Results 1,321-1,340 of 26,399 for speaker:John McGuinness
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: Is that the only formal oversight group that examines all of the EU’s spend?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: What about the Members we elect? What oversight work do they do?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: Yes.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: Is that a forensic assessment or does the committee just take a general look at the figures?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: They are all robust examinations.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: There is to be an extra €100 billion in the budget from 2021 to 2027. The witnesses also mentioned the war in Ukraine and so on. Before I ask about those matters, from where does Ireland’s contribution to accommodating people who are fleeing the war in Ukraine come?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: Alongside the contribution we are making to Europe is a direct contribution made by the Irish Government.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: How much has been set aside for the latter in 2023 and 2024?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: The Department might let us have the figure for accommodation for those fleeing the war. Alongside that is the ongoing cost in respect of international protection applicants. We need to examine all of these costs in terms of our contribution to Europe. I know that we have our own responsibilities as a State, but we need to quantify the numbers constantly for what has been, is being and...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: I understand that. It handles the International Protection Accommodation Services, IPAS, and so forth. I could see IPAS doing a better job. Perhaps the Department of Finance should examine the efficiency and waste in that service. I know that is not on today’s agenda, but I am raising it as a concern.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: We will deal with that when the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform appears before us, but I know that the Departments sit down at some stage and chat to each other. The witnesses might just say that they heard us raise this concern here.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: I thank Mr. Tobin. The legislation that will be before the Oireachtas on Thursday will do what?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: It is not bypassing what we are discussing now.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: It is not making a decision-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: The Government is supporting Ukraine’s day-to-day costs – Mr. Angley outlined some of the actions in that regard – but what is the figure for that? It is probably ever-changing, but there must be a guide figure for governments’ contributions. What has been the cost of our direct contribution to those day-to-day costs so far?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: Those costs are separate from our contribution to the European Union.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: Mr. Tobin might give the committee the overall figures there, please. He also mentioned the IMF and the World Bank. They also contribute to the-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: This is just a general question. If the European Commission is raising money and loans from the markets and the IMF, and the World Bank is able to give favourable loans, is there not room for a commercial collaboration of sorts whereby money-raising entities come together and get this money at the most favourable rate, particularly when it is for such a cause as the rebuilding of the lives...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: Is that being actively pursued?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: EU Budgetary Proposals: Department of Finance (4 Oct 2023)
John McGuinness: It is a help to know all that is going on. There is no doubt that the public need to know that it is not just a matter of giving and giving, but that there is a structure there - a joint approach on the part of interested parties that are seeking to achieve the very best in protecting Ukraine and people's lives there, but also with regard to money. At some stage or other, it will have to be...