Results 161-180 of 252 for at speaker:Aidan Davitt

Seanad: Sale of Permanent TSB Loan Book: Statements (22 Feb 2018)

Aidan Davitt: You were off robbing banks at the time.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2018)

Aidan Davitt: I certainly agree with Senators Michael McDowell and Catherine Ardagh who spoke about the mortgage crisis and the sale of loans. We will hear all of the technical debate on Basel II, the impairment of our balance sheets and the ratio of loans to assets in the banks. As it has come down the road from the European Union, we cannot be oblivious to it. We were quick to deliver NAMA to large...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2018)

Aidan Davitt: Deputy Moran is calling the shots to keep this Fine Gael Government in power, and at any cost, it seems. Heretofore, Tullamore, Mullingar and Athlone were gateway towns, a development which had been ignored by Governments for the past ten years. Those Governments were happy to appoint them as gateway towns, and to promise money that was going to lead to large scale development in those...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2018)

Aidan Davitt: The Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Moran, has prioritised Athlone as a new city under the national planning framework proposals. This is a scandalous decision made by senior Fine Gael politicians to keep that party in office. I would ask Fine Gael to look at itself in the mirror and ask what was so wrong with the previous arrangements in...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Feb 2018)

Aidan Davitt: Senator Wilson has called for the Minister to come to the House and I am delighted to support him. It is something that has to be urgently discussed. When the Minister came to the House, we discussed the €2,500 in unvouched expenses. I took it that he agreed to look at the extra €2,500 in additional expenses from then on. However, when the legislation came through there was...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Public Transport Provision (24 Jan 2018)

Aidan Davitt: I thank the Minister for coming to the House today. I appreciate it because I know he is quite busy. My Commencement matter states quite clearly what my question is. The Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2016-2035 identified a number of light rail projects, including the extension to the Luas from Broombridge to north of Finglas. I have been contacted by the chairperson of the Dublin...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jan 2018)

Aidan Davitt: I raise the issue of a school called Edmonton school, which is just south of Delvin, County Westmeath. Recently the management were delighted to hear that they were successful in their application for a new classroom and that they were to receive a grant of approximately €220,000. The school board, the principal, my local Deputy, Robert Troy, Councillor John Shaw and I feel that a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Dec 2017)

Aidan Davitt: I noted that in the presentation made by Restaurants Ireland it was stated its members might have to look outside the country for insurance cover. The cost of insurance has been repeatedly raised as an issue before the committee and it is, with rates, one of the two biggest issues. Has Restaurants Ireland done any work in that regard or on associated problems? Although it falls slightly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Nov 2017)

Aidan Davitt: ...the new year. I was talking to the owner of quite a large business in my town of Mullingar, who employs 80 people. He has gone back to paying his staff in cash as a means of getting rid of it. That is dynamite stuff, as one can appreciate. With any large amount of cash, perhaps €10,000 or €20,000, he has to get Securicor to come and collect it. That is bank policy and it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Nov 2017)

Aidan Davitt: ...on this issue. I have heard many stories. I can give people the names of those involved if they wish. I do not want to put them into the public domain. When I spoke to some of these guys at the weekend, it really opened my eyes. I knew representatives of small retailers were coming before the committee today, so I made a few inquiries among people running similar businesses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Nov 2017)

Aidan Davitt: The issue of insurance has been dealt with and discussed by this committee, on and off. It seems as if the book of quantum is being thrown to the wind at this stage, given what we read in the newspapers on settlement figures and all the rest. I am curious as to why this is the case and why the book of quantum seems to be used a lot less. How does Insurance Ireland view that problem, from...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Nov 2017)

Aidan Davitt: I welcome Mr. Davitt and Ms. Mogerley. I have a few questions for Mr. Davitt. He has mentioned the relationship between the rental values of properties and rates. It is hard to believe that when a customer feels aggrieved at the new rates he has been quoted after a revaluation, the associated rental values would not be talked about. Perhaps Mr. Davitt could enlighten the committee about...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Nov 2017)

Aidan Davitt: Traditionally, many insurance underwriters have been based outside this jurisdiction. When Quinn insurance operated here, it was perceived to be an Irish underwriting operation. Are there any real Irish underwriters now? What is the make-up of the underwriters in the Irish market at present?

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2017)

Aidan Davitt: I wish to raise Britain's imminent departure from the EU, about which we are all aware and which has been discussed at length in this House. Europe will tell us how much it is doing for us, that it is standing both behind and shoulder to shoulder with us, that it will help us over this and that we will not be at a loss due to our closest neighbour leaving the EU. The first tangible thing...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Nov 2017)

Aidan Davitt: ...understand we currently have none. Today, bitcoin was the cause of two large American technology companies biting the dust. According to the Korean police, a bitcoin ponzi-type scheme recently in operation in Korea involved an estimated fraud of $38 million. This is only one of a few such schemes. There are possibly 100 similar schemes in operation. Ireland is at the cutting edge of...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Foreign Direct Investment (15 Nov 2017)

Aidan Davitt: I am concerned that domestic policy decisions, the housing crisis and the planning system are leading to an uncompetitive environment in the State for the retention of foreign direct investment and damaging efforts to attract new investment. Deputy Niall Collins raised these concerns in the Dáil and has asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation to...

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Aidan Davitt: Quite a good point has been made on this. Perhaps tourist centres are what should be considered, as production on site might not be the way to clarify the issue. I believe the Guinness factory is the second biggest tourist attraction in Ireland. As Senator McDowell pointed out, we have the Jameson centre in Dublin. We also have Teelings in the same area spoken about by Senator Devine. I...

Seanad: Legal Metrology (Measuring Instruments) Bill 2017: Second Stage (19 Oct 2017)

Aidan Davitt: I acknowledge that the Dáil has a busy voting schedule at present. We are all aware of that in the House. The Bill is an important one, as the Minister of State said, and there are quite a lot of technical matters in it. Fianna Fáil supports the Bill and the active work the Minister of State is doing to upgrade the diktats from Europe on this. As a strong member of the European...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (17 Oct 2017)

Aidan Davitt: I was just curious. Small retail is really jumping out at me. It is very serious. It is happening on the ground; I have seen it first hand. In this week's Meath Chronicleit is stated that 40% of businesses are going to be judged on their turnovers for the first time under the new valuation system. This has never happened before. In Westmeath, 56% of shops have had an increase. Almost...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2017)

Aidan Davitt: I wish to express my concern about the change in the stamp duty legislation. Agricultural land has been bundled with commercial rates for the past number of years. Yesterday, an increase from 2% to 6% was announced as a means to take money from those with development lands and commercial properties. Unfortunately, the initiative will also catch agricultural landholders. With Brexit on our...