Results 2,561-2,580 of 3,241 for speaker:Brian Ó Domhnaill

Seanad: One-Parent Family Payment: Motion (15 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Even at this late stage, I appeal to the Minister of State, Deputy Humphreys, to do something about this. It is not right. It is just wrong. The money can be found somewhere else. There is wastage and there are inefficiencies in the Department of Social Protection that could be addressed.

Seanad: One-Parent Family Payment: Motion (15 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Buzz Lightyear.

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (16 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Chathaoirleach as an deis labhairt ar an mBille seo. I welcome and acknowledge the Minister of State. This Bill will bring legal clarity and end the ambiguities in the Personal Insolvency Act 2012. Fianna Fáil welcomes that aspect of this Bill and we will not delay its passage through the House. However, this legislation is nothing short of a missed...

Seanad: Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I am sure the people of Clifden miss Senator Keane.

Seanad: Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Clifden’s loss is Dublin’s gain, as Senator O’Brien has pointed out to me.

Seanad: Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I am flabbergasted by this section. Section 47 and some of the following sections give Irish Water unprecedented powers as a utility company. Every household in the country will be asked to work for Irish Water by notifying it under a statutory obligation. There is no legal obligation on households at the moment to register with Irish Water until this Bill is passed by the Oireachtas, and...

Seanad: Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: -----or any Minister can give a commitment that Irish Water will not be sold. Irish Water is being established on the principle of setting it up as a viable and financially independent enterprise, which would be very valuable on any international market. We have seen what happened in Britain. It has been referred to here many times. Similar utilities were set up there in the 1980s and...

Seanad: Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Is the Senator referring to Enda Kenny?

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I add my condolences on the death of the former Member of this House and of Dáil Éireann, former Senator Fitzgerald, who passed away. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal. I wish to refer to an issue which was highlighted last night on the “Prime Time Investigates” programme, but which has been under review by the Committee of Public Accounts and the Comptroller...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: It is outrageous.

Seanad: Civil Debt (Procedures) Bill 2015: Second Stage (17 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, to the House for the Second Stage of this Bill. I acknowledge the work of Minister Fitzgerald and her officials in bringing forward the Bill. In the general scheme of things, we should welcome bringing striking a balance and bringing Ireland into line with other international jurisdictions in terms of what was outlined in the 2009 FLAC document,...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Cuirim leis an moladh atá curtha os comhair an tSeanaid ag an Seanadóir Fidelma Healy Eames i dtaca le scoileanna beaga ar na hoileáin amuigh ón chósta. Tá 13 scoil i gceist, ocht cinn acu a bhfuil dhá mhúinteoir ann agus cúig cinn acu nach bhfuil ach múinteoir amháin ann, scoil náisiúnta Inis Meáin a rinne an...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Is the Senator sure those are seagulls?

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Is the Leader sure they are seagulls?

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: May I just say, with regard to the submission of amendments at this stage, Fianna Fáil submitted amendments-----

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I suggest we suspend for a few moments to allow them to be circulated. I do not think there will be an issue.

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: This amendment is at the heart of the issue of personal insolvency or indebtedness. The Bill provides that a debtor makes a declaration in writing that he or she has co-operated for a period of at least six months with the creditor who is a secured creditor and the mortgage is a secured debt. The difficulty here is that the banks are holding all the cards when it comes to the...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: The Sinn Féin amendment has merit. Presuming that the legislation will be signed into law by the President in the next number of weeks if approved by the House, it means one's mortgage has to be at least in excess of seven months in arrears for one's debt to qualify as a relevant debt. Therefore, anyone who has gone into arrears since January is excluded. What is the reason for this?...

Seanad: Civil Debt (Procedures) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: This section, on statements of means, also boils down to ability to pay. Questions have been raised by organisations such as FLAC about how the District Court will determine whether a person can afford to pay the debt on enforcement and the various types of enforcement procedure, including deduction from salary through the PAYE or social welfare system. A debtor in employment, for example,...