Results 61-80 of 6,645 for speaker:Jimmy Deenihan

Topical Issue Debate: Mortgage Lending (23 Sep 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: I thank the Deputy for bringing this matter to the attention of the House again. I trust he is referring to the recent investigation undertaken by the Central Bank into Permanent TSB and its subsidiary company Springboard Mortgages limited. The role of the Minister for Finance is to provide the right framework to protect consumers of financial services. The Financial Services Ombudsman can...

Topical Issue Debate: Mortgage Lending (23 Sep 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: The Deputy has raised a number of very pertinent issues that I will bring to the attention of the Minister for Finance, as well the Deputy. If he is aware of other banks that have behaved in similar ways, leading to failures similar to that of Permanent TSB, he should bring them to the attention of the Central Bank. Although it does not investigate individual consumer complaints, it does...

Topical Issue Debate: Crime Levels (22 Sep 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: I remind Deputy Collins that rural crime did not commence when this Government took over.

Topical Issue Debate: Crime Levels (22 Sep 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: There were other operations by the Garda in the past which were quite effective in coming to grips with rural crime. On behalf of the Minister, I thank the Deputies for raising these important matters this evening and for referring to specific cases. I will be very happy to share the points they made with the Minister when I meet her tomorrow. I will certainly bring Deputy Collins's...

Topical Issue Debate: Crime Levels (22 Sep 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: I am speaking on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, who regrets that she cannot be present as she is attending an extraordinary meeting of European Union justice and home affairs Ministers to discuss the very serious migration crisis. The Minister is, however, grateful to the Deputies for raising these important matters in the House. The Minister recognises that burglary is a...

Topical Issue Debate: Human Rights Issues (16 Jul 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: The plight of Asia Bibi, who is detained in Pakistan on charges of blasphemy, remains of great concern to the Government. Officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade avail of every possible opportunity to raise Ms Bibi's conviction. Ireland does not have a resident embassy in Pakistan but the embassy in Ankara, Turkey, is accredited to Pakistan. Our embassy in Ankara continues...

Topical Issue Debate: Human Rights Issues (16 Jul 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: I have listened with concern to the Deputy's comments. I want to assure the Deputy that the case of Ms Bibi remains of concern to the Government. As I have previously stated, officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and at the Embassy of Ireland in Ankara, have made representations on Ms Bibi's case to the Pakistan authorities. The EU has also been active on this issue. In...

Seanad: Choice of Court (Hague Convention) Bill 2015: Second Stage (8 Jul 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: On behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, I would like to thank Senators for making time available to deal with Second Stage of the Choice of Court (Hague Convention) Bill 2015. The Minister regrets that she is unable to be present here today. However, she welcomes the fact that it was possible to have this Bill initiated in the Seanad so that Senators...

Seanad: Choice of Court (Hague Convention) Bill 2015: Second Stage (8 Jul 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: I thank the Senators who contributed to the debate, namely, Senators O'Donovan, Conway, Higgins, Cullinane and Colm Burke, and for their useful observations. This is a somewhat technical Bill but I appreciate the welcoming and open atmosphere in which our discussion took place, which reflects the fact it is not controversial legislation. Notwithstanding its technical nature, the Bill will...

National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) Bill 2015: Second Stage (25 Jun 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: I am delighted to have an opportunity to say a few words on this Bill and to congratulate my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys, on bringing it to fruition. Some Deputies will recall that when I served as Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, I initiated a whole programme of public service reform and, in November 2011, announced a number of initiatives. That related...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Homes Support Scheme (30 Apr 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: I thank Senator Burke for raising this matter. The nursing homes support scheme is a generous scheme which relieves families of potentially very onerous expense and even protects the greater part of the value of a participant's main residence. However, it is also expensive. The amount allocated to the scheme in 2015 is €993 million, which is an increase of €44 million on...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Homes Support Scheme (30 Apr 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: If the Senator will put those questions on paper, I will get the responses. If he wants this level of detail, I will ask the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar to provide the statistics.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Health Insurance (30 Apr 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, who is on Government business elsewhere and regrets that he cannot be here. I thank the Senator for raising the issue as it gives me an opportunity to update the House on this important matter. Community rating, reflecting the principle of intergenerational solidarity, is a fundamental cornerstone of the health...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Health Insurance (30 Apr 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: I will certainly convey the Senator's request to the Minister. I wish to draw to the Senator's attention a press statement the Minister issued on Tuesday last, in which he confirmed there will be no extension of the deadline. It is important that we all appeal to people to be mindful of the deadline. As we know and appreciate, the more young people who take out insurance, the less of a...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Garda Deployment (30 Apr 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: The Minister wishes to thank the Senator for raising this important matter. The House will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, transport and other facilities throughout the organisation and the Minister has no function in the matter. This allocation of resources is constantly monitored by the Commissioner and her...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Garda Deployment (30 Apr 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: Again, I thank the Senator for raising this issue. As I alluded to earlier, with the recommencement of Garda recruitment, the allocation of gardaí on completion of training at the Garda College to the Louth division will be kept under review and fully considered by the Garda Commissioner in the context of the overall requirements of An Garda Síochána nationally. On behalf of...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Housing Adaptation Grant Funding (30 Apr 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: I thank Senator Conway for raising this important matter. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government provides funding to local authorities for the housing adaptation grant scheme for older people and people with a disability. Under this scheme, a suite of grants is available to private home owners. The scheme is of significant social benefit in terms of facilitating...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Housing Adaptation Grant Funding (30 Apr 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: On leaving the House, I will contact the Minister's office and request that information for the Senator.

Spring Economic Statement (Resumed) (29 Apr 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: -----a very negative story about Ireland but these people are intelligent. They read the facts in the newspapers and they like what is happening here despite the fact that some of this story is being distorted. Earlier in March the Government published Global Irish - Ireland's Diaspora Policy. This document is the first clear statement of the Government's policy on the diaspora. This...

Spring Economic Statement (Resumed) (29 Apr 2015)

Jimmy Deenihan: I propose to share time with the Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Gerald Nash.