Results 281-300 of 1,054,104 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh OR speaker:John McGuinness OR speaker:Duncan Smith OR speaker:Rose Conway-Walsh OR speaker:Aindrias Moynihan)
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Rose Conway-Walsh: I have a question for the Central Bank that I need to ask. I apologise, I may get back in again, but I have to speak in the Dáil. I need to ask the Central Bank about its decision to renew the agreement to facilitate the sale of Israeli sovereign bonds, and how that reconciles with ISIF, which said it would divest from six Israeli companies active in the occupied territories. It is a...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Rose Conway-Walsh: Is that a legal requirement in domestic law or in European law?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Rose Conway-Walsh: I appreciate that, but I am sure that Dr. Kelly understands that people are absolutely horrified that our own Central Bank would facilitate the sale of war bonds when there is a genocide and more than 40,000 people have been slaughtered in the past months. It is appalling, but it is something we will take up with the Governor of the Central Bank when he comes in to the finance committee. I...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Rose Conway-Walsh: I think my time is up now.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Aindrias Moynihan: I am conscious this is a long session, so I will make just one or two brief points because a lot of the ground has been covered. Without doubt, many of the economic indicators are positive, from employment to interest rates and across the board. Much of the emphasis from the various contributions relates to being steady and keeping an eye out for the days when things will not be so good....
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Aindrias Moynihan: After a long session, I thank everyone for their contributions and patience. That concludes our public session. I thank each of the witnesses for attending. We will now suspend the session until 6.30 p.m. in committee room 2.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Aindrias Moynihan: I thank the Ministers for the presentations. So many of the economic indicators are very strong, with full employment, interest rates facing south and strong tax returns. Many of the various bodies such as IFAC, the ESRI and others are pointing towards an attitude of "steady now" and putting aside funds towards a day when the figures are not as strong as they are today. The last budget saw...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Aindrias Moynihan: On the-----
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Rose Conway-Walsh: On the topic of trains, the all-island rail review and the western rail corridor, we have the opportunity to do what needs to be done there. You only have to look at the map to see the absolute lack of rail services from that area up to Sligo and Donegal, and the Minister, Deputy Chambers, will know this. There is an opportunity now and there is no excuse whatsoever not to do it. Cork...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Rose Conway-Walsh: Is it much in excess of €6 billion?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Rose Conway-Walsh: But the Minister knows what it is now.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Rose Conway-Walsh: It is okay but it will be in excess of that, so obviously there is an improved revenue forecast for 2025. We will see that on budget day.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Rose Conway-Walsh: When does the Minister expect the Apple tax to come in and how does he expect it to come in?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Rose Conway-Walsh: We could even have another Government providing that information. Imagine that.
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Rose Conway-Walsh: It will be up to the people. We had some good presentations before the Minister came in. One of them was from NERI. Its representatives said in their statement, which really struck me, that we have an economy of winners and losers. Net household wealth is at record levels on one hand while material deprivation is rising on the other. Will the Minister speak to that. Are they right?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Rose Conway-Walsh: If we were to take out the one-off payments, they would not be progressive, would they? These are the measurements I have seen. It is adding in the windfall that-----
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Rose Conway-Walsh: Is the Minister saying they would not be as necessary this year to the extent they were last year because of interest rates and inflation decreasing?
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Rose Conway-Walsh: I will reiterate what the ESRI said regarding material deprivation and the inability of households to afford essentials increasing markedly between 2022 and 2023, especially for children. While we congratulate ourselves on budget decisions, the figures relating to child poverty and deprivation speak for themselves. Reference was made to inheritance tax. NERI has stated that inheritance...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Rose Conway-Walsh: The Minister would favour that over addressing the worsening intergenerational inequity. While he is here, I want to ask him about an issue that came up earlier today with regard to the Central Bank. The Central Bank has renewed the agreement to facilitate the sale of Israeli sovereign bonds. ISIF said earlier this year that it would divest from six Israeli companies active in the occupied...
- Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement (18 Sep 2024)
Rose Conway-Walsh: I know it is, but one would seem to contradict the other in terms of the Central Bank agreeing to facilitate Israeli sovereign bonds. Obviously, the money from this is used in the context of genocide. More than 40,000 people have been slaughtered in Gaza. It is of great concern for many people that this would happen. Can this be prevented from happening?