Results 461-480 of 7,777 for speaker:Joe Costello

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board Fund: Finance Statements 2013 (8 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: I thank the witnesses.

Dublin Docklands Development Authority (Dissolution) Bill: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important legislation. The text of the Bill is simple and straightforward and it provides for the dissolution of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and the transfer of its functions to Dublin City Council. Despite its simplicity, it is very far reaching in its implications. Passage of the Bill will mark the end of a bold experiment to...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Funding (6 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to discuss this important issue. This problem has come out of the blue. Supervisors of community employment schemes are discovering when renewing insurance premiums that the cost of insurance has increased by exorbitant sums. Some have been quoted a threefold increase in the cost of insurance, which is unprecedented. In addition, no...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Funding (6 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: I thank the Minister of State for his reply and note the points he made. The industry provided four reasons for the increase in the cost of insurance premiums, namely, claims cost inflation, an increase in claims frequency in recent years, changes in the courts' jurisdiction, and reductions in income from insurers' investments. It would be interesting to have these factors quantified by the...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (1 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: Given that it came late last night, it is obviously too short notice for the members to deal with it adequately. We will have to address the situation again and the contents of the documents should be dealt with as comprehensively as possible. This would be an opportunity for the Minister to come before us, and the invitation should be extended to him. If there is material relevant to any...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (1 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: Chairman, before we get into the business, I would like to raise an important issue which relates to something the committee dealt with previously. At this very moment, 600 residents in Longboat Quay are threatened with evacuation. It is something that we on this committee dealt with before. Some 12 months ago the matter came to our attention and it was mentioned at that time that there was...

Public Accounts Committee: Northern Ireland Assembly Finance Committee: Discussion on NAMA Project Eagle Sale (1 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: I welcome Mr. McKay and his fellow committee members and thank them for coming down here. We are delighted to have them with us. It was stated earlier that NAMA has stated that the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts was the appropriate forum for it to conduct its business and that is the way the agency was established under law. NAMA is accountable to us. Mr. McKay has said that the...

Public Accounts Committee: Northern Ireland Assembly Finance Committee: Discussion on NAMA Project Eagle Sale (1 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: I presume NAMA would have no problem with Mr. McKay being present during questioning by this committee and would have no problem with questions that Mr. McKay might pose to members of this committee being put to NAMA by us. Has Mr. McKay explored that as a possible means of dealing with the matter?

Public Accounts Committee: Northern Ireland Assembly Finance Committee: Discussion on NAMA Project Eagle Sale (1 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: If NAMA is adamant that this is the only forum it will deal with, then perhaps that is something that Mr. McKay might explore.

Public Accounts Committee: Northern Ireland Assembly Finance Committee: Discussion on NAMA Project Eagle Sale (1 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: I appreciate all of that. This week, Deputy Mick Wallace raised some other issues in the Dáil relating to Project Eagle and other activities. The Taoiseach requested that Deputy Wallace would come before this committee but he has again declined to do so. Deputy Robert Dowds has e-mailed Deputy Wallace requesting that he put forward questions that this committee could pose to NAMA...

Public Accounts Committee: Northern Ireland Assembly Finance Committee: Discussion on NAMA Project Eagle Sale (1 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: Is NAMA giving the committee written answers?

Public Accounts Committee: Northern Ireland Assembly Finance Committee: Discussion on NAMA Project Eagle Sale (1 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: We have got a submission document from Cerberus that has been forwarded to us from the committee in Northern Ireland. I thank the committee very much for that. However, to the best of my knowledge we do not have anything from PIMCO, Fortress Capital or any of the other players involved. I understand that initially nine international consortia were contacted in Project Eagle.

Public Accounts Committee: Northern Ireland Assembly Finance Committee: Discussion on NAMA Project Eagle Sale (1 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: This was circulated to us as part of our documentation.

Public Accounts Committee: Northern Ireland Assembly Finance Committee: Discussion on NAMA Project Eagle Sale (1 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: Some of the other players who have declined to appear before the Northern Ireland committee as witnesses have made written submissions. Has the Northern Ireland committee asked Deputy Wallace to make a written submission?

Public Accounts Committee: National Asset Management Agency: Financial Statements 2014 (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: I welcome NAMA here once again and thank its representatives for their regular attendance as requested. The most startling fact that has come out of the proceedings so far is the statement made by Mr. McDonagh in regard to the failure by the local authorities to pick up on social units and sites that were being made available by NAMA. Perhaps Mr. McDonagh might clarify that. He referred...

Public Accounts Committee: National Asset Management Agency: Financial Statements 2014 (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: Is that the same period? Is that since-----

Public Accounts Committee: National Asset Management Agency: Financial Statements 2014 (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: Could Mr. McDonagh outline the amount of social housing NAMA itself has produced?

Public Accounts Committee: National Asset Management Agency: Financial Statements 2014 (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: Mr. McDonagh said the 4,500 sites that have been declined by the local authorities are in a state of partial construction.

Public Accounts Committee: National Asset Management Agency: Financial Statements 2014 (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: If they had availed of this offer, we could have 4,500 extra units of accommodation in the social housing market.

Public Accounts Committee: National Asset Management Agency: Financial Statements 2014 (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Joe Costello: It sounds extraordinary. The local authorities have a lot to answer for in that respect. I wish we could deal with the local authorities, but unfortunately they are not bound by our remit. We should write to them, arising from this. They have spurned 4,500 potential units of housing in the middle of a housing crisis. That is extremely serious. In respect of Longboat Quay, I do not...