Results 9,981-10,000 of 26,737 for speaker:John McGuinness

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Motor Insurance Costs: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: I welcome the Minister of State and his officials. The purpose of the meeting is to review implementation of the proposals of the cost of insurance working group. I ask the Minister of State to make his opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Motor Insurance Costs: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: The Senator has used her time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Motor Insurance Costs: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: That philanthropist might investigate the police force. Then, when we get the police force back, we might be able to implement our recommendation No. 14 on strengthening the road traffic corps. That is what we recommended which is different and more acceptable.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Motor Insurance Costs: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: We will inquire and if it is possible, we will arrange it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Motor Insurance Costs: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: I would to ask a few questions about the various reports. I commend the Minister of State and his officials on the work they are doing. I commend all the groups and stakeholders that are contributing to the analysis of the insurance industry and taking the steps that are necessary to bring about the changes all of us want. Our ultimate aim is to see a reduction in part of the market, where...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Motor Insurance Costs: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: My point is more specific. The cost of a product from the insurance company has gone completely out of kilter with the normal premium. Good customer relations would dictate that the insurance company should explain to its customer why the premium has gone up so far.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Motor Insurance Costs: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: That is the point I am making. Is it not just a normal courtesy that an insurance company could extend to its customers overnight? I am not being critical of the Minister of State or his work. The companies know where he is going with this. Why do they not just co-operate, even on that front? They could give the taxi driver in this case a reason as to why it is going up. I understand...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Motor Insurance Costs: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: The Minister of State is not, but if he goes into an insurance broker and asks why his insurance premium has gone up from €500 to €1,000, that broker can easily give the reasons. The broker is dealing with a bigger company and can have the reasons explained. The day we insist that an insurance company must explain increases in premiums to its customers is the day we will get...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Motor Insurance Costs: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: I want to make it perfectly clear that the taxi driver example is repeated in the haulage industry. The number of cases that have been brought to my attention would not lead me to believe there is stabilisation in the insurance market. I know today's CSO report indicates that, by comparison with last April, there has been a 2.6% reduction in insurance premiums. That is not the experience...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Motor Insurance Costs: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: The Minister of State's report states that Insurance Ireland is to do certain things and provide certain reports. The Central Bank is to request new legislation. The Department of Finance and the EU are looking at something in terms of a report. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is doing something else. They all come together and are represented within the Minister of State's...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Motor Insurance Costs: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: Was there reluctance in any of those groups to co-operate?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Motor Insurance Costs: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: I think we are finished with the section of the meeting on insurance. I suggest we suspend for five minutes. I do not envisage the section on procurement going on too long.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Procurement Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: I wish to bring to the Minister of State's attention the difficulties small and medium enterprises, SMEs, have regarding the procurement issue. I have received numerous complaints from those in the SME sector who find it extremely difficult to bear the cost of the whole procurement process and they also face stiff competition from companies that are much bigger than them. As a result of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Procurement Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: Who looks after those information days?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Procurement Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: I invite the programme to Kilkenny.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Procurement Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: If the Minister of State wants a Government in two weeks' time then he had better start running it by us.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Procurement Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: Is it €50,000 elsewhere in the European Union?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Procurement Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: Let us say an SME wins a cleaning contract. The SME must meet certain regulations set down in the contract and separately in terms of health and safety. The SME must train its staff to a high level and then enters the tender process but the company that wins the tender takes all of the SME's staff. The SME will have spent money on training and committed itself to the tender. We must...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Procurement Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: It is all obstructionism.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Procurement Issues: Minister of State at the Department of Finance (1 Jun 2017)

John McGuinness: It is all about the entry level for smaller companies as against the other ones.