anything to be learned from the fact that such a low proportion of these complaints were upheld? One of the purposes of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (Amendment)...

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: Individuals whose loans are held by vulture funds sought to complain about the conduct of those funds through the FSPO. However, they were told by the office the complaints cannot be investigated because at the time they were made the vulture funds were not regulated. I ask for a comment on that.

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: They are still there. They just call themselves something else.

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: As there are no further members who wish to speak, I thank Mr. Sloyan, Ms McGovern and Dr. de Búrca and invite them to make their closing statements.

Committee on Public Petitions: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman: Annual Report and Other Matters (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: Senator Craughwell covered most of it, so nobody else was needed.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: I propose that the petitions considered by the committee at this meeting and previous meetings may be published and that the replies from the Departments and other bodies may also be published. Is that agreed? Agreed. We have three petitions for consideration today. First is No. P00028/24, "Credit unions" from Mr. Brian Gould. It states: My Petition is to amend the Credit Union Act...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (27 Jun 2024)

Martin Browne: That is agreed. The second petition is No. P00040/24, "Request for mental health facilities", from Ms Ann O'Mahony. It states: I am petitioning for help for my sister who is living on the streets the past four years due to her mental health we have had her sectioned under the mental health act and she was released the same day, she hasn’t showered or changed her clothes in over 4...