Results 1,061-1,080 of 34,832 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fuel Prices (16 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5, 21, 23, 44 and 65 together. I thank Deputy Ó Snodaigh for raising this question. As the House will be aware, excise duty is applied to fuels on a volumetric basis in the case of non-carbon charges and on the basis of carbon dioxide omissions in the case of carbon tax. As such, the revenue raised from excise duties does not increase in light of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Banking Sector (16 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue because it is one that affects hundreds of thousands of people, especially since Ulster Bank announced its withdrawal from the Irish market as part of the NatWest group, and KBC has announced likewise. The retail financial services sector is going through a major period of change. In the past year, we have seen a number of announcements from the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Banking Sector (16 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I hear what the Deputy said about the regulations not being conducive but it is all about providing financial services. Every single financial service provided in Ireland does not have to be provided by a regulated body in Ireland. Such a body can be regulated in any EU country and provide services in Ireland. For example, and I do not want to overemphasise it, there are 1.6 million...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Banking Sector (16 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: On the farming sector, the Deputy mentioned credit unions. As he knows, they have a very good product called cultivate. Several credit unions in all the provinces provide that scheme, which provides 50,000 unsecured loans to farmers. It may not be a lot in the context of the scale of some farming activity, but it is quite significant for many farmers. That is an important source of new...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Prices (16 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: Again, this is a very significant issue affecting many people. Ireland's taxation on fuel is governed by European Union law set out in various directives, commonly known as energy tax directives, ETDs, which the Deputy will be aware of. These directives prescribe minimum tax rates for fuel, which all member states must comply with. These directives' provisions on mineral oils are...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fiscal Policy (16 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I acknowledge the remarks the Deputy made about the Minister for Finance. He is chairing a Eurogroup meeting today. I think everybody is aware that he had his mother's funeral on the last day, which was totally unforeseen. Everybody understood that, but I take the point he makes. The Deputy will be aware that the Government has responded in a timely and forceful manner to limit the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fiscal Policy (16 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I understand that. The inflation situation has been increasing. Aside from the budgetary effects that came in on 1 January, we did introduce measures very quickly and promptly after that in February. Everybody knows that included the €200, including VAT, energy credit to every electricity account holder in the country. Everybody should have received that by now. More importantly,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fiscal Policy (16 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I will take up the last point in particular about putting the rent back in renters' pockets. If the Government had ever suggested anything like that, the Deputy and the party opposite would be the first to say this is a subsidy for landlords. That is exactly what would be said, and that is the way it would work out-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fiscal Policy (16 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: -----and when landlords know, there would be an increase. In fairness, we can do a lot but we cannot do everything to mitigate it. The measures to date have been well over €2 billion. Recently, our concentration is also on employment and the hospitality sector. Many places cannot even open on Mondays and Tuesdays, such as restaurants and places serving food. One of the solutions...

Seanad: Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Second Stage (15 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I welcome the opportunity to address the Seanad on the Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022, which was published on 1 April and which passed all Stages in the Dáil on 1 June. There were no amendments to the legislation as it passed through the Dáil. People were generally happy with it. I want to put that on record at this point. As Senators will be keenly aware, the...

Seanad: Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Second Stage (15 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I thank Senators Casey, Maria Byrne, Sherlock, Warfield and Kyne for their contributions. They are all very helpful and positive and accept the logic of the legislation. A big element of this issue relates to the recovery of deducted State supports. It has been rightly pointed out that in the Department of Social Protection, there is a scheme called the recovery of benefits and assistance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (2 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: 299. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when her Department will make the payments under the Enhanced Redundancy Agreement to Community Employment Supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28786/22]

Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I am grateful for the contribution of Deputy Doherty, in particular, and other members of the Opposition to the entire insurance debate, as exemplified during the course of the passage of this legislation.

Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I move amendment No. 1: In page 6, line 31, to delete “or in relation to”. It might help if I give an explanation. It is a simple amendment. I will only take a few moments and then give Members of the Opposition an opportunity to speak. It is a very simple four-word amendment. On Committee Stage I indicated that the Department was considering a technical drafting...

Seanad: Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (1 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: The Bill is the result of a detailed policy review within the Department of Finance, which included a public consultation in 2019. The report Moneylending: Policy Proposals was published by the Minister for Finance last July along with the heads of this Bill. The main proposal is the introduction of an interest rate cap on moneylending loans. The feedback from the public consultation on...

Seanad: Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (1 Jun 2022)

Seán Fleming: I thank all the Senators who spoke on the Bill. Generally, I think everybody is supportive of the legislation, despite some issues of concern. The first question asked was how this will all work because we have given just an outline of the Bill. One of the key differences is that, until now, a prospective moneylender had to go to each court to get a licence. That now will be done by the...

Food Price Rises: Motion [Private Members] (31 May 2022)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Deputies for putting forward this motion. I understand their motivation in doing so and welcome the opportunity for discussion on the issue of rising food prices. We are concerned with protecting our people from the severe financial and economic consequences of the recent worldwide spike in inflationary pressure. We are all aware that people are finding it harder to make ends...

Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (25 May 2022)

Seán Fleming: I thank Deputy Doherty for his proposed amendment, which we discussed on Committee Stage. Deputy Doherty and I agree on many elements of this Bill, including the need for a statutory interest rate cap. We are at odds here on the precise rate of that cap. Deputy Doherty's amendment would reduce the caps in the Bill and cut the caps in three years' time to rates that would compare with...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Income Inequality (25 May 2022)

Seán Fleming: I will highlight the fact that this is an international report in respect of Ireland's contribution to overseas development aid. To this end, we have increased the cash allocation of overseas development aid for the last eight consecutive years, with the contribution reaching over €1 billion for the first time ever this year. With regard to the global issues, we are making a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Income Inequality (25 May 2022)

Seán Fleming: I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to this discussion on Oxfam's recent global report on inequality levels. The report draws attention to important issues around wealth and income inequality, cost-of-living pressures and how policy in advanced economies can respond to these global challenges. In particular, the report highlights the negative effect the Covid-19 pandemic has...