Results 16,301-16,320 of 26,050 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: Do you believe that there was a property bubble after the period in which you came in as the Minister for Finance from '04 on?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: And the ... in your statement, you say that you were concerned with "the potential vulnerabilities and the risks arising from the rapid escalation in property prices". You commissioned two reports around tax incentives: Goodbodys and Indecon. And your predecessor, Mr. McCreevy, who we had here yesterday, said that he was going to abolish them in '04 but he extended them in '06. Why were...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: I'm not going to-----

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: Your predecessor had extended it.

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: But it was ... but it was against the backdrop, Mr. Cowen, of an escalating property bubble in that period.

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: Yes, but the report wasn't ... the report wasn't ... effectively, when you came in as Minister for Finance, there was well over two years to go before the schemes were to conclude.

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: You could have just ... that gave people plenty advance warning. So why did you literally ... the reports weren't ready until the end of '05-----

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: June '05.

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: Why did you ... well, the various----

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: Why did you ... why did you extend?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: But they would have been aware ... they would have been aware-----

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: But in the limited time-----

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: Well, my time is limited.

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: My time is-----

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: If the Chair will allow me to remain all day-----

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: -----I'll stay here all day.

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: In the ... can I just-----

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: Well, very simply then, Mr. Cowen, in the ... Budget 2004, that your predecessor came in, he mentioned about the 15% as well. So all these people that would have been developing would have been fully aware of this back in '04. So, in very simple terms, are you satisfied ... and do you still stand over extending those schemes to the end ... to July '08?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: Can we move on from that point? Can we move on to that point? Your predecessor, Mr. McCreevy, in here yesterday, stated that he left the public finances "in an exceptional[ly] healthy state when I ceased [to be] Minister of Finance in September 2004." Do you agree with that statement?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (2 Jul 2015)

Kieran O'Donnell: And do you ... do you believe that the policies that you pursued contributed to the property bubble and the crash of the Irish economy?