Results 181-200 of 2,477 for speaker:Colm Brophy

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services: Public Water Forum (1 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: I just wish to take an extra second or two to apologise to the witnesses in a personal capacity, and I am sure on behalf of much of the committee, for the delay and the wait. We appreciate the fact that they were waiting for an awfully long time. We had a private session which ran for longer. I thank Dr. Collins for his excellent presentation. I would like to follow up on one or two...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services: Public Water Forum (1 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: Can I very briefly focus on one thing? At the heart of it, what Dr. Collins is saying is that the Public Water Forum's key priority area is in regard to the supervisory voice or input voice into the Ervia-Irish Water decision. We are all aware of the bad mistakes Ervia and Irish Water have made and the poor management in certain areas. I presume what the Public Water Forum is looking for is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (1 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: My apologies for missing the start of the contributions. My understanding of what this proposal would do is to reduce the protections that are currently enjoyed by entrepreneurial people through Irish legislation. Is that a correct interpretation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (1 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: There is a key element of having stakeholder consultation, but if there is a perceived risk, that is something that I would be very worried about. I want to understand where this is coming from. The gist of the presentation was that due to an underlying, inherently poor system of dealing with this across the EU, the Commission's proposal is a harmonisation proposal . The problem for us as a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (1 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: My understanding is that this is coming in under a harmonisation proposal in the markets area. So effectively, if we put a proposal, even if we deem it an enhancement in Irish legislation, either further in or as it exists at the present, it could be open to challenge that, effectively under the markets area, we were putting an impediment to the harmonisation process across the markets....

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Macroeconomic Outlook: IBEC (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: I wish to sound a cautionary follow-up on Deputy Lahart's point. From work I did on the housing committee at the start of this Dáil, there is potential for great growth in terms of the third level sector and the ability to attract international students. I think some of that is being realised but I think - a hobbyhorse of mine - there has to be a correlation between the willingness of...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Macroeconomic Outlook: IBEC (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: While I accept part of what Mr. O'Brien said in his response, there is a very valid point which the Department and the Government were considering. If one develops PPPs to such an extent and they come back on to the balance sheet through a ruling of EUROSTAT, there are major implications for the State. The cautionary approach still needs to be exercised. I take Mr. O'Brien's point that we...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Macroeconomic Outlook: IBEC (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: Living in Dublin contributing to that over dependence in Dublin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services: Scottish Water, Welsh Water and the Commission for Energy Regulation (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: I join the Chairman in welcoming the delegation and thanking them for attending this committee. I have a number of questions in respect of the information that has been provided. In Wales 53% of households have a meter. How does the billing mechanism work between the 53% of houses that have a meter and the remaining 47% of household that do not? Is there a noticeable difference between...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services: Scottish Water, Welsh Water and the Commission for Energy Regulation (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: I have a question on the charge element of the local property tax or local household charge or bill. Is that a fixed amount for every household? Does the charge vary in a local authority area, based on the overall bill? Is a fixed amount charged for water per year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services: Scottish Water, Welsh Water and the Commission for Energy Regulation (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: Is there a cost implication to having the meter fitted?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services: Scottish Water, Welsh Water and the Commission for Energy Regulation (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: I have spoken already, so if another Deputy wants to ask a quick question it is fine with me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services: Scottish Water, Welsh Water and the Commission for Energy Regulation (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: There is one thing I do not understand, though the answer seems to be related to a policy decision by the Scottish Government. Mr. Millican seems to be saying there is no effective way of enforcing conservation because his company has no meters. I understand why it has no meters because it is charging between £200 and £800 for a meter and between £100 and £300 for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services: Scottish Water, Welsh Water and the Commission for Energy Regulation (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: The information I have gives costs, admittedly in dollars to cubic meters, of Glasgow as the second highest, exceeded only by Copenhagen in Denmark, for water.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services: Scottish Water, Welsh Water and the Commission for Energy Regulation (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: This is information supplied to us by the water in Europe public services research unit. I take the point about individual costs per meter versus an extensive roll-out programme. I assume that making meters available on demand in Wales is an important aspect of providing the service, so that they have a choice to reduce their individual bills by conserving water. That choice seems to be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services: Scottish Water, Welsh Water and the Commission for Energy Regulation (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: It is anti-conservation in nature.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Prisons, Penal Policy and Sentencing: Irish Penal Reform Trust (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: I want to follow up on the question asked by Deputy O'Callaghan. While he seemed happy with the answer, I have a problem with a particular aspect which I would like to tease through with the witnesses. There is a constant reference to minor offences that are deemed by certain groups or whatever to be low impact or not affecting victims. However, the reality in terms of victims of crime and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Prisons, Penal Policy and Sentencing: Irish Penal Reform Trust (8 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: I listened to what Ms. Ní Chinnéide said and I accept some of it. I do not think there is the time or that it is necessarily the appropriate juncture, so I do not want to get into areas on which I would disagree with her today. However, there is a whole raft of views on why repeat burglary offences are committed by those who come out on what are very short burglary sentences. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services: Commission for Energy Regulation and Irish Water (14 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: My understanding from what the representatives of Scottish Water said last week was that its decision not to have meters had been entirely politically motivated by the SNP Government. From independent surveys, the result seems to be that Scottish Water consumers are paying some of the highest water charges in Europe. My understanding is the delivery of cost savings to customers, particularly...

Confidence in Government: Motion (15 Feb 2017)

Colm Brophy: He should have seen Fianna Fáil do it.