Results 1,301-1,320 of 15,687 for speaker:Peadar Tóibín

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (1 Feb 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: The red carpet was rolled out by the previous Fine Gael Government, with the support of Fianna Fáil on many occasions, in the provision of tax advantages to REITs. The REITs swooped in. They bought land, apartments and houses, mostly cheaply from the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, and they have extracted significant returns in that time, often while hiking up rents. Will the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (1 Feb 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: The Government's policy has displaced families in the housing market. It has pitted these institutional investors against families. Many of these institutional investors come from abroad. They have far deeper pockets than families who are trying to buy homes. They have access to far cheaper finance than first-time buyers and, worst of all, they pay less tax than the families they are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (1 Feb 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: I understand that some international capital will be needed for the housing market. However, the key point we are trying to make is that giving international capital a competitive advantage over home owners in the housing sector has the effect of displacing first-time buyers and families from the housing sector. It is clear that the international investors have competitive advantages,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (1 Feb 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: 6. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department has given any further consideration to the idea of a rail line from Navan to Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4166/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (1 Feb 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: The majority of workers in Meath leave the county every day to go to work. It is the only county in the country where that happens. Meath people commute further than people from any other county. Navan is the biggest town in the country without a rail line. Tens of thousands of people in Meath live in commuter hell at the moment. A significant issue is the lack of a rail line. It has an...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (1 Feb 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: The only glaciers not under threat from global warming are the ones in government in terms of delivery of projects. We have been promised the Dublin to Navan rail line for 15 to 20 years. We have been here before. Fianna Fáil promised it would build it by 2015. The original Navan to Dublin rail line was built with picks and shovels in the 1850s in three years, yet we are told by the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (1 Feb 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: If that is not the case, I ask the Minister to give a detailed breakdown of the timescale for delivery. That is important information for the people of Meath. A generation's lives are being negatively affected by being stuck in this commuter hell. The rail line is a key to unlock their ability to get to work on time and the Minister's objectives, and mine, to reduce climate change.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (1 Feb 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: The planning and legal system is under the Government's responsibility and influence. The staffing of the planning system is a job for the Government. The legal system takes so long because there are not enough staff in the system. It is grinding to a halt and is far slower than those of most other countries. They are not external excuses in terms of delivery of this project. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (1 Feb 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: I do not want to be overcritical but this Government is fluent in excuses. No matter what we bring to the Government on lack of delivery, its ability to give a flow of excuses is incredible. It has to be realised that this Government has been poor in rolling out public services. In the past year, the Minister brought all the ministers for energy in the European Union to this country to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (1 Feb 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: 4. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department has conducted any analysis of the impact of fare reductions on the number of people using public transport, in particular rail travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4301/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (1 Feb 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: The transport system is in a terrible situation. Anybody who tries to commute into and out of the major cities is stuck in excruciatingly slow, crawling traffic. Traffic jams are blighting all the major routes in this country and people are living in commuter hell, spending three hours a day getting into and out of work. They are trying to rely on public transport but it is collapsing,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (1 Feb 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: I welcome wholeheartedly the reduction in the cost of public transport and I encourage the Government to reduce it even further but there are a number of reasons people will choose public transport. One is cost but another is the ability to be confident it will arrive at all. In many parts of the country at the moment - this is critical - public transport is not arriving. In commuter...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Safety (1 Feb 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: Only if you have gardaí.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Safety (1 Feb 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: Enforcement.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (1 Feb 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: 39. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the enormous number of bus cancellations on the NX and 109 bus services through Navan, County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4167/24]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Yield (1 Feb 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: 93. To ask the Minister for Finance the total amount taken in by the Government on tax on electricity and tax on fuel, including petrol, diesel, home heating oil and so on, in each of the past ten years. [4169/24]

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Business of Select Committee (31 Jan 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: I nominate Deputy English.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 11 – Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 – Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 – State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - the Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 – Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 – National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 -the Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 – Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire agus leis an Aire Stáit as teacht os comhair an choiste inniu agus as ucht na cuir i láthair. I wish to return to an issue I discussed with the Minister on his last visit to the committee, and that is the issue of public procurement and national infrastructure. In many areas, there are significant delays and cost overruns. The Minister and...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 11 – Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 – Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 – State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - the Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 – Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 – National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 -the Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 – Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: I agree there needs to be a balance between all those things. I might be an unusual voice in saying that, sometimes in this country, the perfect becomes the enemy of the good in all these aspects. We have to realise that we need to be practical and have common sense to get projects moving. The other issue the Minister did not mention is internal deficiencies in the whole process. One of...