Results 161-180 of 226 for going forward speaker:Brian Stanley

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (30 Sep 2015)

Brian Stanley: Amendment No. 38 seeks to delete the word "Government" and substitute the word "Oireachtas". This is important because Governments come and go and, as we see in the economics sphere, they take their line from a very small, elusive and distant group of people such as economic management councils. Even within Cabinet a very small group, basically four people, set economic policy. It is...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (29 Sep 2015)

Brian Stanley: .... I regret that all my previous amendments were ruled out of order on the basis of cost. There will be a huge financial cost to the citizens of this State, including farmers, if we continue going down this road and do not address the climate change issue. In addition, there is an issue of climate justice, not just for developing Third World countries but also here due to the effects it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electoral Commission in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Jul 2015)

Brian Stanley: I thank the panel for sharing their views with us on this important matter. I brought forward a Bill in the Dáil to reduce the voting age to 16 because Sinn Féin believes young people should be included. We looked very carefully at what happened in Scotland recently, which has not been extended to general elections in Britain but it is hoped it will be. Can Ms O'Donnell speak...

Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (2 Jul 2015)

Brian Stanley: ...landmass in which to do it. The Cul na Móna plant near Portlaoise, which is on the N7-N8 junction, has thousands of acres that could be used. Why is the Department not using that facility? The Government should involve other Departments, such as the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, under Deputy Bruton. Green waste takes up space and one cannot deal with it in town...

Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (2 Jul 2015)

Brian Stanley: ...meter reading. Perhaps I am not explaining it very well, but if tenant A is in a house and surrenders the tenancy or is served notice to quite because the landlord wants to increase the rent or says he is going to sell the house or whatever else, and tenant A moves out, there is only a 1 in 91 chance that there will be a correlation between the date the tenant moves out and the date of...

Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Brian Stanley: As regards this Government amendment, I must compliment the Minister of State and his departmental officials for performing the gymnastics required to get to this point. The reason for establishing Irish Water, as outlined by the Minister of State, the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, and his predecessor Phil Hogan, was to keep water services off balance sheet. It was said that it would be a...

Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Instruction to Committee (1 Jul 2015)

Brian Stanley: ...Committee Stage. Without mine, the amendments fill 37 pages. The Minister remembers what happened when he rammed through the House the previous legislation on water services and the mistakes made. Here we go again, but this time it is even worse. In effect, the Minister has two new Bills. He said he was changing the Title of the Bill. This is a total abuse of Dáil procedures....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electoral Commission in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2015)

Brian Stanley: I welcome the representatives from the various bodies. It is good to have present all the bodies that may have a role in future electoral commissions. There seems to be a broad consensus around the need for an electoral commission and my party is in favour of this. That there is not a uniform means to deal with referenda and that there are problems with the register of electors and the...

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (16 Jun 2015)

Brian Stanley: This Bill is another example of the Government bringing forward legislation to deal with an issue it has by and large ignored and neglected over the past four years. It has made a big play out of addressing the issue of social housing and the lack of housing in general since the beginning of the year, while well aware that little practical provision will be made in terms of housing provision...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electoral Commission in Ireland: Discussion (16 Jun 2015)

Brian Stanley: ...hear some examples of how that might be addressed because it is the single biggest issue. How it is addressed will, in large measure, determine the operational remit of the body. If we are still going to tie it to an address, then the local authority will have to continue playing a major role because it will have some hope of finding out who lives where. The system worked quite well...

Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2014: Second Stage [Private Members] (12 Jun 2015)

Brian Stanley: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. I compliment Deputy McGrath on bringing it forward. While we would not agree with everything contained in it, we support the spirit and intention of the Bill. The Minister's lengthy script, which was distributed, refers to the three pillars of reform and the success in setting up the national utility. I would not consider the setting up...

Independent Planning Regulator: Motion [Private Members] (12 May 2015)

Brian Stanley: These events were akin to what took place in Mississippi under Governor Huey Long. The councillors in question had to go to the High Court in 2007 to uphold their democratic mandate. It is clear that certain people were prepared to go to great lengths to shut up these councillors and conceal what was going on. It is sometimes claimed that shortcuts in the planning process can bring...

Independent Planning Regulator: Motion [Private Members] (12 May 2015)

Brian Stanley: I am disappointed that neither the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government nor one of the Ministers of State from that Department is present. The motion calls for the appointment of an independent planning regulator. It is important to put this into context. We are all well aware of the background to the Mahon tribunal into planning corruption which focuses on the role...

Spring Economic Statement (Resumed) (30 Apr 2015)

Brian Stanley: Here we are at the end of a great week of the Government's spring statement being told all is well. Fair enough, but any future recovery must be a fair recovery. Any benefits must go to those on low incomes, in particular low paid workers, and towards restoring and improving public services. Jobs have been created and this is welcome, but this is down to the fact we are coming from a...

An Bille um an gCúigiú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Aois Intofachta chun Oifig an Uachtaráin) 2015: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Age of Eligibility for Election to the Office of President) Bill 2015: Second Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Brian Stanley: Sinn Féin welcomes the proposal to lower the age at which people can stand for the Presidency. It is a welcome move. However, the Government has missed an opportunity. It has missed a chance to extend democratic rights. The Government has reneged on its commitment to hold a referendum on extending the right to vote to 16 and 17 year olds by the end of 2015. It is said that people...

Topical Issue Debate: Domestic Violence (19 Feb 2015)

Brian Stanley: ...last year. I refer to the equalisation of funding. The Minister of State said the agency has advised that population size will be one of the factors informing the process. I welcome that and was going to raise it with the Minister of State. County Laois does not have a huge population - it is approximately 84,000 - but the service covers a large catchment area and sometimes people...

Topical Issue Debate: Domestic Violence (19 Feb 2015)

Brian Stanley: ...xed;ordáin, around funding for domestic violence services. I know most of the services across the country are under pressure. Demand is increasing, whether that is because people are more willing to come forward or because the incidence of domestic violence is increasing. I hope it is not the latter, but I believe there is some evidence to show that it is. I want to raise the...

Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Feb 2015)

Brian Stanley: ...concerns the role of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, and there are clearly issues regarding the EPA's role that might have warranted more attention. I am thinking in particular of the ongoing problems with waste management and the disposal of waste. There are unresolved issues that remain regarding the large fire out in south Dublin last year - that plant - and I highlight that...

Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage [Private Members] (17 Feb 2015)

Brian Stanley: ...tragedies occurring in the future. I acknowledge that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Taoiseach have met with the Brennan family. Hopefully, this will be followed up by allowing this Bill not just to go forward to Committee Stage but to be actually passed...

An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Uimh. 2) 2014: An Dara Céim [Comhaltaí Príobháideacha] - Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (No. 2) Bill 2014: Second Stage [Private Members] (6 Feb 2015)

Brian Stanley: I welcome the fact that the Government will not oppose the Bill on Second Stage, but it should not just allow it to run it into the sand. The Government should facilitate the Bill's passage to Committee and Report Stages. "Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí" is an old, but true, Irish saying. Obviously, Deputy Mathews does not believe in its meaning, namely, that if the youth are...