Results 24,401-24,420 of 26,185 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Senator Higgins and the Civil Engagement Group. I will deal with what our response is and we can expand on that. I will speak to amendment No. 28 and amendments Nos. 67 to 74, inclusive, as they have been grouped for discussion. The intention of amendment No. 28 is to extend the definitions in Part 4 by adding a reference to the United Nations sustainable development goals, as...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Regarding the Project Ireland 2040 delivery board, which is what we are dealing with in this section, the Limerick city and county development plan, the national development plan, the national planning framework and climate change mitigation measures are mentioned. Furthermore, the UN sustainable development goals are built into national, regional and local frameworks such as the national...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Each local authority is required under the climate action legislation to produce climate action plans for five years. Limerick City and County Council is currently preparing its action plan and it will include all the sustainable goals. It is there. We have a planning Bill going through. It is all about a tiered system that flows from the top down. The UN sustainability goals are...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Amendments Nos. 29 to 39, inclusive, are grouped for discussion as they relate to the Limerick mayoral and government consultative forum, and I will address these together. Amendments Nos. 29 to 34, inclusive, propose an expansion in the membership requirements for the forum to include the príomh chomhairleoir as well as two members of the elected council, and to transfer the role of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Grant Payments (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: My Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities to support the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, which support older and disabled people living in private houses to adapt their home to meet their needs. The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 210 to 213, inclusive, and 220 together. Under Housing for All, there is a policy objective to increase and improve housing options for older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence. Housing for All builds on and takes forward the ongoing actions in 'Housing Options for Our Ageing Population' policy statement from 2019, published...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People. The grants are 80% funded by my...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: I apologise for being delayed. I thank the Acting Chair and Members for their indulgence. I will speak to amendments Nos. 40 to 46, inclusive, in the name of the Labour Party, Civil Engagement Group and Sinn Féin Senators as they have been grouped for discussion. These amendments relate to the requirement for the mayor to present a draft of the mayoral programme for consideration by...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Members for their contributions. Amendments Nos. 47 to 66, inclusive, have been grouped for discussion so I will speak about them as a whole. Amendments Nos. 47 to 50, inclusive, seek to change how council members and others are to be appointed to the advisory and implementation committee. The role of the committee will be to support the mayor in preparing and implementing their...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Amendments Nos. 75 to 80 on the transport subgroup are similar to the amendments proposed to section 33 and many of the same points apply. I feel that the membership of the subgroup as provided for is appropriate, so I do not propose to accept amendment No. 75. Amendment No. 76 seeks to include a representative of the Climate Change Advisory Committee in the subgroup. That committee was...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Yes. Just to give context, though-----

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Sorry.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: To give context, under the climate action legislation - to give it its formal name the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act, 2015 - section 14B of that Act requires that all local authorities are now required under a statutory basis to prepare climate action plans. Limerick City and County Council are currently preparing theirs. It is about to be finalised. It went out on...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: I have given a commitment on that.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Amendment No. 81 proposes adding a new section in the Bill to empower the mayor of Limerick to apply for EU funding on behalf of Limerick City and County Council. Currently, EU funding applications are signed by the figures with the legal status to sign on behalf of their organisation, and this is in line with guidance issued by the European Commission. There is currently nothing in the...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: If I may, I would also like to acknowledge a former Member of the Houses, former Deputy Mary Upton, was previously in the Gallery about ten minutes ago and she left.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Amendment No. 82 proposes a new section authorising, subject to council approval, the mayor to enter into co-operation agreements with cities and municipalities in any country for the benefit of diplomatic, cultural, environmental, social and economic relationships. The amendment also proposes that co-operation of this nature can focus on participating in European Union projects. There is...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Absolutely. The mayor is a member of the chamber, it is 40 plus 1. He or she is accountable to the chamber and is in essence taking up a senior role within the chamber. He or she will be bringing forward proposals. Once again, it is hugely important in the spirit of co-operation and looking at local authorities around the world where having a directly elected mayor has worked, they have...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: If I may explain, it was put to the people that certain activities, such as staffing, administration of schemes, housing and general operational matters, would remain with the CEO. The CEO will continue to be the accounting officer, very similar to a Secretary General of a Department. Everything else moves to the mayor. The mayor will be responsible for bringing the annual budget to the...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: The director general. It is a change of title