Results 1,081-1,100 of 1,760 for speaker:Aideen Hayden

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Nov 2013)

Aideen Hayden: I raise a matter raised in a report in The Irish Times today that we have now discovered a new generation, the sandwich generation. They have been added to the dinkies, minkies and the squeezed middle, but it raises a serious issue. It has to do with a cohort, particularly of women in their 50s and 60s, who are caring for aged or aging parents at the same time as they are looking after...

Seanad: Electricity Transmission Network: Motion (13 Nov 2013)

Aideen Hayden: I welcome this motion because this is an important issue in the public domain. I thank the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, for coming to the House to take it. It is important to acknowledge that EirGrid’s mandate is to be the statutory agency charged with delivering a safe, secure and affordable electricity supply across Ireland. Yesterday, I was struck by a report in RTE’s...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Commission Work Programme 2014: Discussion (12 Nov 2013)

Aideen Hayden: I thank the Chairman for his kind words. I apologise for my late entrance to the meeting. As I am a recent appointee I had some previous commitments that I had to honour. I welcome Ms Nolan and her team to the committee. I will indeed be at the meeting on Thursday.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Local Property Tax: Discussion with Revenue (7 Nov 2013)

Aideen Hayden: I note that Senator Byrne took the opportunity to do some clinic work at this committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Local Property Tax: Discussion with Revenue (7 Nov 2013)

Aideen Hayden: However, I want to address a different question. This is the third time that Ms Feehily has been before this committee, as far as I can recall. On one previous occasion she was before us regarding a letter sent to people in receipt of an old age pension about a potential tax liability. One of the issues that came across very clearly during that exchange was the fact that there was a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Local Property Tax: Discussion with Revenue (7 Nov 2013)

Aideen Hayden: I would like to ask all three questions and-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Local Property Tax: Discussion with Revenue (7 Nov 2013)

Aideen Hayden: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Local Property Tax: Discussion with Revenue (7 Nov 2013)

Aideen Hayden: Basically, the Revenue does not have that information so my supposition may correct. It seems from the exchange between Ms Feehily and the Chairman that there are no legal issues at play here because the law says that the payment is due on or before 1 January, except where an agreement is reached with the Revenue Commissioners. The Chairman explored with Ms Feehily the possibility of that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Local Property Tax: Discussion with Revenue (7 Nov 2013)

Aideen Hayden: eToll has my debit card details and does not seem to have a problem with that. One of my concerns is that 45,000 people have chosen to have the money taken out of their accounts in advance. People are afraid of the Revenue Commissioners and when they get a letter from Ms Feehily's office, they pay up because they do not want to be on the wrong side of the tax authorities. In terms of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Local Property Tax: Discussion with Revenue (7 Nov 2013)

Aideen Hayden: Would it be possible to ask one further question?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Local Property Tax: Discussion with Revenue (7 Nov 2013)

Aideen Hayden: There are numerous Acts that I could list, under which various bodies are obliged to furnish information to the Revenue Commissioners. In fact, there are catch-all aspects to different Acts which give the Revenue Commissioners sweeping powers. Ms Feehily suggested that it was easier for eToll or iTunes to have a relationship with me but who has a more recurring relationship with anybody...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Local Property Tax: Discussion with Revenue (7 Nov 2013)

Aideen Hayden: What about this year?

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Nov 2013)

Aideen Hayden: I support Senator Wilson's call for a discussion on the 3,500 vacant social housing units. I totally share his concern. I am aware that money was made available in previous budgets to turnaround the number of vacant units more quickly. However, I disagree with the Senator on one point. Not all of the units were vandalised by tenants. There are a number of the units where the tenant will...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2013)

Aideen Hayden: I welcome the announcement that distressed home owners with mortgages with AIB and EBS will be able to avail of an independent third party facilitator who will advise them and engage with the lender on their behalf.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2013)

Aideen Hayden: This service is to be paid for by AIB and provided by the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation. I have said on many occasions in this House that it is inappropriate for banks to be acting as the sole judge and jury over their own borrowers. The fact of the matter, and we all know this from engaging with borrowers directly ourselves, is that many borrowers are intimidated in dealing with...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2013)

Aideen Hayden: There is no reason such a service should not be funded by the banks and the other lenders operating in the Irish market. In that context I ask the Leader to invite the Minister, Deputy Joan Burton, to the House to give us a progress report on the work of MABS in the area of mortgage arrears and the way such a service could be enlarged to provide a national expert service to cover all the...

Seanad: EU Scrutiny and Transparency in Government Bill 2013: Second Stage (24 Oct 2013)

Aideen Hayden: I welcome the Minister to the House and I also welcome the Bill. I thank Senator Daly for initiating it. I also thank Senator Ó Domhnaill for initiating the recall of the Seanad to discuss the transposition of the organ donation directive, which brought the issue of EU scrutiny into the public domain. There are three matters to be discussed: the principle of whether there should be a...

Seanad: Asylum Support Services: Motion (23 Oct 2013)

Aideen Hayden: That is not what I am suggesting.

Seanad: Asylum Support Services: Motion (23 Oct 2013)

Aideen Hayden: I congratulate the authors of this motion, which has received cross-party support. I have spoken on it on a number of occasions. We all take different perspectives and have different expertise to bring to bear on this. Senator van Turnhout has emphasised child protection in the direct provision system. I echo some of Senator Ó Clochartaigh's words on the right to a home. I have an...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Statements (23 Oct 2013)

Aideen Hayden: I welcome the Taoiseach for this important and significant debate. I supported the holding of the referendum on Seanad abolition and I welcomed the debate which ensued in the public domain on the future of the Seanad and the wider political system. This debate would not have occurred had we not put a Bill before the people on Seanad abolition. I am very clear the Irish people voted to...