Results 11,221-11,240 of 12,292 for speaker:Mary Butler

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: We are hearing it all the time. Like my colleagues, I travel to Dublin every week. We have to book hotel rooms, so we are very aware of the prices that are being charged and of the existence of capacity issues. If we do not book in advance, it is hard to get a room during the week or at the weekend. This issue has been the subject of a great deal of discussion. I think the federation...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: What percentage of hotels are members of the Irish Hotels Federation? I presume plenty of hotels all over the country have not joined this umbrella group.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: A substantial percentage of hotels and guesthouses are members of the federation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: If there are 820 hotels and 200 guesthouses in Ireland, or 1,020 businesses in total, approximately three quarters of them are members of the federation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: We have spoken about the 9% tax rate and in our earlier session today we spent a lot of time talking about rates, particularly from the perspective of small and medium industries and retail. Will Mr. Fenn comment further on that? In the earlier session we found rates to be a huge issue because it is a cost people feel unable to control.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: In general?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: That must be very welcome.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: Has this roll-out been very slow? We heard in the earlier session that the 31 local authorities operate different rates systems. Is the roll-out happening more quickly in some counties than in others?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: Would Mr. Fenn say that the hotels that got the new, fair valuations are much happier than those still under the older system because many of them have seen a reduction in rates?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: Is it taken into account that those in a coastal area, for example, might not be doing business in the winter months? I find the point raised by Senator Reilly to be very interesting. I remember calling into a lady who does bed and breakfast, and she only does so from April to September and not during the winter. Her complaint was that she had to pay rates for the year. Mr. Fenn is saying...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: Are these hotels paying on the basis of turnover or square footage?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: It is significant that a huge amount of our discussion today with all the other witnesses we had in earlier has been around rates. Would Mr. Dolan like to come in here?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: Are there any further questions? Do the witnesses have further comments to make before we conclude because I know they had to wait a long time outside, which we appreciate? The other session ran on for quite a while.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: I thank Mr. Fenn and Mr. Dolan for coming in to engage with the committee. This is the first of a series of meetings we will hold on the cost of doing business. We will produce a document in the new year and when we do, we will invite the witnesses to the launch.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: Yes, absolutely. We invited the earlier witnesses to make further submissions on how we could reduce red tape to make life easier for somebody involved in the hotel or guesthouse business. If, after meeting us today, there is anything further the witnesses would like to add in a submission or even by way of comments or feedback after they meet their representatives, we would welcome...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: That concludes today's business.

Leaders' Questions (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: Ten have been closed temporarily.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Medical Certificates Provision (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: 304. To ask the Minister for Health when a primary medical certificate will issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43510/17]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: 554. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an appeal by a person (details supplied) will be expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43399/17]

Financial Resolutions 2018 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (12 Oct 2017)

Mary Butler: I have been here for the past two hours and have listened to many contributions from all sides of the House. I have listened to the Sinn Féin Members, who have now all vacated the Chamber, and to Government Members across from me. I could spend my time answering the critics but I will not; I will just say three words: confidence and supply. I would prefer to address the positives in...