Results 101-120 of 1,978 for speaker:Matt Shanahan

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank Mr. Moran. On the other point he or somebody else made regarding the functioning of the economy and a resurgence of the virus, one of the other issues that arose at out meeting last week related to the contact tracing activity that is happening. Some 10% of contacts are turning out to be asymptomatic Covid cases. If we are going to have a resurgence, it is going to happen because...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I wish to add to the comments made by Deputy McGuinness. The comment about youth unemployment is very important. We have seen what happened in Spain, which has had a very high level of youth unemployment over the years. I hope that, in the context of the July stimulus package, the Government will consider offering some additional supports to allow businesses to take on youngsters and get...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Hospitality Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank our guests for appearing before the committee. I begin with the Restaurants Association of Ireland. In Waterford, two long-established restaurants have signalled they will not reopen. They are both owned by two gentlemen not of Irish nationality who have been great supporters of business in the city for years, and it is very sad to think it is totally unviable for them to come back...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Hospitality Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I want to ask Mr. Power specific questions but, before I do so, I must say to the Chairman that I believe this committee should be producing an interim report that should go to the Government because we may not have any report in advance of the July Estimates. Therefore, all the chitchat going on here today might count for very little. I am aware Mr. Power has done some work on the SME...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Hospitality Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I give notice that I would like to move a motion in this respect at the earliest opportunity.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Hospitality Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: That is fine but we should give it the highest urgency.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Arts and Entertainment Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank our contributors. This committee has spent a number of weeks analysing the pathway into Covid-19, how we handled the nursing homes issue and all of that, and now we are looking at the devastation that has been wrought economically and how to move out of it. Today is probably one of the most telling days of evidence because we have heard about the overall effect on our SME community...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Arts and Entertainment Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I am sure it would. I also wonder whether, where people are running into difficulty, the banks are passing that on to the credit bureaus. I know leasing companies are very difficult in that respect. A lot of sole traders will find it difficult now to meet payments, get extensions to payments and all of that. It is very unfair that people who have been forced into this situation suddenly...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Arts and Entertainment Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: We are aware of those. We have spoken today about the need for everybody who has contributed to the conversation to come together to make a strong statement about certain areas. We spoke about it previously but insurance is a key issue for the SME sector. With respect to festivals and social distancing, have the witnesses any insight into the outdoor festivals this year and how they are...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank our contributors today. I want to go back to Deputy Paul Murphy's discussion on school transport. I questioned the former Minister with responsibility for transport, Mr. Ross, in the Chamber some weeks ago regarding support to the bus sector and the public service obligation. Although he gave a commitment on public sector funding for public transport, he made no mention of funding...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: Representatives of the business community appeared before the committee earlier in the week. One statistic they highlighted was the significant correlation in 18 to 23 year olds post leaving certificate between what they have achieved in education and what they begin to earn. The unemployment factor will be very important in the context of the opportunity for kids coming out of school and...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I wish to speak on the primary school sector. I view primary schooling as formative education while secondary schools deliver academic education. In the primary school sector, we are trying to develop children's skill sets and socialisation, build their esteem, facilitate group learning and so on. In secondary education, we are trying to channel students into careers. Mr. Boyle stated...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: Mr. Boyle made a comment about creative thinking. We have seen this year in secondary schools how modular and streamed education has allowed children to interact. I imagine there was a big difference between what was done at remote learning stage for primary schools and secondary schools this year. I would expect that was because of the age difference. I believe we will have a problem...

Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (7 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: The old adage "health is wealth" is now a social and economic truth and one that we must continue to grapple with. The necessary shutdown of our economy has taken a significant toll on business activity and employment. The life-support employment packages announced by the Government in response to Covid-19 have cushioned circumstances for many employees and employers but these supports will...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (7 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: 556. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the stakeholders in the beef industry he will be engaging with, aside from the beef taskforce, to ensure the best possible supports are put in place in view of the announcement on 25 June 2020 of €50 million to be made available for beef finishing farms; the estimated level of support which will be made available to each...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Overall Fiscal and Monetary Position (7 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank our guests this morning. I wish to address Mr. Makhlouf first. He has touched on liquidity supports and we know how important it is in the banking sector but it is especially important in the business sector at present. Does he have a comment on one of the early liquidity instruments which basically asked our commercial banks to take on 20% of debt where the State backed 80%?...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Overall Fiscal and Monetary Position (7 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank Mr. Makhlouf. I suppose one of the issues about value for money to the State will be the impact to employment, which is not a financial measure as much as an economic and social measure. I have a question for Mr. O'Connor on the activities of the NTMA. He spoke earlier about how the arbitrage of risk is based on future bond yields, etc. I think everybody would agree that we will...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (7 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: The schools are talking about implementing the infectious control protocols. Have any of the organisations present taken a head count of the teachers who may, potentially, have underlying health issues and thus excuse themselves from teaching duties, particularly in the case of a resurgence of Covid?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (7 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: The evidence suggests that the risk of infection from children in primary schools is probably far less than in post-primary. Does that feed into staff planning? I suggest that it should. Will the infectious control financial support that has been mentioned be managed by the school or is it a case that one logs on to the Department's dashboard to order whatever one wants?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (7 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I want to suggest to the schools that the issue of procurement should be handled by the schools themselves. There are many local companies adjacent to all of our schools that would be more than happy to provide contracts. I am aware of public sector procurement issues such as this in some of our residential settings where the costs being paid are far in excess of what can be dealt for...