Results 9,501-9,520 of 35,575 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Written Answers — Department of Health: Youth Services (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: 271. To ask the Minister for Health the waiting lists for occupational therapy services in County Donegal as part of children and youth services in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24995/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Youth Services (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: 273. To ask the Minister for Health the waiting lists for speech and language therapy services in County Donegal as part of children and youth services in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24997/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Youth Services (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: 274. To ask the Minister for Health the waiting lists for Donegal intellectual disability support services in County Donegal as part of children and youth services in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24998/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: 272. To ask the Minister for Health the waiting lists for psychology services in County Donegal as part of children and youth services in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24996/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disability Services (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: 275. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal can expect to be admitted to the Sean O'Hare unit in Stranorlar, County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24999/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: 276. To ask the Minister for Health when the vacant ophthalmic position will be filled to allow for the resumption of the diabetic ophthalmic clinic in Letterkenny, County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25000/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: 277. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment for a Covid-19 vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25001/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: 278. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive an appointment for an orthopaedic operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25002/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: 279. To ask the Minister for Health if children with spina bifida born before 2008 under the care of St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin have equal access to multidisciplinary services in Temple Street Children’s University Hospital as children born in 2009 and after who are under the care of the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25003/21]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2018 (Resumed): Engagement with Central Bank of Ireland (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: I welcome Ms McEvoy to the committee to discuss this legislation which I tabled a number of years ago. I expect Ms McEvoy has followed some of the discussion on it, including my intention to amend the legislation to deal with the issues of APR, which I also share. That is the benefit of pre-legislative scrutiny where we get a chance to hear from others who support the intention of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2018 (Resumed): Engagement with Central Bank of Ireland (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: In the paper published by Ms Mary Faherty, Dr. Olive McCarthy and Dr. Noreen Byrne of UCC in December 2008, co-sponsored by the Central Bank, and entitled Interest Rate Restrictions on Credit for Low-income Borrowers, they recommended a policy which "prohibits usurious rates of interest". Usury is defined as making unethical or immoral monetary loans that unfairly enrich the lender. They...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2018 (Resumed): Engagement with Central Bank of Ireland (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: I appreciate the law does not allow that. That is why I have drafted the Bill to change that. I will go back to my original question. Does Ms McEvoy agree with the recommendation in the report that was co-funded by the Central Bank which calls for the introduction of a restriction on interest rates and charges?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2018 (Resumed): Engagement with Central Bank of Ireland (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: The question I had was not whether Ms McEvoy supports a cap but whether she supports, as the report outlined, a restriction on interest rates and charges which can be in the form of the total cost of credit. I want to get the director of consumer protection's view on to this. Is the consumer protection division of the Central Bank in favour of restrictions on interest rates and charges...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2018 (Resumed): Engagement with Central Bank of Ireland (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: That is fine. Let us go into the specifics some more. Turning to the register, let us deal with some examples in the market. The Central Bank has given licences to moneylenders which are permitted to charge APRs of 187%. Does Ms McEvoy believe that is usurious? Does she believe that rate is too high or does she think it is appropriate?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2018 (Resumed): Engagement with Central Bank of Ireland (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: No, I said I was going to deal with specifics. I acknowledge other moneylenders are charging 54%, and some of the catalogues, etc.. However, the largest moneylender in the State was charging that rate of 187%. Therefore, let us deal with the specifics and I will ask Ms McEvoy a specific question. Is it the Central Bank that determines that rate?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2018 (Resumed): Engagement with Central Bank of Ireland (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: That is fine. Ms McEvoy said it is a commercial decision. She also made the point that the Central Bank can reject these proposals and it has done so in the past. Therefore, the Central Bank deemed an APR of 187% appropriate in this case, and collection charges then further push up the cost of credit. This legislation is about restricting that level of APR and it is intended to be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2018 (Resumed): Engagement with Central Bank of Ireland (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: Ms McEvoy mentioned the cap again. I signalled to the committee previously that it is my intention to move away from an absolute cap, as drafted in the legislation, to a multiplier of the cost of credit, which, in respect of her opening statement, would be in line with the Central Bank, the Social Finance Foundation and other organisations that have given their insights into this issue. My...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2018 (Resumed): Engagement with Central Bank of Ireland (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: That is great. I appreciate that. It would be helpful if the Central Bank could gather that information for the committee. Moneylenders have adapted their methods, which are extremely costly. Door-to-door collection, for example, is very labour intensive. The moneylender firms achieve high collection rates, but it also results in other issues, such as the rolling over of loans. Ms...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2018 (Resumed): Engagement with Central Bank of Ireland (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: I have final questions on this for Ms McEvoy. With her indulgence, it is straying from the issue of moneylenders and relates to her other role in consumer protection. I have two questions on the insurance issue. The issue of business interruption has not gone away. Many are still complaining about it. How satisfied is the Central Bank that all insurance policies it has deemed should be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2018 (Resumed): Engagement with Central Bank of Ireland (12 May 2021)

Pearse Doherty: Yes. Ms McEvoy might let the committee know when the Central Bank expects the final report or the next stage of the dual pricing report. Is she aware of that?