Results 12,441-12,460 of 27,945 for speaker:Michael McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fire Service Staff (7 Nov 2017)

Michael McGrath: 1276. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the entitlement of retained firefighters to jobseeker's benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47014/17]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment Administration (7 Nov 2017)

Michael McGrath: 1351. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a reply will issue to correspondence (details supplied). [46826/17]

Tracker Mortgages: Motion [Private Members] (25 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: I thank every contributor to tonight's debate and acknowledge the work of every member of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, led by Deputy McGuinness, Deputy Pearse Doherty and others. The overall message from tonight's debate is that the nightmare has to end for thousands of mortgage customers, many of whom are dealing with this issue and carrying...

Tracker Mortgages: Motion [Private Members] (25 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: Hear, hear.

Tracker Mortgages: Motion [Private Members] (25 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: I move:"That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — mortgage rates charged by banks in Ireland, in particular variable rates, continue to be among the highest in Europe; — the main Irish banks are now highly profitable again; — problems regarding how the banks were treating tracker mortgage customers were highlighted well before 2015 and at least 7,100 mortgage...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Mortgage Arrears Resolution (Family Home) Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: I am delighted to bring the Mortgage Arrears Resolution (Family Home) Bill 2017 before the committee for legislative scrutiny. The overarching purpose of the Bill is to protect the family home where the borrower is making a genuine attempt to meet his or her obligations. The mortgage arrears crisis is not going away. To the end of the second quarter of 2017, there still remained 73,706...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Mortgage Arrears Resolution (Family Home) Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: Money messages are outside our direct control, but we certainly need an answer on the matter. As the Deputy knows, this is not the only Bill that will require a money message to proceed. A feature of the current Oireachtas is that some good Bills are being held up due to the lack of a money message and this needs to be addressed. If we do not do anything, as I gather it the situation on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Mortgage Arrears Resolution (Family Home) Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: There is absolutely a basis for it. It has happened already and we will see more of it. We are all aware of the pressure the commercial banks are under to address what they call non-performing loans, NPLs. That pressure is coming from the ECB. A considerable number of loan portfolios have been sold, particularly buy-to-let loans. There is certainly a risk that we will see more of them,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Mortgage Arrears Resolution (Family Home) Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: What was the last point?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Mortgage Arrears Resolution (Family Home) Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: That option can play a role, but we have been hearing for a long time about reforming mortgage-to-rent and having it introduced on a grand scale. David Hall's organisation has done good work on the issue and has made a lot of progress but many people will end up in the formal insolvency process. During the debate in 2012 when the insolvency legislation was being introduced initially, there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Mortgage Arrears Resolution (Family Home) Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Mortgage Arrears Resolution (Family Home) Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: I have not yet seen them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Mortgage Arrears Resolution (Family Home) Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire. Those are important questions. First of all, in respect of section 4 of the Bill and the power of the Minister to set out the prescribed levels of income and assets and so on, the intention is that it would mirror the reasonable living guidelines of the Insolvency Service. That can be made explicitly clear in the section. There is certainly no intention...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Mortgage Arrears Resolution (Family Home) Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: Is Senator Black talking about cases where the home has been repossessed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Mortgage Arrears Resolution (Family Home) Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: I understand the Senator's point. The core objective of this Bill is to prevent a case getting to that point. It is to have a system in place that gives the borrower a fighting chance of holding onto his or her home. It gives the independent office the power to make the final decision. Outside of the Insolvency Service, there is the code of conduct on mortgage arrears and the banks are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Mortgage Arrears Resolution (Family Home) Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: In regard to the money message gridlock, I understand that there is contact. It would not be at my level but there is contact with the Government in an effort to unlock that. Hopefully, there will be some update on that. I refer to the other points the Deputy. Dealing with the hard facts, of those who go into the insolvency process where a personal insolvency arrangement, PIA, is...

Finance Bill 2017: Second Stage (24 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: There was no vote.

Finance Bill 2017: Second Stage (24 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. It is important to recall the backdrop to the budget. Election 2016 left Dáil Éireann in an uncertain state of affairs with no clear mandate for any party to govern but it was clear that the people resolutely rejected the right-wing policies of the previous Government. They did not want tax cuts at the expense of investment...

Other Questions: Brexit Issues (24 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: It has never been in doubt.

Other Questions: Brexit Issues (24 Oct 2017)

Michael McGrath: She is.