Results 4,241-4,260 of 6,949 for speaker:Cian O'Callaghan

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: This is an area that needs a lot more attention and I welcome that the amendment has been brought forward in that spirit. With online political activity, an audience is built up over time. A lot of that is done by the parties with resources and that includes anyone who is elected, such as a Deputy or another office holder. They have the resources to be able to build up followers and...

Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Instruction to Committee (31 May 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: First, I welcome this Bill. It is important legislation. Establishing an electoral commission is long overdue. It is an important measure, and the main thrust of the Bill is one I welcome. As I outlined on Second Stage, I have a slightly different take on this from that of other parties. While I welcome the legislation as very good, it is weak in some places and must be strengthened,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (31 May 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I want to ask about the Government's plans to give €450 million in subsidies to developers. These subsidies will be used to build apartments that, according to an analysis by the Business Post, will only be affordable for people on the top 15% of incomes. In the Dáil and the national media, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (31 May 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: 231. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the Croí Cónaithe Cities fund has received an exemption from the European Commission with regard to state aid rules, as outlined in Article 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27367/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (31 May 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: 392. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide additional funding for autism spectrum disorder units in mainstream schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27558/22]

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 37: In page 40, between lines 24 and 25, to insert the following: “Voting rights review 55.(1) The Commission shall conduct a review of voting rights and entitlements. This shall include, but not be limited to: (a) lowering the voting age to 16; (b) extending voting rights to all residents; (c) extending voting rights to citizens living in Northern...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank all members who came in on this and the Minister of State for his comments. I welcome the commitment from the Minister of State that the commission will be tasked early on with looking at this and at the Scottish example in terms of the lower voting age. My point that we are approaching ten years from the constitutional convention and that many of its recommendations still have not...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 39: "In page 41, line 24, to delete “3, 4 or 5 members” and substitute “4, 5 or 6 members”." This amendment seeks to change and delete the terms around the constituency sizes and the number of Members per constituency. It would delete "3, 4 or 5 members" and substitute it with "4, 5 or 6 members". To give some background, there was a very...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank members because some very good points have been made by everybody, including Deputies Ó Broin, Ó Snodaigh, Flaherty and Nash. I thank the Minister of State for his response. There was a very good point made by Deputies Flaherty and Ó Broin that politicians should not be involved with setting this. That is correct. The problem with the legislation in front of us is...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: To clarify, I hope we have the same understanding of the legislation. My reading is that on page 41 of the Bill, section 56(2), the wording copper-fastens the status quo. The relevant section states: ...the Commission shall, in observing the relevant provisions of the Constitution in relation to Dáil constituencies, have regard to the following: [...] (b) each constituency shall...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: That is important. Notwithstanding the research function and looking at voter participation etc., it should not be tied by that wording. The commission should have the flexibility to consider larger constituencies if it would enhance voter participation. It should be free to look at the research and make recommendations. Is that the understanding?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes. Could it go beyond being copper-fastened to constituencies of three, four or five Members, specifically?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Okay. I will be pressing the amendment.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Absolutely.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I will speak on amendment No. 47 now, which is that the commission would research how to make voting more accessible for people with disabilities within two years and report on that. This is a very important area. I think all of us are committed to looking at how we can make voting and voter participation more accessible for everyone, especially people with disabilities. For example, the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank the Minister for his response. He indicated that returning officers have been asked to ensure, where practicable, that the places where votes are counted are accessible to people with disabilities. It is shocking that, where practicable, we would think it okay in this day and age that count centres in some cases would not be accessible to people with disabilities. Should the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I appreciate the work that has been done. In terms of polling stations, I appreciate that one could have communities where there simply is not an accessible venue. In terms of count centres, the wording there is "to ensure, where practicable, that the place appointed for the counting of votes". I do not understand why the term "where practicable" would be included. I do not understand....