Results 121-140 of 483 for speaker:Edward Timmins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the NTMA on Matters Relating to its Operation (22 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: I understand that. They might be slightly different from what we were led to believe but Mr. O'Connor does not disagree with the €5.3 billion to 2030.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the NTMA on Matters Relating to its Operation (22 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: Generally, Mr. O'Connor talks about long-term investments. One of the weaknesses of our infrastructure plans is that a lot of State bodies require certainty on long-term capital projects of ten or 20 years. Can the NTMA contribute to giving certainty on the financing of infrastructure projects for the long term of five, ten or 15 years?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Engagement with the NTMA on Matters Relating to its Operation (22 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: Reference was made to the State Claims Agency and the number of cases outstanding - some 15,000 or thereabouts - with 4,000 being resolved in one year. This just seems quite slow. Is there a way of expediting these? Does the NTMA have any strategies to expedite the processing of claims?

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Financial Services (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. The threat of US tariffs has made it even more urgent for us to support Irish indigenous companies, and the Stock Exchange is crucial to this goal. While foreign multinational companies have created great prosperity in this State, geopolitical difficulties have underscored the need to ensure a positive regulatory landscape for Irish companies to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Financial Services (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: I thank the Minister for the opportunity to raise the importance of the Irish Stock Exchange to the Irish economy and to the growth of our indigenous Irish companies. I welcome the commitments in the programme for Government to support the Irish Stock Exchange. However, I would like to see this commitment followed up with concrete action to ensure its growth and success. I am glad to see...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Curriculum (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: I will mention in particular some items that should be included, for example, knowledge of finance and how to manage finance. This is important as it affects everyone. It should cover understanding of income tax and all other taxes. It should also educate about loans and mortgages and explain the difference between different types of loans. Second, it should include legal education and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Curriculum (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: I will list some other items but the list is not exhaustive. Many schools run the mini-company programme in conjunction with the student enterprise programme supported by the local enterprise offices but this programme is only offered to a limited number of students in schools. Could we offer a programme to all students on the following: the skills and steps required in setting up a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: 93. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to the roll out and installation of solar panels in schools, if there are plans to work the ESB in relation to prioritising schools for installation or adjusting the payment rate for schools without smart metres to sell electricity back into the grid (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40201/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: A little over a year ago, as the Minister knows, the Government started to roll out a scheme of supplying free solar panels to schools. This is a very worthwhile initiative. However, there is a problem. Many schools do not have smart meters, which means they cannot sell excess electricity back to the grid. This installation is taking way too long. I know of a school that will not get a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: I thank the Minister. The schools are currently given a 25% credit at, say, 18 cent per kilowatt hour. The schools are closed most of the year. Their generation during this time is huge, and more so since they are closed during much of the peak solar times in the summer. The other issue is that the 10 kW roll out is too small for many schools. They require a much greater coverage of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: On a related matter, this programme can help with the running costs of primary schools. Schools have severe financial difficulties. Many schools are in deficit. I have seen how the ancillary grant, for example, does not cover the cost of caretaking. Could this be increased to match the cost? Additionally, I believe we need to look at increasing the capitation grant further from the new...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Curriculum (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: 94. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are plans to review the transition year programme to include practical life skills as part of the compulsory requirement across all schools: personal legal rights, household management, personal finance, taxation and social welfare and the driver theory test; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40202/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Curriculum (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: We have a great secondary education system. It is one of the cornerstones of our success as a nation. However, given it is largely academically-based, we need to look at ways of bringing life skills to our children that will better prepare them for the real world. In particular, I refer to the transition year programme. This is a great programme which offers students an opportunity to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: 12. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if there is long-term financial planning for capital infrastructure projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40182/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: I have met people working for State bodies involved in asset procurement for long-term infrastructure projects. One of the points they constantly raise is the lack of long-term financial planning and commitments on projects that take a long time to deliver, for example, ten years. They say that more certainty is needed and this would help improve the efficiency of delivering the projects...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: I want to emphasise how spending on infrastructure is an investment, in that it gives a return. For example, I recently attended the opening of the new wastewater treatment plant in Arklow, County Wicklow, which cost €140 million and came in on budget. Much of that €140 million comes back to the State immediately through taxes. This plant has a capacity of 24,000 population...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: Regarding delivery, a new infrastructure division group has recently been established. For the current national development plan, a delivery board was set up in 2018. The national development plan envisages five or four - it is not clear - additional outside experts being added. It only meets every two to three months, which seems way too seldom. I wonder how successful it has been....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Projects (17 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: 74. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the stage at which the new infrastructure taskforce is; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40181/25]

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: The birth rate in Ireland fell from 75,000 in 2010 to 55,000 in 2023. We now have the lowest birth rate ever. This low birth rate has clear negative impacts on sustaining our economy and public services. It will lead to a lower tax intake and inevitable cuts to our welfare state. Will the Government look at strategies to help increase the birth rate? This could be done by financially...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: The Impact of Tariffs on the Irish Economy: Nevin Economic Research Institute (16 Jul 2025)

Edward Timmins: On page 12 near the end are the figures for the different percentages, the export values and their relevant weightings. Has the institute done a calculation on the employment numbers that would be affected in the different areas? The figures here show the values of exports and percentages but they do not include employment numbers in, for example, the food and drink sectors and what the...