Results 3,281-3,300 of 4,873 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Again, to give that reassurance, making that political commitment is important. It is critically important we do that here, in the Dáil and in the select committee. I am giving that commitment to the Senator and to the organisations that have campaigned on this so well over recent years that it is going to happen within the lifetime of this Government Separately, if we are...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I am proud to be fringe and crazy.

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: It has been an excellent debate and I thank all Senators for their contributions. I will speak specifically to the amendments first and then I will come back in, if that is okay. I thank the Senators for tabling these amendments relating to An Coimisiún Toghcháin, considering and making recommendations in relation to the voting age. Chapter 9 of Part 2 empowers an coimisiún...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Yes, I think it is. It is referenced in the programme for Government so there is a programme for Government commitment. We are trying to go broader than that and look at the experience in other jurisdictions. That came out loud and clear from contributions on other Stages of the Bill. While the programme for Government commits to consideration of the Scottish experience, we are clear that...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: We will try to do that if my diary allows.

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Again, I thank Senators for the proposed amendment, which would require that the commission would lay a record of all contracts for consultants or advisers before both Houses of the Oireachtas on a biannual basis. Appendix B5 of the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies - Business and Financial Reporting Requirements, requires that expenditure by public bodies on external...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Senators Moynihan, Hoey, Sherlock and Wall for tabling this amendment. Deputy Nash raised the matter to which it relates on Committee Stage in the Dáil and I undertook to consult with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel on it. In the intervening period, I was advised that the reference in the Bill to the Civil Service Regulation Act 1956 is correct and it is not necessary...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I understand the Senator is not proceeding with amendment No. 20.

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I will speak to amendments Nos. 19 and 20 nonetheless because they are related. Amendments Nos. 19 and 20 propose to remove section 20(6) and instead insert that the chief executive can be reappointed only once. Both approaches seek to achieve the same goal and the option put forward by the Senators was considered in the course of drafting. However, my officials and I were guided by the...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: It is clear we are trying to have an equitable process for the removal of a chief executive. It correctly allows the chief executive to make representations. It must be equitable for due process. That is what we are trying to achieve here.

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I will seek clarity for the Senator.

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I will get clarification on that for the Senator.

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Senators Ruane, Higgins, Black and Flynn for these amendments. Amendment No. 23 seeks to amend existing provisions in order that, in addition to an coimisiún’s annual report being published, it would be published in an accessible manner. Amendment No. 51 seeks to provide that the post-electoral event reviews that an coimisiún may produce would be published in...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Section 28 sets out that the Central Statistics Office and Ordnance Survey Ireland, OSI, shall provide assistance to the commission in its work free of charge. This section transposes existing legislation relating to constituency reviews. The amendment proposes to add to this section that the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission will also provide assistance free of charge. Section...

Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Building Control (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: If the Deputies are largely supportive of the amendments, then I will seek their support on them.

Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Building Control (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Again, my understanding is there has been considerable consultation with Threshold among other organisations and that frames the rationale. On the seven-day time limit, again, I cannot give a response on that. I do not have a response for the Deputy on why that was seven days versus 21 days.

Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Building Control (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I wish to add to the note on amendment No. 48 that section 35 of the Act of 2004 will be amended to require a landlord must comply with section 39A of that Act when serving a notice of termination and any notice served in contravention shall be invalid of this Bill. I will provide detail on this shortly. The new provisions in sections 35(12) to 35(15), inclusive, provide that upon...

Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Building Control (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: It is okay if the Deputy wants to speak.

Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Building Control (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I will make a general comment. They are mostly technical amendments. Some of them came from opposition proposals, but they are mostly technical amendments.

Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Building Control (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: There has been ample time for Members to input into the Bill. As I said, the majority are related to the Title of the Bill and are technical amendments.