Results 11,261-11,280 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I move amendment No. 5: In page 8, to delete lines 17 to 23 and substitute the following:“(8) Summary proceedings for an offence under this section may be brought and prosecuted by the Revenue Commissioners.”.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I propose to take amendments Nos. 6 and 7 together. Section 9 of the Bill provides that an applicant must make his or her intention to make an application for a certificate of personal fitness known through the publication of a notice in two daily newspapers. The onus is on the applicant to advertise the application in a daily national newspaper. In addition, the Minister for Justice and...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance: Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I move amendment No. 1: In page 6, to delete lines 12 to 14. The main changes as published are based on this group of amendments. I would like to set out the background to the amendments and what is proposed. As Members will know, the Bill as published made it unlawful for a person, other than a licensed operator, to act as a bookmaker and the Minister for Justice was tasked with...

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: The word "regional" refers to all areas including Dublin. It means it must be geographically balanced and proportionate to the areas' populations and their needs. The point is that everybody would get a fair crack.

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: We all know what the regions are.

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I know the region in which I live. One of the key features of NewERA is that, in consultation with various Government Ministers, it can develop proposals for investment in sectors to support economic activity and employment, specifically energy, water, telecommunications and forestry. The legislation could create a very positive, constructive fund which is available to promote balanced...

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I do not think Deputy Higgins and I will ever agree on issues such as this, but we might. A number of Deputies on the opposite side of the House have acknowledged the principle that if we have money to put into developing our economy, it is a big plus. This is money that is not in the country at the moment but will be brought back here and used in the way the legislation allows. The key...

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: That is good.

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: Deputy Higgins has it up there.

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I move amendment No. 12:In page 39, to delete line 36 and substitute the following: "(a) an investment made by the Agency pursuant to a direction under section 42 or 47(4)(b) or the proceeds held by the Agency pursuant to a direction under section 47(4)(c),".Amendments Nos. 12 and 25 are technical amendments related to the directed investments in the banks made by the NPRF commission at the...

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: In fairness, I did not interrupt the Deputy.

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I am entitled to make my point. Both sides of the House want this to happen and agree that the more money that is invested the better. I have no problem with doubling the money. If the State invests X and a private enterprise invests X, then X + X = 2X. This is the reality. The law the House is passing tonight and that I hope the Opposition will support does exactly what the Deputies...

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: Deputy McGrath is still young.

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I cannot hear him anyway. The green document contains what Deputy Higgins put down in his amendment and I have two minutes to reply to it.

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: In fairness, if I can speak, I am trying to do so. I understand I have a time limit and I will be as clear and simple as possible in my communications. What is this legislation doing? I hope the Deputies will vote for it because it will allow €6.9 billion of capital which is invested outside the State to come back into the country to work to create jobs. Furthermore, it will...

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I will answer the questions very simply-----

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: Deputy Deasy has summarised what I was going to say. The Ireland strategic investment fund, ISIF, is money spent on joint ventures. A number of criteria apply to it, one of which is that the majority holding cannot be in the hands of the State. There must be a public-private partnership, which is not something new for the National Development Finance Agency, NDFA, which is part of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Fisheries Protection (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: I propose to take Questions Nos. 296 and 300 together. Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is the state agency responsible for the protection, management and conservation of Ireland's inland fisheries and sea angling resources. As each of Ireland’s 143 salmon rivers has its own unique stock of salmon IFI manages salmon stocks on an individual river basis. IFI is supported in its...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Tellus Border Project (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Tellus Border Project is a regional mapping project collecting geo-environmental data on soils, water and rocks in the six border counties of Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth. The project acquired airborne geophysical data using specially adapted planes and chemical data from sampling and detailed analysis of streams and soils. The project follows a similar one that...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Water Services Provision (9 Jul 2014)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Geological Survey of Ireland, which is a division of my Department, is the National geoscience centre and provides objective geological advice and information. The Survey, with circa 60 permanent and contract staff, is relatively small by comparison with other surveys internationally (e.g. BGS circa 1,000 staff, USGS, circa 10,000 staff) and participation in international fora and...