Results 2,301-2,320 of 26,181 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Amendments Nos. 18 and 19 are closely linked and propose changes to sections 22 and 24. Respectively, these sections deal with the election of members of Limerick City and County Council to hold two offices that will be created following the Bill's enactment – the príomh chomhairleoir and leas-phríomh chomhairleoir, the speaker and the deputy speaker of the house. These...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: One of them is the special adviser, appointed independently, and that is a defined external post on which it will be up to the mayor to decide.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Those staff will work in the mayor's office but, ultimately, the executive function for staff will remain with the director general. Can we take it that we will look at it again later? I take the Deputy's point. A lot of issues are involved here. Ultimately, in practice, there will be no way someone can be appointed to the mayor's office without the mayor being involved in the process.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Will the Deputy allow us to come back to it? If we give a commitment to looking at it again and coming forward with something on Report Stage, can we work with that?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Only with respect to staff in the mayor's office.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I move amendment No. 17: In page 17, to delete line 5 and substitute the following: “(e) in section 182— (i) in subsection (1)(a), by the insertion of “and from being elected to or holding the office of Mayor of Limerick” after “local authority”, and (ii) in subsection (2)— (I) by the insertion of “or acts as Mayor of Limerick...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Could the Deputy repeat that?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Prior to Deputy McNamara coming in, we are in the process of finalising Schedule 1. Under the legislation, we have to stay within the remit of the director general. We will bring that forward in a complete fashion on Report Stage.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Schedule 1 is there.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: We are nearly finished. We have to go through all the various Departments.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: No. It is subject to change but it is subject to additions rather than change.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: No. We will go through what is in Schedule 1 in great depth when we come to it. However, regarding the amendment itself, we will table that on Report Stage.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The section reflects the general scheme as to the delegation of the mayoral executive functions by the mayor to the director general. The Deputy is correct in his interpretation of how it is set up. The section sets out a clear framework for delegating responsibilities, providing functions are delegated through instruments in writing and any functions assigned may be subject to any...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Those are just two, yes.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: On a serious note.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Deputy takes a very cynical view.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Humbly, I disagree. The most important thing is that this works. It will evolve. On the normal workings of the directly elected mayor, there may be some aspects of the work they do that are of a heavy lifting nature. It may not be a policy aspect. They may wish to devolve and delegate it for the smooth running of their office. They may not want to get bogged down in an enormous amount...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I propose to address these amendments together as these have been grouped for discussion. These amendments relate to Part 4, which sets out the functions of the mayor. Looking to amendment No. 20 first, it proposes the insertion of an additional definition for this Part, adding the "Limerick-Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy". This is to support the other amendments relating to...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Okay.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am looking at the relevant section, which is section 34(4)(a). We specifically mentioned LSMATS primarily because it is there and set down under the Southern Regional Assembly's regional, spatial and economic strategy, RSES. It specifically mentions that each local authority must come up with its own plan under LSMATS. It is there on a statutory footing. Under this particular section,...