Results 24,001-24,020 of 26,795 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (18 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I oppose this amendment because it is insufficiently prescriptive. We have had this conversation on a few occasions. This amendment provides that a "water charges plan shall specify .... the manner and method by which charges under section 17 shall be calculated". Who will calculate the charge? It will not be the Oireachtas. As far as I can see, it will be the commission. The amendment...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: The Health Service Executive national service plan has been published. While next year's cuts have been reduced slightly from €666 million to €619 million, we can safely state that the HSE and hospital managers will find it very difficult and highly challenging to implement them. I am astonished that the service plan makes provision for a reduction of €294 million in...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: -----pay another regressive tax that will disproportionately impact on their families. The Government is dipping into the pockets of people who do not have any money to give. This is unacceptable. The Minister of State claims we are not asking the real question. In his words, the real question is whether this will improve the quality of water services. He claims nothing is being hidden....

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: It would be a much better way to progress this Bill.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: Deputy Stagg will be happy the plumbers will be employed.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: The Minister of State has rehearsed the chorus we have heard for the past 16 hours, namely, his view of the Bill, to which he is entitled, but we have our view.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I have no doubt that when water charges are introduced, all the Members opposite will be whistling a different tune when they are talking to people on the doorsteps. To return to the points the Minister made, he said this Bill is about a substantial level of investment in our water services. We have seen a cut every year for the past number of years in water services in this State. There...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 29: In page 12, to delete lines 5 to 7.This is one of the few amendments in respect of the water charges section that was not ruled out of order. It seeks to remove completely the definition in this part of the Bill that deals with an approved water charges plan. Essentially, this is Sinn Féin's way of opposing water charges and their introduction again. There...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: Yes, but we all live in the real world, where local authority budgets are being cut. While I would support a cut, it is again unfair to put responsibility back on local government while the Government is cutting funding to it. However, the point is that it was €100 at the outset but very quickly became €300. This is the real fear people will have in respect of water charges....

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: Why?

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: It is difficult for Government and Opposition Senators to support amendments brought forward at this stage. We got sight of many of these amendments only in the past couple of hours. This is not a good way of progressing legislation. Leaving aside the haphazard manner in which the Bill is being progressed through this House, Sinn Féin had core concerns about the Bill, which concerns...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I second the amendment. We are dealing with the transfer of property of water services authorities to Irish Water. In the context of that particular section and the amendment, we need to raise with the Minister of State the very serious issues raised by the Dublin City Manager regarding the €2 billion worth of assets that will be transferred from Dublin City Council to Irish Water...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I know that but there is no point in agreeing to publish annual reports by Irish Water without dealing with the fundamental issue of the transfer of those assets in the first place.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I understand that but we only get one chance to come in on the amendment so I will take the opportunity.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I will finish on this point because I would like the Minister of State to respond to it. There is a very real concern that these assets and properties are being transferred over to Irish Water simply to fatten it up as a company that can be eventually sold off and that by just transferring the assets and not the liabilities, it will better position Irish Water to be able to borrow money. I...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: We have a duty to put these questions to the Minster of State today given that the Dublin City Manager was so robust in his criticisms and concerns regarding this Bill and its implications for services in Dublin and I would say for services across the State.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I wish to add to the Senator's comments. I have just received a copy of the Report Stage amendments from the Bills Office. Senators had no choice but to table amendments late because the House sat late last night. The difficulty is that the Government is trying to ram through seven or eight Bills this week. It wants to guillotine the Bill and not give anybody, ranging from the staff, the...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: It is not agreed.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: It was a disgrace that the Water Services Bill was guillotined yesterday and-----

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: -----I hope it will not be guillotined on Report Stage. I also regret that many of the genuine concerns and questions put to the Minister on a wide range of issues relating to the Bill were simply not addressed. Either the Minister did not have the information or he was not prepared to give it to Senators. Many of the questions and concerns we raised were the same as those expressed...