Results 1-20 of 26 for going forward speaker:Aidan Davitt

Seanad: Cost of Doing Business: Statements (17 Apr 2024)

Aidan Davitt: ...same time of year as the minimum wage increase - which I do not have a problem with - but it is all these things at once. It was like a storm of different paperwork coming all at one time. We are going to have a change in the corporation tax rate. All of these are not of the Minister’s doing, of course, but they are all things that fall within the remit of the Department he is...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: International Protection (14 Nov 2023)

Aidan Davitt: I submitted this Commencement Matter because I was curious about this issue when we were going through budgets, expenditure details and so forth. I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this matter today, which I have submitted on a number of occasions previously. I am seeking information in relation to a number of departmental expenditure queries I received. As outlined by the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Schemes (17 May 2023)

Aidan Davitt: ...been working on the issue. We discussed councillors' expenses previously and the Minister of State allowed them to include as expenses the cost of security cameras, gates and alarms. However, we must go a little stretch further, as has been recommended by the Garda for Oireachtas Members. Councillors should be afforded the same possibility. I am sure the Minister of State is doing his...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Mar 2023)

Aidan Davitt: ...was informed how lucky I am to be blessed with two women and my wife. On a serious note, International Women's Day is very important and it is great that women are recognised. I hope that we keep going forward with equality and that more women are elected to positions in the political arena. I wish to refer to 58 school building projects that were due to be delivered before the end of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Nov 2021)

Aidan Davitt: ...the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, to the House to discuss the issue. He is very hands-on with this matter. We could discuss what should be allowable and what would be of help to councillors going forward.The Acting Leader might see whether it is possible to have the Minister of State come to the House to consult Senators. It would be constructive.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Jun 2021)

Aidan Davitt: ...assessment from an engineer, which was a visual inspection. From there, the programme rolled out. The mica redress scheme is being assessed completely differently, as we are aware. In fairness, the Government has addressed the issue, but has only come 90% of the way. At this stage, we need to go the final furlong. The €8,000 that people have to come up with to start their...

Seanad: Councillors' Pay: Motion (22 Feb 2021)

Aidan Davitt: .... I have worked with Senators Boyhan and Keogan for many years on councillors' pay and conditions, the latter during her time as a councillor and as a Senator. Most of this has been agreed by the Government parties and is due to be implemented during its first year in office. As far as I am aware, the Government has not been in place for a year, although maybe I am missing something. I...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Driver Test (19 Feb 2021)

Aidan Davitt: ...scheme the Minister had introduced on a pilot basis has been a success. However, we are more than a year into this pandemic. There will probably be changes for another year. It would be a step forward to have the theory test online and to have an adequate system so that people could do it online. It would make more sense going forward. I question the preparation the Road Safety...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Dec 2020)

Aidan Davitt: ...been a great advocate for democracy in this House and long may that continue. I would like the Minister with responsibility for planning to address the House. There are a lot of development plans going through and the regulator has dealt with some of them. There are serious concerns on behalf of city and county councillors throughout the country on the handling of some of the proposed...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Aidan Davitt: Senator Gavan makes quite a lot of good, commonsense points in this House but the way he is looking at this scheme is flawed. Second-hand house prices are rising more dramatically than new house prices. This scheme tries to put extra stock into circulation. There have been huge complications in Dublin where some funds have bought large numbers of units. Perhaps the Minister of State can...

Seanad: Report of Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Statements (6 Nov 2019)

Aidan Davitt: ...we develop great entrepreneurs. There is something to be done there. The maximum contributory State pension is €248 or €250. That is not good enough for somebody taking a big chance. If they are going to be successful, employ many people, and pay a hell of a lot of tax, this is the least we can do. They do get breaks and so on in respect of private pensions but many...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: An Bord Pleanála: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Aidan Davitt: Would it help Mr. Walsh's job going forward in respect of us being constructive as a nation if we had some sort of guidelines? I am not saying it must be somebody living within 20 miles. I am not tightening a noose around Mr. Walsh's neck, so to speak, with regard to it. Does Mr. Walsh think it would be helpful for us to have some set of rules so that, in particular, if somebody wanted to...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2018)

Aidan Davitt: I want to say a couple of things about the budget. I welcome the introduction by the Government of the one stage approval by councils when it comes to building new, affordable and mainly social homes. I think this was led through discussions involving Deputies Cowen and Michael McGrath. Every council in the country now has a fund of €6 million and does not have to ask the Government...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Update on Preparations for Brexit: Discussion (27 Feb 2018)

Aidan Davitt: ...a lot of interaction in Mullingar. The Science Park has been a great success. I refer in particular to the use of the former tobacco factory, which would have been a real eyesore only for the good work ethic and great business acumen of Mr. Garret Moore and those who came in behind him. In this regard, I must mention Mr. Tommy Kelly and Mr. John Hunt of TEG and Mr. Pat Beirne and the...

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Aidan Davitt: ...in the room. Only the large retailers are able to avail of low-cost selling and to use it as one of their weapons to entice people into their supermarkets. A ban on below-cost selling is the way forward as that is doing the most harm in terms of alcohol. It is going to be very difficult to police minimum pricing or the differential in pricing across the Border. We are already facing...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 May 2017)

Aidan Davitt: Today I will raise a matter that I hope the Leader will bring to the attention of the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney. There has been much discussion about our housing issue, as Senators are aware, and the results and formulae we are trying to achieve in solving the housing crisis. There is a history of a certain approach working. There are...

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (11 Apr 2017)

Aidan Davitt: ...while streamlining the different systems required to meet these compliance obligations. It was only after Fianna Fáil indicated on Report Stage of the Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016 in the Dáil that we were going to introduce an amendment in the Seanad to extend the current expiry date that the Minister magically at the eleventh hour was able to fast forward legislative...

Seanad: Rebuilding Ireland: Statements (21 Mar 2017)

Aidan Davitt: ...but with the redrawn boundaries there were not too many visitors in Castlepollard last time out. That is the way and that is politics. On a more serious matter, Fine Gael has certainly brought in some good plans which we have welcomed here. We supported one of the most prudent plans, and certainly one that I appreciated most, which was the proposal to bring larger planning permissions...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Telecommunications Services Provision (8 Mar 2017)

Aidan Davitt: I thank the Minister for coming today. We are delighted to see he has made a good recovery. The Minister has seen the outline of my Commencement matter on the regulation of SIM cards and SIM-only, ready-to-go and pay-as-you-go phones. Many of the larger companies have this quite well regulated. They look for identification, proof of age and utility bills before they sell any of these. I...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Telecommunications Services Provision (8 Mar 2017)

Aidan Davitt: ...to account and run good shows. It is not right to give mobile phones or access to mobile phones to kids of any age. It is causing serious issues in households which will become bigger problems going forward. The Minister hit on it there. The code of practice used by the large companies is good. We should not hide behind regulation and privacy. It is possible to bring in a minimum age...