Results 9,421-9,440 of 33,175 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I am similarly obliged to the make the case to the Chairman and the committee for the efforts of the Government and the effect they are having. I ask the country to have faith in our reopening strategy and to look at how many vaccinations have been administered in the country, a total of 1.1 million doses. Some 140,000 vaccinations happened last week and at least 170,000 will happen this...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, indeed. I am very much aware of the analysis the Chairman outlined regarding the additional costs that businesses will face in reopening. It is why we have had supports in place that have been successful. As I said, in the coming weeks the Government will lay out our plans for how we can strengthen and change the supports as our economy reopens. By "strengthen", I mean we will look...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy. The process that led to the appointment today of the new Secretary General of the Department of Health was conducted by the Top-Level Appointments Committee, TLAC. It reached a recommendation that the Government accepted today. The Chairman raised the issue with me a little while ago of the response from various Departments to the committee. My Department did not play...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I do not agree with the Deputy using the language of stealing from future generations. Our approach is to try to keep current and future generations safe and healthy and protect their well-being. This has been an incredibly demanding year in which the pandemic has caused such harm to the country. The Deputy made the case that the harm caused to the country is created by weakness within the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: At each point in this crisis, with the exception of some very difficult days, the existing ICU capacity we had, combined with decisions the Government made to scale up that ICU capacity, was able to provide intensive care support to citizens when they needed it.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: To deal with the Chairman's case with regard to changing the legislation in respect of the Central Bank, I will not be bringing forward proposals to change the legislation on the Central Bank such that it would have some kind of role in attracting investment or banks into our country. It is a regulator. It is its job to regulate, not to look at how it can attract banks into our country. ...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: If the Chairman is aware of a bank that is considering buying Ulster Bank and KBC Bank beyond what happened and if he is aware of further international investment and someone wanting to set up a retail presence here in Ireland he could share that with me outside of this committee.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: It is a view. I did not give the Chairman a glib answer. I gave him a serious answer that reflects the challenge we have currently in attracting and maintaining large international banks to Ireland. It is not a glib answer; it is a realistic answer. I would certainly welcome the collaboration and help of this committee in, as the Chairman said a moment ago, talking up Irish banking. It...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I am glad the Chairman did so. It is good to hear that view from him. I have views of my own and I have duties of my own, just as he does as Chairman of this committee. I do not recall in our exchange asking him to praise banks. I did not do so. I think he was the one who said that there could be a role in talking up and acknowledging the benefits of banking in our country at the moment,...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I am sorry, just let me finish.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I was very happy to hear the Chairman's views because I respect them. I think he would allow me the opportunity to give my views back. The inference in his suggestion that there were opportunities for other potential buyers of Ulster Bank and KBC beyond what has happened with Bank of Ireland and AIB and that I did not pursue those opportunities is plain wrong. The challenge we now have is...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: I want to respond to that.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: Let us just take a step back and consider what the Chairman has said I did not do. In respect of two banks, in which the State has no share and which are internationally owned, the Chairman is suggesting that I should have been involved in the sale process and played a role in attracting other buyers. I am telling the Chairman that there is not a wave of other buyers who want to come into...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: With the Chairman's consent, I will give a quick answer to that question. Our membership of the Single Market means that we now have an array of financial services providers here in Ireland. While they do not have branches here, they are providing cards, current accounts and debit payment facilities to many consumers in Ireland. Our membership of the Single Market is allowing that to...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: Our Estimates-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: Deputy Durkan referred to our "discourse", so we must have been doing something right.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (1 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: The CRSS is a targeted support for businesses significantly impacted by restrictions introduced by the Government under public health regulations to combat the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Details of the CRSS are set out in Finance Act 2020 and detailed operational guidelines, which are based on the terms and conditions of the scheme as set out in the legislation, have been published on...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Economic Policy (1 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: We are in a period of unprecedented uncertainty. Our current focus is on maintaining existing supports and ensuring that they continue to support those most impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government has introduced a number of schemes to support individuals and businesses who have been impacted by the pandemic. Of the three primary schemes, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment has paid...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Brexit Supports (1 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: The new Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and UK is a positive conclusion to the transition period. However, the new agreement still represents a break from previously existing arrangements, and thus a permanent shock to the Irish economy. Therefore, Brexit will still have a negative economic impact on the Irish economy and living standards compared to the previous relationship....

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Industry (1 Apr 2021)

Paschal Donohoe: The Government has prioritised the reform of the insurance sector in order to improve the cost and availability of this key financial service, including for businesses. The Action Plan for Insurance Reform sets out 66 actions in this regard across several policy areas, including my Department, with 95% due to be completed by the end of 2021. At its most recent meeting, the Cabinet Sub-Group...