Results 741-760 of 1,175,598 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Holly Cairns OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Michael McNamara OR speaker:Peter Fitzpatrick OR speaker:Ciarán Cannon OR speaker:John Brady OR speaker:Niall Collins OR speaker:Eoin Ó Broin OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Dessie Ellis OR speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh OR speaker:Róisín Shortall OR speaker:Brendan Howlin OR speaker:Ruairi Ó Murchú OR speaker:Pauline Tully OR speaker:Claire Kerrane OR speaker:Michael Moynihan OR speaker:Francis Noel Duffy OR speaker:Leo Varadkar OR speaker:Kieran O'Donnell OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:Colm Burke OR speaker:Rose Conway-Walsh OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Mattie McGrath OR speaker:James Browne OR speaker:Matt Shanahan OR speaker:Joe O'Brien OR speaker:Anne Rabbitte OR speaker:Mary Butler OR speaker:Paschal Donohoe OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Paul McAuliffe OR speaker:Aindrias Moynihan OR speaker:Seán Crowe OR speaker:Marian Harkin OR speaker:Mairead Farrell OR speaker:Peadar Tóibín OR speaker:Michael Healy-Rae OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Thomas Byrne OR speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice OR speaker:Brendan Smith OR speaker:Seán Ó Fearghaíl OR speaker:Pearse Doherty OR speaker:Denise Mitchell OR speaker:Martin Heydon OR speaker:Paul Donnelly OR speaker:Alan Farrell OR speaker:Dara Calleary) in 'Committee meetings'

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Ireland's Medium-Term Fiscal and Structural Plan: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (23 Oct 2024)

Rose Conway-Walsh: It is also necessary, though, to look at inflation. We never signed up to the restrictive Fine Gael 5% spending rule. I believe we have been proven right in relation to inflation. Of the three examples that IFAC gave us in its submission, namely, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden, the first two specifically take inflation into account and look at the increases in spending in real terms....

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Ireland's Medium-Term Fiscal and Structural Plan: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (23 Oct 2024)

Rose Conway-Walsh: It is less today than it was in 2019 in terms of spending. It is a kind of contradiction in one sense. The concern is that all this highlights some of the risks associated with legislating for the spending rules.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Ireland's Medium-Term Fiscal and Structural Plan: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (23 Oct 2024)

Rose Conway-Walsh: No, exactly. What we are trying to get at here, however, is to be fiscally responsible but still have enough flexibility to be able to adapt to and respond to external changes that occur. It is about the balance rather than about tying ourselves into something if we were to legislate for the rule.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Ireland's Medium-Term Fiscal and Structural Plan: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (23 Oct 2024)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I thank Dr. Casey for that. The EU fiscal rules state that the medium-term fiscal plans will commit member states to an agreed net expenditure path for a five-year period. The plan will subsequently be endorsed by the Council of the European Union. It is stated that once endorsed by the European Council, it is generally not possible to deviate from the agreed net expenditure path unless...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Ireland's Medium-Term Fiscal and Structural Plan: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (23 Oct 2024)

Rose Conway-Walsh: It is trying to stop it.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Ireland's Medium-Term Fiscal and Structural Plan: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (23 Oct 2024)

Rose Conway-Walsh: Yes. I think this is crucially important because we are adding an additional national restriction to an economic decision of a democratically-elected government. I think this is extremely serious. IFAC's submission refers to it having an enforcement role in regard to the EU fiscal rules. Will the witnesses expand on this statement? I refer to what IFAC having an additional enforcement...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Ireland's Medium-Term Fiscal and Structural Plan: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (23 Oct 2024)

Rose Conway-Walsh: What about the decision of the democratically elected Government? I really have concerns about this.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Ireland's Medium-Term Fiscal and Structural Plan: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (23 Oct 2024)

Rose Conway-Walsh: Five years is a long time in politics.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Ireland's Medium-Term Fiscal and Structural Plan: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (23 Oct 2024)

Aindrias Moynihan: We will move on. I will give Deputies a chance to come back in again later.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Ireland's Medium-Term Fiscal and Structural Plan: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (23 Oct 2024)

Aindrias Moynihan: I have one or two questions myself. I understand the kind of enforcement or pushback that would be put into execution by the European Commission in the event of rules being broken is unclear. Is that unique to Ireland, or is it across all EU countries?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Ireland's Medium-Term Fiscal and Structural Plan: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (23 Oct 2024)

Aindrias Moynihan: What kind of enforcement does Mr. Coffey envisage?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Ireland's Medium-Term Fiscal and Structural Plan: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (23 Oct 2024)

Aindrias Moynihan: Mr. Coffey had mentioned flexibility. It was also referenced with regard to the 2024 budget and the setting aside of the two funds. What is the council's take on the capacity of those to give that kind of flexibility?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Ireland's Medium-Term Fiscal and Structural Plan: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (23 Oct 2024)

Aindrias Moynihan: Does Deputy Canney have any further questions? No. Okay, they were pretty much the questions the members and I had. I thank the witnesses for their input and their patience with the votes and everything. That concludes our session. I thank the witnesses for participating.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Health and Well-being for Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Moynihan: Apologies have been received from Senators Clonan and Seery Kearney. The purpose of today's meeting is to discuss health and well-being for people with disabilities. On behalf of the committee I welcome representatives from the Department of Health: Mr. Greg Dempsey, deputy secretary general; Ms Anne O'Brien, assistant principal; Ms Siobhán Hargis, principal officer; Dr Anne...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Health and Well-being for Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Moynihan: I thank Mr. Dempsey. We will now go to our members. The first member offering is Deputy Frankie Feighan, in substitution for Senator Mary Seery Kearney.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Health and Well-being for Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (23 Oct 2024)

Frank Feighan: I thank Mr. Dempsey for the presentation. It was very interesting and informative. I have three questions to ask. First, what proportion of public health clinics and hospitals meet national accessibility standards, including accessible buildings and environment and medical and health equipment? Second, as politicians we have had a lot of problems through the years with medical cards and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Health and Well-being for Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Moynihan: Does Mr. Dempsey want to take that question, or maybe his colleagues?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Health and Well-being for Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (23 Oct 2024)

Frank Feighan: With regard to people with disabilities, there seems to be a lot of picking and choosing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Health and Well-being for Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (23 Oct 2024)

Pauline Tully: Deputy Feighan referred to accessibility of buildings, and that is extremely important in centres, but accessibility of information is also very important. Do the Department of Health and the HSE incorporate easy-to-read versions on their websites and hard copies of literature? Do they provide ISL to those who require it? Do they provide information through braille? People who are blind...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Health and Well-being for Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Moynihan: I am really sorry to interrupt but a vote has been called in the Dáil Chamber on Second Stage of the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill, to allow the Bill to progress to Committee Stage. This is not the actual voting block, which is due to take place much later. We will have to suspend for around 15 minutes to allow the vote to take place and then we will be back....