Results 8,221-8,240 of 11,812 for speaker:Denis O'Donovan

Seanad: Credit Reporting Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, to the House, to deal with Committee and Remaining Stages of the Credit Reporting Bill 2012.

Seanad: Credit Reporting Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: When is it proposed to take next Stage?

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: I ask the Leader to provide for a debate on farming, in particular the outcome of CAP reform, among other issues. Currently, some €50 million is being taken out of rural Ireland, in particular because of the "eye in the sky", whereby large tracts of farmland in severely disadvantaged areas are being taken out of the equation for disadvantaged area scheme payments and some people are...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: The issue of water harvesting needs to be considered. I recently saw that a new school building incorporated in its design the notion of water harvesting. In future strategic planning the Minister and Irish Water should be very cognisant of the harvesting of water for schools and hospitals for use in the flushing of toilets etc. - obviously not for drinking. There is great potential in...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: No. I am prepared to accept the Minister of State's good faith, as he clarified the point.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: No, on the consultation with the local authorities.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: The Minister of State gave an assurance.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: Not to labour the point, but I will ask about the same issue in a circular fashion. Can I take it that all of the money raised from water metering and charges, both commercially and domestically, will be ring-fenced for the improvement of our water infrastructure? To follow on from the comments of my Sinn Féin Party colleague, does the Minister of State envisage that the Irish Water's...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: I move amendment No. 56: In page 21, between lines 14 and 15, to insert the following: “(g) each local authority submissions in which the investment plan relates.”.This amendment relates to giving councils and councillors a statutory role in submitting specific plans to Irish Water for investment proposals in their areas. This will be in addition to Irish Water having to take...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: On the quality of drinking water and the national spatial strategy, I earnestly request that the Minister of State convey my deep concerns to the Minister for Health on water fluoridation, an issue that will come to haunt this Government or one of its successors. For the past 30 years, successive Governments have kicked water fluoridation to touch. At some stage, to use rugby parlance, it...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: Notwithstanding what the Minister of State said in regard to fluoridation, I urge that consideration be given to including that issue in the code of practice. The Minister of State referred to health considerations, but the view is gathering momentum that there might be serious repercussions down the line. I am not convinced by the health argument. I understand the Minister of State's...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: It is important that the capacity of councillors and other public representatives to make representation on behalf of the public should be recognised in law. In fact, there should be a requirement that all such representations be answered within 14 days or, at worst, 21 days. Local authorities have had an important role historically in dealing with water services. I met a man in the...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: I will reserve my right to come back in at a later point.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: I put the Minister of State on notice of an issue that I will raise on the next and subsequent sections. He mentioned health and safety and the critical importance of having potable water. One of my concerns, which is perhaps more appropriate to sections 25 and 26, is that we are talking about-----

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: I accept that but I want to put the Minister of State on notice. For many years we have been shovelling fluoride into water to make it more potable and kill off bacteria. Is that really the solution? There is a school of thought that we have the worst rate in Europe of adding fluoride to water. Studies in America and internationally have shown that this is not the answer. This was the...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (16 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: I apologise to Senator Michael Mullins as I did not realise he had not contributed. He should have contributed before Senator Terry Leyden but he was hiding in the corner.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (16 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: Are we going somewhat beyond the watershed of this debate?

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (16 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: I welcome the Minister to the House. While I always will be courteous to a decent Kilkenny man, I am unsure whether I will be as receptive to the Bill itself. Instead of calling this the Local Government Reform Bill, I would be inclined to call it the local government choke Bill. The Bill has many negative aspects and while I will not have time to dwell on them all and do not wish to be...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: This argument seems to be going around in circles. The Minister of State has made his point and Members on the opposite side of the House will not accept it. Is Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill pressing the amendment?

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Denis O'Donovan: What happens in the other House is of no concern to us, unfortunately.