Results 23,941-23,960 of 26,181 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Will I deal with the question?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is all about striking a balance. Regarding Deputy McNamara's point on the speaker and deputy speaker, the arrangement was recommended by the implementation group chaired by Mr. Tim O'Connor. Deputy Leddin was part of that. Once again, it is about striking a balance to make certain that whatever we put in place will work. It is based on the New York model. We took many of the group's...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Once again, the rationale involved a judgment call on the part of the implementation group and on our part to take it on board. It was put forward by the board as a recommendation that would ensure another element that would make the new local authority run very smoothly. It has worked effectively in New York. Let us see how it works.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: We wanted, as much as possible, to retain the means by which the existing council runs in the normal way. The mayor is to bring added value. We had the ceann comhairle and leas-cheann comhairle and there are now to be a speaker and deputy speaker. It is a political call that we took on board. If we set up implementation groups to make recommendations, we are subject to accusations if we...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: When I entered office, it had already been taken on board. I inherited a general scheme and it was already recommended in that it had been adopted by the Government. It was not a call that I made in my role as Minister of State; it was already in a general scheme. This entails a Cabinet decision, and it is something that I, as Minister of State, have to implement. It could bring an added...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: It came from an implementation group comprising all stakeholders, including councillors. One of the recommendations on evolving towards a directly elected mayor was that the office to which the Deputy is referring would provide further cohesion in working with councillors. Ultimately, everyone has to work together on this. I have an open mind on it. It has been put forward constructively...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The primary element of this is the devolution of executive functions from the chief executive officer, CEO, to the mayor. That is the principal logic behind this. The Deputy is going into another space that is separate.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The principal logic of this is that we have a directly elected mayor with executive powers. That will evolve even more over time. Deputy McNamara is going into a different area. For me that is a separate issue again. It is almost housekeeping. The mayor is taking over executive powers being brought forward. I mentioned two areas - the budget and the development plans the CEOs were...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I mean-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: It should not take away from the fact that it was very well chaired.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The members put a lot into it.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The amendments in Deputy Quinlivan's name relate to section 32 of the Bill which provides for the establishment of a Limerick mayoral advisory and implementation committee. Amendment No. 24 seeks to change the manner in which council members are appointed to this committee. As mentioned, one of the main functions of the committee, chaired by the mayor, is to assist the mayor in the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Amendment No. 30 tabled by Deputy Leddin proposes a new section in this Bill to provide that the mayor may prepare a report for the consideration of the Minister for Finance identifying potential new sources of income for Limerick. Under the Local Government Act 2001, as amended, local authorities can charge for specific goods and services. They can levy commercial rates, which are not a...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I move amendment No. 49: In page 30, to delete lines 25 to 32 and substitute the following: " " 'political party', except in Parts VI and IX, means a political party registered in the Register of Political Parties in accordance with Chapter 6 of Part 2 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 as a party organised to contest— (a) an election for membership of Dáil Éireann, (b)...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I move amendment No. 50: In page 31, between lines 14 and 15, to insert the following: "(d) in section 4B, by— (i) the substitution, in subsection (1), of ", IX or X" for "or IX", (ii) the substitution, in subsection (9), of ", IX or X" for "or IX", and (iii) the substitution, in subsection (10), of ", 92(1)(e), 113(2)(d), 113(2)(e),113(4)(a), 113(4)(b), 113(4)(c), 113(4)(d)...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I move amendment No. 51: In page 31, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following: "(i) the substitution, in paragraph (a) of subsection (2), of "House of the Oireachtas, the Mayor of Limerick, a representative in the European Parliament or a third party or a candidate at a Dáil, Seanad, Limerick mayoral or European election" for "House of the Oireachtas, a representative in the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I move amendment No. 52: In page 31, to delete lines 22 to 24 and substitute the following: "(ii) the substitution, in subparagraph (iv) of paragraph (b) of subsection (2), of "a political party, the Mayor of Limerick, a member of either House of the Oireachtas or a representative" for "a political party or a member of either House of the Oireachtas or a representative",".

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I move amendment No. 53: In page 33, line 34, to delete " "24, 48 or 95" " and substitute " "24, 48 and 95" ".

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I move amendment No. 54: In page 33, between lines 35 and 36, to insert the following: "(q) in section 83, by the insertion of the following definition: " 'political party' means a political party registered in the Register of Political Parties in accordance with Chapter 6 of Part 2 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 as a party organised to contest an election for membership of Dáil...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I move amendment No. 55: In page 34, line 2, to delete "ELECTION FOR MAYOR" and substitute "ELECTION OF MAYOR".