Results 3,221-3,240 of 5,040 for speaker:Victor Boyhan

Seanad: Vacancy In Seanad Membership: Motion (1 Dec 2020)

Victor Boyhan: I move: That the Clerk of Seanad Éireann do send to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage notice of a vacancy in the membership of Seanad Éireann occasioned by the resignation of Senator Michael D'Arcy, a member elected from the Oireachtas Sub-Panel of the Agricultural Panel at the General Election for Seanad Éireann, April, 2020.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: Perhaps the Leas-Chathaoirleach will give me some guidance on whether it is in order for me to move my amendment at this point.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: That is great, I am happy to do that. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, to the House. This is an issue that will be of enormous interest to him. I am opposed to the Government amendment No. 2. It is not over very much, it is all about "and" and "or". I believe that we should continue to have public consultation. It should remain a statutory situation, as it currently is....

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: I thank my colleague for his words of support and encouragement. The Minister of State’s party has a substantial number of councillors and he was a councillor for many years, and a good one at that, which I acknowledge. He will be aware of the importance of public engagement. I sat for four years on the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government, as it was then known,...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: That is very disappointing. I put three county development plans through my hands and worked very hard on them. I am aware of members of the Green Party who put up advertisements and plastic signs on poles all over the community for their own major public meetings, as is their entitlement. They were very good meetings. As for this suggestion again that somehow, people would interrupt or...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: It makes sense if I come in now as the Minister of State would not have to reply again. This is Committee Stage and Members can speak at length on these matters.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: I asked a question earlier to which the Minister of State might give us some advice regarding the aspect concerning the executive. I made a point about which there seems to be some misunderstanding. There is no discretion for a county councillor to suggest to the chief executive how he or she conduct the development plan at the first stage. It is the executive plan.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: I have the floor and that is correct.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: Thank you, Acting Chairman. People are shaking their head and saying it is not true, so I ask the Minister of State to confirm this now. It is important, as there seems to be some misunderstanding in the House. Under section 11 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, it is the function of nobody else but the council's chief executive or his or her executive team to make a decision or...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: We should allow the conversation. I do not like this idea of calling a halt to the debate. Let us look-----

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: It is just after 3.50 p.m. That is significant because we will get the minutes of these meetings from the reporters. I do not know about the Acting Chairman, but I heard what Senator Fitzpatrick said and I will produce the transcript before the close of business today or tomorrow. I know what I hear and Senator Fitzpatrick spoke about calling a halt to the debate.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: It is only a term-----

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: What did the Acting Chairman mean when he said he knew what I was up to? That is important. It is not an appropriate remark to make. We will not debate what people said here and now for these few minutes because that will be fact within a matter of hours. I will be standing here on the Order of Business tomorrow and I am happy-----

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: It is not a threat.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: I wish to make this clear. We will know what everyone said when we have the Official Report on this meeting. To reiterate, nobody is egging it. We are in a Parliament where we can have free speech and a robust debate. That is the reality of it. If people do not like it, they can leave or they can get up and counteract it. That is fair enough. That is politics. I take on board and...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: I agree with Senator Cummins. My experience with county development plans has always been a relatively positive one, and I have dealt with three. I do not believe anybody set out deliberately to curtail anybody, but the reality is that we can only deal with the words in the Bill. The Bill clearly states it is to be replaced. The mandatory requirement on the city and county council chief...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: I do not know where Senator Higgins is coming from but I want to speak in favour of the council executive. It has always engaged and encouraged participation and I have never experienced any curtailment or limits to that engagement. I know Members referred to people as being potentially difficult and maybe I am considered difficult but I engaged in the local development plan, both as a...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: I thank Senator Higgins for tabling these amendments. While they are important, my experience has been one of openness and inclusivity with regard to development plans both in the city and county with which I am familiar but also around the country. They are important because we have other groups of people who feel marginalised.County development is important. The local authority is the...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy O'Brien, indicated to us the other day, I believe in respect of section 3 but I am not 100% sure on that, that the Green Party had been in touch and that there was a proposal to bring forward another amendment. Would the Minister of State be aware of another amendment to the Bill? I believe it dealt with section 3.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Victor Boyhan: Was it section 2?