Results 41-60 of 8,440 for speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: We will not take long, if the Leas-Chathaoirleach could bear with us for a while.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I will not be particularly long because Deputy Doherty has gone through much of the detail. Is that okay with Deputy McHugh or does he want to come in now?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Deputy McHugh can go ahead. We have got an hour and ten minutes. Is that okay?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Yes, go ahead.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: It has been very interesting listening to the responses that have been given. Starting with Mr. Owens, he gave evidence to the housing committee on 13 July 2023. He was here with the National Standards Authority of Ireland. That is not too far away from a year ago. Mr. Owens reported about insurance risk and said: There are a number of reasons for the reluctance of engineers to join the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Yes. To quote again what Mr. Owens said back in July last year, and in fairness he has repeated it here today "Some engineers are of the opinion that IS465 is not fit for purpose". I would say it is a very large number of engineers, based on the engineers I am talking to in Donegal. Does Mr. Owens stand over that view himself?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That is fine. I thank Mr. Garrett. Could Mr. Owens state whether the engineers who work for the Housing Agency are members of Engineers Ireland?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Crazily, Engineers Ireland has qualified, trained, eminent engineers on its register whose recommended option is being overruled by other engineers on the register. What is Mr. Owens's view on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The difference is that one set of engineers is not indemnified while the other set is. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Having listened to the whole exchange today, I think about the ordinary person at home. Whether affected by defective blocks or not, taxpayers are currently in circumstances in which what the Government calls a multibillion-euro redress scheme, the biggest in the history of the State, is based on a standard that was a desktop study. There is eminent scientific evidence emerging that it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: In fairness, in Engineers Ireland's evidence to the housing committee almost a year ago, it made it clear that some of its members – I would argue most of them, but that is my interpretation – had a major concern about IS 465. That evidence was given in front of representatives of the National Standards Authority of Ireland. Is Mr. Owens concerned that it has not even issued...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Is a certificate of remediation provided for option one under the current scheme?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: There is some doubt about that. The reason I raise this is that the insurance and banking representatives present have said they will issue insurance or mortgage cover based on a certificate of remediation. What happens if there is a certificate of remediation and the person follows the guidance of the Department, or of this State, stating it is not a problem to build on the foundations?...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: We are asking people to take on the remediation option recommended by engineers working for the Housing Agency, who operate under IS 465, which many Engineers Ireland members believe is not fit for purpose because those engineers are indemnified. Is this not crazy? Basically, intelligent engineers who are indemnified are making recommendations and following the guidelines to the letter even...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I have a question for the BPFI representatives. Obviously, while the BPFI has a duty of care to ensure sound loans and investments, are its representatives concerned about the professional view of Engineers Ireland on IS 465 being unfinished, the failure to test foundations and the federation's having to operate on the basis of a certificate of remediation in this environment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I am going to say it again. The other point is that we are facing the biggest redress scheme in the history of the State. When we throw in apartments and everything else, it is going to be multiple billions for the generation or generations to come. I ask Mr. Owens again if he does not find it astonishing that, essentially, we had to have an affected homeowner, who is a professor in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Absolutely. My last question is to Ms Murdock. I have asked Mr. Hayes and Ms Byrne about their concern about what we have heard. Mr. Garrett has given important evidence to the committee today. Right now, the State essentially says that the foundations are okay and that we are not required to test them. If a homeowner is recommended for option one, they just rebuild on the existing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I thank Ms Murdock. That is clear. Both the representatives of the insurance and banking industries are concerned about the evidence here today. Engineers Ireland has deep concerns on behalf of its members about getting to the point where we have science we can rely on that is robust and everybody can move forward on that basis. We are in a mess and hopefully we will find our way out of it.

Petrol and Diesel Excise Rate Increases: Motion [Private Members] (30 Apr 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The Minister will know that the worst affected sector of the economy since Brexit has been the fishing community. The losses have been devastating. It in not just the offshore sector. The National Inshore Fishermen’s Association has been before the joint committee and in the audiovisual room to make presentations on the serious crisis in the industry. Fishermen have repeatedly...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (30 Apr 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 153. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will ensure that two child passports will be processed on-time for two siblings (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19288/24]