Skip to main content
Normal View

Committee on Public Petitions debate -
Wednesday, 18 Apr 2018

Decisions on Public Petitions Received

The first petition for consideration is Petition No. P00025/17. The petitioner is seeking a legislative amendment to be included in budget 2018 to allow him, as a holder of an approved minimum retirement fund, AMRF, to make withdrawals subject to the same rules that applied when he made the investment in 2013. Do any members wish to contribute to this issue? No. It is proposed to forward a copy of the response from the Minister for Finance to the petitioner and to close the petition. Is that agreed? Agreed.

The next petition for consideration is Petition No. P00033/17 from Mr. Robbie O'Sullivan regarding remote working as a means of reducing workplace commuting. The petitioner uses his own commute as an example. It is proposed to forward a copy of the response from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation to the petitioner and to close the petition. Is that agreed? Agreed.

The next petition-----

I apologise for digressing. I am not asking this question in response to the specific petition. Given the response from the Department, in terms of allowing for flexibility for people to work from home or from a remote location, can we perhaps look at encouraging and promoting the idea of tax incentives? I am aware that the tax incentives are a matter for the Department of Finance. We all know well that there is a huge volume of traffic on our roads, and it is important that we encourage the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, through the use of broadband, and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, to look at how we can incentivise working from home and to get the national broadband strategy rolled out as quickly as possible.

Certainly. In terms of dealing with the specific petition before us I believe we have agreed an approach.

I agree with the approach.

There is a wider societal issue about how we facilitate more home working, but perhaps that is a discussion we could have at our next meeting. We will discuss the points the Senator is raising to see if we should correspond in the context of this petition about the wider societal issue. Is the Senator agreeable to that?

The next petition for consideration is Petition No. P00030/17. It is proposed that we close the petition and correspond with the petitioner, informing them of this decision. Is that agreed? Agreed.

The final petition is Petition No. P00047/17. It is proposed that we close the petition and correspond with the petitioner, informing them of this decision. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I am hanging a hat loosely on the Central Bank. I do not mean nationalisation. We should promote the issue of literacy around financial products and in dealing with financial institutions. Can we put that in the agenda for a future meeting?

Certainly. That is agreed.

I apologise for interrupting.

Not at all. This is the place to raise those issues.

The joint committee adjourned at 1.50 p.m. until 1.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 2 May 2018.
Top
Share