Results 12,661-12,680 of 13,220 for speaker:Pat Gallagher

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (20 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The purpose of this amendment is to ensure only relevant provisions of the Bill when enacted will be cited with the Merchant Shipping Acts 1894 to 2000, that is, all except the last part of the Bill, to be renumbered Part 5, which relates to other legislative codes. Part 5 contains five sections, two of which were in the original Bill while three are being inserted by way of amendments.

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (20 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The purpose of this amendment is to provide for the collective citation of the Harbours Acts 1946 to 1976, which deal with harbour authorities, with the provisions of the new section of the Bill as the Harbours Acts 1946 to 2005. Section 36 updates penalty and other provisions of the 1946 Act in order to bring them into line with current practice.

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (20 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: These amendments provide for three matters. Amendment No. 4 allows for the collective citation of the Canals Act 1986 with the provisions of section 38 of the Bill when enacted. In addition, this amendment provides for the collective citation of the Shannon Navigation Act 1990 with the provisions of section 39 of the Bill when enacted. Both sections of the Bill relate to the updating of...

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (20 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: This is a purely technical amendment. It provides for the definition of an additional three specific terms used throughout the Bill, including the new Part 3 being inserted, and so avoids unnecessary verbiage. Consequently, amendments to section 3 of the Bill, definitions for the purposes of Part 2, are proposed so as to remove the definition of those terms not only used in Part 2.

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (20 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: In regard to the Senator's first point, that is not the Bill's intention. Second, all harbour and port authorities, large and small, will be included in the provisions of the Bill. By way of background, the objective of the Bill is to strengthen the currently inadequate local authority powers. The purpose of amendment No. 9 is to include Waterways Ireland within the definition of "authority"...

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (20 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The importance of the Second Stage debate is demonstrated. The issues were raised by Senators previously. Senator O'Meara and her colleagues tabled amendments that were the same as my amendments Nos. 14 and 15. I acknowledge her kind words about our officials. I asked them to provide the briefing material because of the major changes that have been made. The Senator suggests that we should...

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (20 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Although I would like to be able to accommodate the Senator, I believe that it should be left to the relevant authorities to decide whether or not to make by-laws under section 4 as it stands, rather than obliging them to make what could be needless by-laws. If there is not a problem for certain local authorities at some ports, why introduce regulations unless they are necessary? Such...

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (20 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I am advised that the words "regulating or controlling the operation of craft" are an essential for any by-laws to be made under section 4. Senators will appreciate that the Oireachtas has responsibility for primary legislation. If the Oireachtas or the Minister delegate responsibilities to other bodies then it would be somewhat dangerous to leave them open-ended or to give the bodies...

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (20 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: This is merely a technical amendment. It allows the relevant by-law making authority the discretion to confine its by-laws to specific classes of craft which require priority attention, whether it be jet skis or certain types of speed boats as it may consider appropriate. The purpose of the Bill is to specifically target bad behaviour and nuisance in order to safeguard life and public...

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (20 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I have difficulty in agreeing to this amendment giving local authorities the extra leeway suggested by Senator O'Meara. The amendment is too wide and somewhat vague for the Oireachtas. Under the Constitution we have responsibility for primary legislation and to decide the scope of by-laws that are made. It is necessary to set down in primary legislation the policies and principles to show the...

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (20 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Amendment No. 22 is purely a technical amendment designed to clarify that craft may be boarded after stopping.

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (20 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: These amendments are self-explanatory. The purpose of the five amendments is to increase from €3,000 to €5,000 the maximum fine on summary conviction originally proposed in the Bill. This is in accordance with the recent decision of the Attorney General that the maximum fine for summary offences generally should be updated to increase the deterrent effect. In short it is to ensure the...

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (20 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Amendment No. 24 is consequential on Government amendment No. 25 which provides comprehensively for the power to arrest suspected offenders without warrant. If I may refer to Senator Mooney's question, this is standard practice now and the House would agree that in a situation where jet skis or vessels are in water, in the time a warrant could be obtained for arrest a tragic accident may...

Written Answers — Central Fisheries Board: Central Fisheries Board (19 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The position in relation to the membership of the Central Fisheries Board is that the vacancies, which occurred recently, will be filled shortly in accordance with section 23 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1999. There have been no difficulties reported to the Department by the management of the Central Fisheries Board arising from the current vacancies, and the Central Fisheries Board...

Written Answers — Aquaculture Development: Aquaculture Development (19 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The review of licensed aquaculture operations in Ardgroom Harbour is ongoing and the Department is in the process of drafting proposals for a more productive and efficient disposition of longlines in the area. It will also be a central objective of these proposals to ensure that navigational safety is optimised, visual impacts are minimised and aquaculture operations are managed in a manner...

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (19 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Doonbeg Pier is owned by Clare County Council and responsibility for its repair and maintenance rests with the local authority in the first instance. A programme for the funding of small harbours within the overall 2005 fishery harbours development programme is under consideration at present and funding for Doonbeg Pier will be considered under this programme taking into account the amount of...

Written Answers — Cosaint an Chósta: Cosaint an Chósta (19 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I mí Lúnasa 2004, rinne Comhairle Chontae Phort Láirge tairiscint dom i leith mionathrú agus daingniú na haille i gcomharsanacht Ché Heilbhic de chostas measaithe €500,000. Tá ceist deontais ón Státchiste i mbliana i gcomhair cosaint an chósta faoi bhreithniú ag an am seo, ag tabhairt san áireamh an méid cistí ar fáil agus na tosaióchtaí náisiúnta ina leith.

Written Answers — Lough Swilly: Lough Swilly (19 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The port area of Lough Swilly is designated as smooth waters within a line from Buncrana to Muckarnish Point and as partially smooth waters within a line from Dunree Head to Portsalon. Port areas were originally derived early in the 19th century and were appropriate for trading and operating conditions at that time. The maritime safety directorate of the Department re-examined this matter in...

Written Answers — Coastal Erosion: Coastal Erosion (19 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Wexford County Council recently forwarded proposals for funding for coast protection works to the Department. A proposal regarding Doogan's Warren, Rosslare, for soft engineering solutions to protect the dune system and to promote dune regeneration, at an estimated cost of €30,000, was included in the council's proposals as its number four priority. These proposals are under consideration...

Written Answers — Foreshore Licences: Foreshore Licences (19 Apr 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Dublin Port Company applied in March 2002 for ministerial consent for the reclamation of 21 hectares of foreshore in Dublin Bay. As private ownership of the foreshore in question was claimed, the application was made in accordance with the provisions of sections 10 and 13, as amended, of the Foreshore Act, 1933. Issues arose concerning proof of ownership of this area of foreshore and these...