Results 1-20 of 3,114 for at speaker:Damien English

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)

Damien English: I take it that members have no further questions and that the Minister has no further comments to make at this stage.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (1 May 2024)

Damien English: My understanding is that there is nothing preventing investment in these areas in the current wording. It is to be done on a commercial basis. Is that right? The amendments want to list them out. Going back to even 2016, ISIF would have invested in housing projects that kick-started housing in many counties. It has a history of doing it and there is no change here to prevent that - it is...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Committee Stage (1 May 2024)

Damien English: I agree with the need for a fund to invest in SMEs and start-ups and so on. Our two Ministers have that new fund at their disposal that can invest in those companies at key times. That also needs to be addressed at a European level. There is an element of risk with some of that finance, which is fine. We need to do it and back our companies, but this kind of fund is more about investing...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (24 Apr 2024)

Damien English: I thank the Taoiseach for his presentation. It was a good chance to go back over the budget and talk about priorities. I thank him for the update and the focus on the various issues he brought to us today as well as the outline of the past couple of weeks in the role. I have a few initial comments on some of the issues he raised. He mentioned the Covid inquiry at the start and in your...

Death of Former Taoiseach: Expressions of Sympathy (7 Feb 2024)

Damien English: I offer sympathies to Finola, Emily, Matthew, Juliana, Mary-Elizabeth, our colleague Deputy Richard Bruton, and John's sister, Mary. Their loss is massive, but this is also a major loss for all of us. John was a big man in many ways and the impact he has had on all of us in the House is immense. For anybody who comes into politics, it is about making an impact and leaving a mark. John...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 11 – Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 – Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 – State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - the Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 – Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 – National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 -the Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 – Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Damien English: Apologies have been received from Deputies Doherty and Matthews. I welcome members and viewers, who may be watching our proceedings on Oireachtas TV, to the public session of the Oireachtas Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Supplementary)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2023)

Damien English: I have a similar question. We considered this issue on Committee Stage as well. I refer to some of the campaigns in respect of enforcement and catching this activity, and this might not always be the answer, but there certainly does need to be a stronger campaign to prevent or discourage these types of endeavours, which lead to a loss of revenue but also, as a knock-on effect, a loss of...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Supplementary)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2023)

Damien English: It is similar regarding the issue of coal. Again, what we are trying to achieve with carbon taxes, and not everyone supports them but their aims are well intentioned in my view, causes the price of coal to go up. We can see it being advertised clearly that pallets of coal are being brought in and sold in the South extremely easily. Carbon taxes have not been paid on this coal and the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 11 – Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Supplementary)
Vote 12 – Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary)
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Supplementary)
Vote 14 – State Laboratory (Supplementary)
Vote 17 – Public Appointments Service (Supplementary)
Vote 18 – National Shared Services Office (Supplementary)
Vote 43 – Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023)

Damien English: I have a few quick observations. The Estimates are fine. We talked much about the flooding. I compliment the OPW and all involved in the response to the weather events over the past couple of months right across the country. I am delighted that the public finances were in order and we could do that. There was no delay in stepping up across a number of Departments to provide support to...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Nov 2023)

Damien English: I will speak to the overall concept of this and then make a number of comments. First, I welcome the changes the Minister is making in respect of the cap. That is a positive for the future of the sector. While everybody here might argue over different parts of it, we all agree with the concept of section 481 and increasing the cap, putting money into film production and trying to encourage...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Nov 2023)

Damien English: ...earlier on with regard to the supply of coal. There is an enforcement issue here when we have public policy for the benefit of the health of individuals and families, but also when it comes to climate matters and the aims we have there. As a Government we must look at enforcement around the illicit trade of tobacco and the importation of coal because I can see that is quite common now....

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (7 Nov 2023)

Damien English: I will make a quick comment on this. I have listened to a great deal of commentary about the help-to-buy scheme for many years and have seen many reports about it. Every report and comment nearly misses what we were trying to achieve. In that regard, this has been one of the most successful schemes we have ever had. Builders were building different types of homes for different customers...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (7 Nov 2023)

Damien English: The original efforts to try to step in to help people were discussed during parliamentary questions in April or May. The Minister said he was willing to try to assist people. The conversation and context was about those who are being hit with massive rate increases, mainly those outside of the non-traditional banks and funds. The Minister was very clear that he was attempting to try to...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (7 Nov 2023)

Damien English: They can draw down more than the 4% a year if they choose to at a later-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (7 Nov 2023)

Damien English: My understanding is that if somebody was locked in from the age of 76 and needed to draw more out of the PRSA fund at 76 years of age for whatever reason, they could not draw on it because they were in the payment plan already. They were very restricted if they needed it for-----

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (7 Nov 2023)

Damien English: I agree that this is the right amendment; I hope it does not change on Report Stage. It is giving people access to their money if they need it at an age quicker than they could have got it if they were locked in. That is my understanding of it.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (7 Nov 2023)

Damien English: When we are having a conversation about tax breaks or tax incentives to keep landlords in the market, we have to look at what has happened with small landlords. I referenced this earlier. For a proper, functioning housing market we need every existing player in the market to continue contributing to the supply. In the past when we had a housing market that functioned quite well, there were...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Credit Union (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2023)

Damien English: We can have conversations around the development of relationships but the thrust of this legislation as it developed over the past couple of years, and certainly the conversations around it, have been focused on strengthening the relationship between the credit union movement, the Central Bank and the Department. Certainly in the past 12 months, that relationship seems to have developed a...