Results 1,161-1,180 of 34,585 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Discussion (16 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: I thank the committee for facilitating pre-legislative scrutiny of the insurance (miscellaneous provisions) Bill and for the invitation to appear before it today. My script has been provided to the committee in advance. Insurance reform is a priority for Government. In the programme for Government there are 21 measures related to insurance reform. The Action Plan for Insurance Reform,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Discussion (16 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Deputy. That is a perfect question and the exact question I raised when this issue came to light. What the Deputy has just said explains the current situation concisely and accurately. In practice, where a business had a loss of the order of €100,000, to use the example the Deputy gave, and there is State support through TWSS, CRSS or rates not being levied on that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Discussion (16 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: I agree with the Deputy but we do not have sufficient information to draft robust legislation on it now. That mechanism can work in the future immediately, prospectively and in relation to any new scheme introduced across any Department, like in social protection. That measure should be included in the scheme being brought forward through legislation. If there was a new scheme introduced...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Discussion (16 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Deputy for her good wishes for Christmas. I utterly reject that I have misled anyone except those who chose to misinterpret what I said. The situation is very clear. In the programme for Government we said that we would deal with dual pricing. It is in the programme for Government and the national plan for insurance and we are following through on that. It is important that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Discussion (16 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: That will certainly happen. People get confused in this debate. Some talk about differential pricing and others about dual pricing, which is a subset of that, price walking while others refer to loyalty bonuses or loyalty penalties. They are all quite different. I can understand that sometimes people use these terms interchangeably. We gave a commitment in the programme for Government...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Discussion (16 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: I thank Senator Casey for his general comments regarding insurance reform. We all hope that it will lead to a much better environment. Insurance has been such a big issue in this country for a number of years. That is why it features so prominently in the programme for Government and why a Cabinet sub-group across a number of Departments is dealing with it. On the issue of Covid, the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Discussion (16 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: We are deleting the section in the existing Act and bringing in a new section to give legal privilege to certain documents. We were concerned that, the way the 2019 legislation was drafted, any new information would be required to be shared. That might have compromised the important principle of legal privilege so we are bringing forward measures to ensure such documents have to be shared...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Public Sector Pensions (15 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: 4. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the promised consultation with the retired workers' organisations (details supplied) that can offer experience and knowledge in relation to retired workers with occupational pensions will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62116/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: 116. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a payment will be issued to the contractor who carried out work in installing temporary accommodation for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62184/21]

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Tax Clearance Certificates (14 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: I again acknowledge the remarks made by Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan in highlighting issues of major concern to many people throughout the country. In my opening remarks I was speaking specifically about tax clearance certificates, but this is very important. A PPS number is required for a deed to be stamped before the transaction can be completed. There are various ways that can happen....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Tax Clearance Certificates (14 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: On behalf of the Minister for Justice, I thank Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan for raising this matter. I am happy to clarify the Department's responsibilities in regard to land and property legislation. The Deputy mentioned a number of organisations, including CAB, the money laundering unit in An Garda Síochána and the Revenue Commissioners, as well as local authorities. As he...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: National Asset Management Agency (8 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. The issue of housing and NAMA is always a matter for discussion and should regularly be discussed in the Seanad and Dáil Éireann. As the Senator rightly said, the taxpayer heavily invested in bailing out the banks originally. As a preamble, the five banks the Senator mentioned that were bailed out and whose commercial loans were...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: National Asset Management Agency (8 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Senator for his remarks. It is also important to state that commercial viability is becoming more challenging for developers throughout the sector. Some sites that have planning permission in place are not viable to build on, and this is especially true for certain apartment blocks. Under NAMA's legislation, commercial viability is the most important and relevant factor for...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2021: Second Stage (7 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: We are here to discuss Second Stage of the Finance Bill 2021. I understand that Senators have been sent a summary of the Bill addressing its individual sections. I do not intend to go into that level of detail now. Instead I will consider the overall Bill and the principles behind it. As we know, the Finance Bill gives legislative support for the budget measures introduced by the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2021: Second Stage (7 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: I join the Acting Chairperson in offering condolences to Senator Currie on the death of her father. I do not think we have spoken to each other since that sad event. I know all present join with me in offering condolences. I thank the Senators who contributed to the debate. I appreciate all the points that have been made. I will go through the issues raised in sequence. Obviously, the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (7 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: 287. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the reason 2016 commemorative medals were not issued to UN veterans in view of their work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60278/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (7 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: 300. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide statistical information in relation to primary school teaching (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59850/21]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (7 Dec 2021)

Seán Fleming: 365. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will clarify the entitlement to the State pension (contributory) of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60002/21]