Results 12,941-12,960 of 13,224 for speaker:Pat Gallagher

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: This is a technical amendment to correct a typographical error.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: This amendment replaces and expands the original section 92 to enable water services authority powers of direction in relation to connections to be applied not just to group water services schemes, but to individual water service consumers. It also provides for additional appeals provisions and introduces new provisions on future maintenance arrangements on shared connections to services. The...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: The insertion of a provision restricting agreements under this section to fixed charge agreements is unnecessarily restrictive and pre-empts any ongoing development in public procurement policy. The purpose of this section is to enable a water services authority to enter into an agreement with a person to provide water services infrastructure with a view to that person subsequently...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: Section 51 provides for the powers of a water services provider to temporarily interrupt services for maintenance purposes or where there is a risk to human health or the environment. The first of these amendments removes the seven day, prior notice stipulation from subsection (3) in regard to planned interruption of water services. It is not considered appropriate on a practical, operational...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: The purpose of this amendment is to ensure the powers under section 52 to recover sums due can be duly assigned to any person performing a function under the Act. Section 52 provides generally that a county or city council acting in its capacity as a water services authority or its agent may recover any sum due to the authority either through the courts or by deduction from any other moneys...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: I am referring to any debt that would be due to a county or city council acting in its capacity as a water services authority. Section 52(6) enables the Minister to assign his powers to others, such as a group water scheme or contractors, to recover debts over and above the water services authority. This amendment provides the mechanism — nothing more, nothing less — for them to do so.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: There is no domestic water charge.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: It would have been foolish of me to expect to go through 50 sections of the Water Services Bill without reference to water charges. I am delighted to confirm that there are no domestic water charges and the Government does not intend introducing them, whether Senator Bannon welcomes this or not. The Bill does not contain any provisions for the introduction of water charges. Instead, primary...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: The record of the debate will show that I said there are no domestic water charges. There are water charges for supply in other areas. I do not know what is the Fine Gael Party's policy on this but the Government does not intend——

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: The Bill will not be used as a vehicle to introduce charges. While, there are, rightly, charges for certain supplies, there are no domestic water charges.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: In considering this amendment, I regarded the extent to which it would bring clarity to the intended meaning of the section. However, nothing sufficient will be gained by the addition of the term "to a material extent" to warrant its inclusion in the text. Ultimately, it will be a matter for the courts to decide whether an action of an accused person amounts to wilful waste of water. In doing...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: The intention of these amendments is similar to the earlier proposal to amend section 53 by inserting a reference to wastage of water to a material extent. It can be reasonably expected that in considering whether an offence has been committed under section 54(1) and (2), a court will not find against the owner of a premises in circumstances where the event for which they have been prosecuted...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: This amendment is consequential on amendment No. 6. The definition of distribution system is revised and is now located with other similar definitions in subsection (2).

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: This amendment incorporates a series of changes and updates to section 55 to expand its scope and synchronise it with similar provisions to section 61 with regard to connection to waste water services. The entire section as revised is reproduced as one amendment to facilitate a clearer understanding of the effects of the various changes to the existing text. Section 55 prohibits unauthorised...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: This amendment arises from a series of amendments to section 2 to streamline and clarify the distinction between water mains, distribution system and service connections. The insertion of reference to a service connection in line 1 will ensure that the prohibition on pollution of water supplies applies from the moment the water enters the pipe in the water works to its point of delivery to...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: We should clear up any ambiguity in this area and explain what is a service connection. Senator Bannon may have been misinformed if he is thinking of a service connection as providing a water service to works in progress on a building site. The service connection I refer to in this respect is in essence the pipe which runs between the outer boundary of a premises and the sewer or water mains...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: There are three aspects to this amendment. The first is the expansion of the scope of the section from sewers to include waste water works. Another aspect is the simplification of the terminology and the third is the application of the maintenance obligations under the section to all providers of water services regardless of whether they are under contract. Under section 60 as currently...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: Local authorities will only take responsibility for what they own.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: I want to clarify the position in regard to public schemes expenditure. The Government has not been found wanting in regard to increases in public schemes expenditure. In the period 1997-2003, Exchequer expenditure on water infrastructure increased by128%, from €207 million to €471 million. The Government has a commitment to water infrastructure under the current national development...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2004)

Pat Gallagher: I do not disagree with the Senator. I would be alarmed to learn that drinking water is running through asbestos piping. Obviously Senator Bannon is thinking of a specific scheme. I would like if he could bring details of any such scheme to me and I will pursue the matter with the relevant local authority. As far as I am aware, there are no schemes where asbestos piping is currently being...