Results 8,681-8,700 of 74,100 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: The history of inflation in this country is peculiar, I think. Sometimes we can see what is causing it and sometimes we cannot. Currently, there is a war ongoing and inflation is inevitable. It is the reason for it now but it is not always the reason, unfortunately. Are there reasons given for the inflation that may not be a contributor but which may suit to explain away such inflation?...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I was getting an answer on the energy and other issues. I contend that the European Union has been largely negligent in dealing with the energy issue. It had all the time in recent years to make provision, and it should have been able to make provision, knowing what the prevailing opinion was regarding the origins of energy from the point of view of the countries in central Europe. Are we...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I am also concerned about food availability, food shortages and interjections in the food markets by various ways and means. There is going to be downward pressure in this country in respect of emissions, and I accept we must deal with that. Some of it can be dealt with indirectly and some of it can be dealt with directly by taking steps. However, we also have to be careful we do not end...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I am thinking about inflation in the past and how it affected the economy. The tendency in the past was to follow the inflation by offering supports of one kind or another. That did not finish up well in times past. What is the balance to be struck in that area? Are we capable of being discreet in what we do and prepared to be so? Alternatively, are we likely to go overboard?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Unfortunately, one of the slogans used to be "We will put more money in people's pockets". That was when governments were always going to address issues of a long-term or short-term nature. The worrying part was that when they got their hands in people's pockets, they had a habit of taking more out than they were putting in. We have to recognise that there may be, as the Taoiseach...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Before the Chairman concludes, I wish to bring to her attention the quality of the electronic system. It was appalling this evening. It continuously cut in and cut out. We could not hear each other or at least I could not hear from where I was. Could anything be done with it to make it more efficient?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Use of Section 110 by Russian Firms: Dr. Jim Stewart (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I thank Dr. Stewart, who has given us some very useful information. Is it a widely used practice of Russia to invest in shell or investment companies off shore? In what countries, is Russia known to invest most regularly?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Use of Section 110 by Russian Firms: Dr. Jim Stewart (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Have we the expertise in this country to track down possible offshore Russian investors in the shape of holding companies or perhaps financial funds that may well operate within the country? I am aware that there are several such funds operating legally in this country but what about those that are operating illegally? Is that an area that we need to look at?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Use of Section 110 by Russian Firms: Dr. Jim Stewart (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Would it be possible at European level to unveil the secrecy surrounding the whole Russian offshore investment in various countries or should this responsibility go to the IMF?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Use of Section 110 by Russian Firms: Dr. Jim Stewart (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Assuming that the EU could take action, how long does Dr. Stewart believe that it would take the EU to put a structure in place to combat the activity of Russian offshore funds?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Use of Section 110 by Russian Firms: Dr. Jim Stewart (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Would it be possible to presume that they were Russian assets until proven otherwise?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Use of Section 110 by Russian Firms: Dr. Jim Stewart (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I thank Dr. Stewart very much and I also thank the Chairman.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Use of Section 110 by Russian Firms: Dr. Jim Stewart (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I have one more question. Given the large number of companies operating under section 110 in this country and the possibility of multiple beneficial ownerships of those companies, is there a danger that they could become a threat to the financial stability of the State?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Use of Section 110 by Russian Firms: Dr. Jim Stewart (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I thank Dr. Stewart.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (Section 95(3)) (Variation of Title: Chiropodist) Regulations 2022 (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I thank Ms Fantini for her presentation and the delegation is very welcome. How did use of the two titles and descriptions come about? Was it a result of European law, European generated law, the professionals or between the new and old professions here? I refer to the podiatrist as opposed to the chiropodist. Who asked to be moved up the line?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (Section 95(3)) (Variation of Title: Chiropodist) Regulations 2022 (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: There is an obvious need to remove any confusion that might arise. However, it would be helpful if the committee knew who requested, organised and progressed this initially so that we now have two professional descriptions? We note that the older professional, which is the chiropodist, may or may not have the same qualifications.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (Section 95(3)) (Variation of Title: Chiropodist) Regulations 2022 (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Is it possible that some chiropodists may be told at a later stage that they no longer fit the description and, therefore, no longer have the necessary qualification and are no longer employable?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (Section 95(3)) (Variation of Title: Chiropodist) Regulations 2022 (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Is there a disadvantage to using either title?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (Section 95(3)) (Variation of Title: Chiropodist) Regulations 2022 (1 Jun 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Are there any hidden obstacles that we might not know about at this stage in respect of registration? The first obstacle that is likely to arise is registration. Presumably, qualification is the first issue and whether the professional qualification has been achieved. I saw in some other areas that this did not work as smoothly as was intended. I am not referring to CORU's area. From...