Results 1,241-1,260 of 1,338 for speaker:Kathleen O'Meara

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: I support the comments made by my colleagues on this side of the House. The inevitable effect of "vehicle" covering every vehicle entering the country is to reinforce a sense of fortress Ireland. The perception will be that any foreigners coming through our ports in a car of any shape, form or description will inevitably bear a question mark over them. It would be appropriate for the Minister...

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: I am seeking a similar clarification. What is the effect of paragraph (a)? Must an immigration officer inspect everyone or can he use his discretion? Paragraph (c) refers to each non-national on board. The legislation is aimed at non-nationals. Part of the reason we tabled this amendment was to specify non-nationals, as the Minister did in paragraph (c).

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: We are taking this debate seriously.

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: I ask the Minister and Senator Jim Walsh to appreciate that we on this side are not being obstructive or pedantic. In the long tradition in this House we are proud to play our role in closely examining legislation and giving it the scrutiny it deserves, especially if it happens to be the second last sitting day before Christmas and it is legislation such as this. The legislation requires line...

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: As Senator Terry pointed out, the Bill will make it more difficult for people to enter the country illegally. Consequently, it will inevitably have the effect of making it more difficult for asylum seekers – I do not like the term "genuine asylum seekers"– to seek asylum here.

Seanad: Immigration Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: I am not re-opening the Second Stage debate, but a number of people on both sides of the House have been using the term "genuine asylum seekers". I simply wanted to say that it is a problematic term. It is better to use the general term "asylum seekers". We must be aware of our responsibilities concerning asylum seekers. As regards Senator Mansergh's comments, it is often a fact of life that...

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: I second Senator Ryan's amendment to the Order of Business. I agree with Senator Dardis that Committee Stage should not be taken immediately after Second Stage. Our agreement to take Committee Stage today reflects our reasonableness with regard to business generally. It would be much more desirable to take Second Stage this week and Committee Stage next week in order that the points raised on...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (11 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: I move amendment No. 1: In page 4, to delete lines 40 to 56 and in page 5, to delete lines 1 to 4. Perhaps the Minister will clarify that, because this is amending legislation, there is no commencement section. These amendments deal with matters I raised in the debate on Second Stage. Page 4, lines 40 to 56, provide for the extension of the operation of the framework set out in the Planning...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (11 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: I thank the Minister for his reply. He knows that we all have the same objectives, namely, to see social and affordable housing coming on stream much faster than heretofore and to ensure a good social mix in the process. These are the underlying principles of the Bill. I am concerned that perhaps we have not waited long enough to allow Part V to work. As the Minister said, it has been working...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (11 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: I know that the Minister is using the Fingal experience. Obviously we are up against it in relation to the withering issue and we will deal with that later. In many ways, it is a pity it had to happen that way. If the Part V provision had remained in place for another year, the situation might be quite different. It takes time for new ideas and new legislation to work. The 2000 Act is an...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (11 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: I have very little left to say. I appreciate where the Minister is coming from. He takes a pragmatic view and he trusts the local authorities and the players out there. To a large extent, at one level I would agree with him that they should get up and get on as best they can with doing the job that we, the legislators, have given them. That would be fabulous in an ideal world but as we all...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (11 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: I move amendment No. 2: In page 5, to delete lines 5 to 7.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (11 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: I move amendment No. 3: In page 5, line 43, to delete 'undue'.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (11 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: I move amendment No. 4: In page 11, before section 4, to insert the following new section:

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (11 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: In effect, the decision is to extend 44,000 planning permissions and levy 0.5% on their value. In so doing, as I said yesterday on Second Stage, it will eventually let them off the hook in relation to the social and affordable housing rule. In looking at the background to this I came across a speech given by Mr. Philip Jones, president of the Irish Planning Institute, to the national planning...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (11 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: The Minister has the advice of the Attorney General available to him. I have good advice, too, advice that has been available to our party for a number of years and which has been useful to Ministers and Departments from time to time when discussing legislation. Mr. Jones is making my point. Builders are being let off the hook by the extension of the two year rule. The principle inherent in...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (11 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: I thank the Minister for his reply and am delighted to hear we started from the same square on the board regarding this matter. Obviously I do not agree with where he has moved to from there, even if he has had to listen to legal advice and so on. When the original legislation was debated in both Houses, the number of speakers who referred to the fact that it was bound to end up in the...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (11 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: No.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (11 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: Having done so from square one.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (11 Dec 2002)

Kathleen O'Meara: How did the Minister arrive at the figure of 0.5% in respect of the levy? How much does he consider it will yield in the coming year and the following year? Am I correct in assuming that the 0.5% levy is a ring-fenced fund specifically allocated for social and affordable housing?