Results 8,061-8,080 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Irish Banking Culture Board: Discussion (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McGrath: Are the members of the board serving on a pro bono or expenses basis or otherwise?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Irish Banking Culture Board: Discussion (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McGrath: Is Mr. Justice Hedigan in a position to say what it is?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Irish Banking Culture Board: Discussion (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McGrath: I will have to take Mr. Justice Hedigan's word for it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Irish Banking Culture Board: Discussion (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McGrath: it was said three working groups or sub-committees had been established. What areas do they cover?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Irish Banking Culture Board: Discussion (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McGrath: Is it the intention that the IBCB will be a permanent organisation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Irish Banking Culture Board: Discussion (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McGrath: In effect, it is permanent. In terms of the make-up of the board, there are people from a banking background and a non-banking background. Mr. Justice Hedigan has listed the seven stakeholders from a non-banking background, as such, and then there are five bank representatives. That is 12 members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Irish Banking Culture Board: Discussion (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McGrath: Yes, the CEO and the chair. That is 14 in total. Is it the case that all 14 would have votes if it ever came to the crunch? Mr. Justice Hedigan would probably see it as failure if that ever did happen.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Irish Banking Culture Board: Discussion (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McGrath: Okay. Is that in a memorandum?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Irish Banking Culture Board: Discussion (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McGrath: In Mr. Justice Hedigan's view, what does success for the culture board look like? How does he measure success?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Irish Banking Culture Board: Discussion (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McGrath: I think it is fair to say the tracker mortgage scandal was the catalyst for the formation of the culture board and that, as a result of that, the necessity for a change of culture is accepted within the sector. It begs the question as to what needs to change, arising from the handling of the tracker mortgage scandal. From Mr. Justice Hedigan's perspective, what was wrong in terms of what...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Irish Banking Culture Board: Discussion (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McGrath: I acknowledge that. The Central Bank launched its investigation into the tracker mortgage scandal in late 2015, and since then there has been much foot-dragging by the institutions concerned. What does that tell Mr. Justice Hedigan? Even at the tail end of the process, the right of consumers to bring cases to the independent ombudsman and have a hearing with no predetermined outcome was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Irish Banking Culture Board: Discussion (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McGrath: I have two further points to make on areas I suggest Mr. Justice Hedigan and Ms Kelly look into. One is the question of how banks deal with the breakdown of relationships. We as politicians often encounter couples, whether married or unmarried, separating, and they might have a joint mortgage, for example, which can cause major problems. It is a complex and difficult area in which...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Insurance Costs (26 Sep 2019)

Michael McGrath: 18. To ask the Minister for Finance the steps he plans to take to tackle the growing insurance crisis affecting certain sectors of the economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39061/19]

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Fiscal Data (26 Sep 2019)

Michael McGrath: This question has been transferred from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. I am taking it on behalf of Deputy Cowen. It seeks the Minister's views on the assessment of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council that expenditure in 2018 breached the expenditure benchmark for that year. The question also seeks the margin between expected expenditure and the amount permitted under the...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Fiscal Data (26 Sep 2019)

Michael McGrath: From what I understand the Minister said, the European Commission did record a breach of the expenditure limit but not one that was significant enough to warrant further action. Will the Minister confirm that the Commission is still using the commonly agreed methodology for measuring expenditure by comparison with the benchmark, whereas the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has adopted what it...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme (26 Sep 2019)

Michael McGrath: I support the two Deputies on this question. My experience is that the conditions and criteria of the scheme are rigid. There is no discretion whatsoever. I accept that when there is discretion, interpreting that can be difficult but we have all met people who, by any reasonable test, should qualify for the benefits of the scheme. The scheme is valuable for those who can benefit from it...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Insurance Costs (26 Sep 2019)

Michael McGrath: The fact that both Deputy Pearse Doherty and I have selected this issue for priority questions is a measure of how serious is the situation. The Minister of State has put great store on the judicial council legislation and the new award levels coming into effect, and he can say it is a matter for the Judiciary and so on, but that does not cut much mustard for those who are directly affected...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Insurance Costs (26 Sep 2019)

Michael McGrath: I ask the Minister of State to bring this down to brass tacks. Will he tell us where we are with the leisure industry? It is currently the most acutely affected sector, in which people are finding they cannot get quotes as their policies come up for renewal, and those businesses are closing every day. This is not a big bang because the policies are coming up for renewal at different times...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Preparations (26 Sep 2019)

Michael McGrath: To be fair, all parties in this House have adopted a very supportive position in regard to Brexit and we have afforded Government the time and space to work through these issues. However, we are coming to a point now, just five weeks out from a no-deal Brexit, where people deserve to know and will want to know because they want to make preparations and plans. Can the Minister tell the House...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Insurance Costs (26 Sep 2019)

Michael McGrath: 3. To ask the Minister for Finance the steps being taken to protect businesses and voluntary organisations from increasing insurance costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39207/19]