Results 1,021-1,040 of 34,832 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Policy (29 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: Demand-side response involves users of electricity reducing their usage from their normal or current consumption patterns when required. It is an increasingly important element of the management of electricity networks worldwide. It can also provide significant benefits for customers through reduced bills and gives them greater control over the energy they use and produce. Action 100 of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Vaccination Programme (29 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I thank Senator Conway for raising this issue, which many people throughout the country are discussing. Ireland's Covid-19 vaccination programme is based on the principles of safety, effectiveness and fairness and has the objective of reducing severe illness, hospitalisations and deaths from Covid-19 infection. The vaccination programme is underpinned by independent expert clinical advice...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Vaccination Programme (29 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Senator for being so specific in his request for type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes to be decoupled in view of the severe issues facing people with type 1 diabetes, who are often on pumps and in a more severe condition. I commit to the Senator that, before the day is out, I will personally communicate the views he has expressed directly to the Minister.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Tax Reliefs (29 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Deputies for raising this matter. I should point out that the issue of subsiding gluten-free foods for those with coeliac disease is a matter in the first instance for the Minister for Health. However, if the Deputies are suggesting that gluten-free foods for those with coeliac disease should be subsidised via the tax system, I will point out that decisions regarding tax reliefs...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Tax Reliefs (29 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Deputies for their comments. I apologise for the insensitive reference in my script.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Tax Reliefs (29 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: The issue mentioned is probably dealt with in legislation, but I accept that the context in which I read it out was insensitive. I hope that the Deputy will accept my bona fides in that respect. I stated that the question of subsidising gluten-free foods for those with coeliac disease was a matter for the Minister for Health in the first instance, but let me explain. If it is not...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Meals Programme (29 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I take his point completely and will bring it back to the Minister. The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to 1,506 schools and organisations, benefiting 230,000 children. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to enable them to take full advantage of the education...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Meals Programme (29 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I appreciate the disappointment and frustration for the new DEIS schools that are keen to access the school meals programme. The level of interest in the programme is a clear sign of the need for its expansion and that is something we are committed to doing. I have had contact from schools that did not make the new DEIS allocations this year. That is the next group in line because there...

Emergency Budget: Motion [Private Members] (28 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: It said the measure proportionately benefited people on lower incomes compared with those on higher incomes. For people with an income of only a few hundred euro a week, the extra €200 meant much more to them than it did to a person on a higher income. Another report noted that measures to reduce taxes and levies on diesel and petrol, which Sinn Féin calls for every day of the...

Emergency Budget: Motion [Private Members] (28 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that: — the annual rate of consumer price inflation, as measured by the European Union's Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, has picked up sharply in recent months, reaching a multi-decade high of 8.3 per cent in May; — the key driver of inflation at present...

Insurance Reform: Statements (22 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I thank the 30 Deputies who contributed to this debate on insurance reform. One of Deputies stated that it is a dry topic. Anybody who contributed to the debate understands that insurance is a real issue that affects every household and business in Ireland. I will summarise one or two points I made at the beginning in case some Deputies were not present. The biggest sector in the...

Insurance Reform: Statements (22 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I welcome the opportunity to address the Dáil on the issue of insurance reform. This is a key priority for the Government as a whole and has been a key focus of my post as the Minister of State with responsibility for insurance issues. As all Members of this House will be keenly aware, a well-functioning insurance industry is vital for a healthy and vibrant economy. The pricing and...

Seanad: Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Senator for moving the amendment on behalf of his colleagues. I am aware that his party has a great interest in this legislation and I engaged with Deputy Doherty in the Dáil on the same amendment on all Stages of the Bill in recent weeks. Lower interest rates are better for consumers and that is why the key purpose of this legislation is to reduce interest rates. Members...

Seanad: Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I understand the Senator's point regarding credit unions. Wearing my hat as Minister of State with responsibility for credit unions, I would encourage everyone who is seeking a short-term loan for a family event - it is something that people used to do - to join his or her local credit union where possible. I fear that some of the people in question have exhausted their credit limits with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Derelict Sites (16 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: Everyone would agree with the Deputy's last point. When you get a letter from Revenue, you have to take it seriously. The Revenue Commissioners will get you eventually. Even if you are dead, Revenue will get what you owe from your estate. That is one of the sure things in life. I understand that the operation of the legislation - the complications and implications involved - was very...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Derelict Sites (16 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I concur with everything the Deputy said. We all agree that we should be able to move on this more quickly. I acknowledge the work of the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage which put a lot of time into its report on this issue. I am not personally aware of any Private Members' Bill but that can be discussed in Government circles and with relevant Ministers. I...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Coverage (16 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I thank Deputy Ó Murchú for raising this issue, which we have discussed previously. I appreciate and acknowledge his interest in this area. He is concerned to help various groups that are affected by limited access to public liability insurance. The Government recognises the concerns felt by many groups regarding the cost and availability of insurance and has prioritised...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Coverage (16 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: In certain cases, local authorities may not want to get involved but sometimes they can be pushed. This is especially true for semi-public areas but whether they can be taken in charge by local authorities is a separate issue. Regarding new insurance businesses in Ireland, I joined IDA Ireland at a conference last Tuesday in Amsterdam at which the agency was meeting potential new...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Coverage (16 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I have been directly involved in encouraging the insurance industry to provide cover to certain sectors. The equine industry had a problem last year but we got that sorted out last spring. I was told last Christmas that there was no insurance available for ice rinks but two rinks succeeded in getting insurance. The situation with regard to play and activity groups is that a new American...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Policies (16 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 27 together. I thank the Deputies for their questions. The decline in consumer spending in the first quarter of this year was mainly due to the mobility restrictions introduced because of the omicron wave of the pandemic. The Deputy referred to recent engagement with the Central Statistics Office, CSO, in his question. On the question of the cost...