Results 2,721-2,740 of 20,057 for speaker:Brian Stanley
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: The Minister of State will be able to speak in a moment. The ESB, Bord na Móna and the remaining public element of Bord Gáis are semi-State companies that pay rates. Why will Irish Water not pay rates? What is the difference between it and other semi-State companies? I have a problem with the prison in Portlaoise and Departments and Government offices not paying rates to local...
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: -----of almost €60 million.
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: Do not make a comparison to the Soviet Union.
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: Approximately €160 million.
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: The Minister referred to Irish Water as a commercial company and he mentioned group water schemes. Such schemes are co-operatives and they are non-commercial. They are not in place to make a profit and that is the difference. Deputy Twomey said the subvention is great because it keeps costs down but it is not plucked out of the sky. The €460 million we wiped out last night, which...
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: This company has been given special spoiled child status by the Government.
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: The Government has given the company a blank cheque for the past two years.
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: The Minister is continuing with this today.
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: The taxpayer will pick up the cost for this monster the Minister has created.
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: The taxpayer.
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: Section 13 provides: "The Board shall consist of a chairperson and such number of other members, not being more than 10, as the majority shareholding Minister may determine." I have serious concerns about the Minister's intention to establish a unitary board for Bord Gáis and Uisce Éireann. We are told that Irish Water will be the largest utility in the State. If it is to share a...
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: It was necessary to shake them up.
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: To push the matter to one side.
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: I propose to address the issues raised by the Acting Chairman, Deputy Twomey, in his earlier contribution. Every time the Deputy speaks in this debate, he refers to the North. I wholeheartedly welcome his repeated references to the North as Sinn Féin struggled for years to have the issue discussed in the House. It is fantastic, therefore, that he mentioned the North so many times. ...
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: Deputy Durkan had a good run on this amendment. Sinn Féin would welcome electoral competition from Fine Gael in the North. Perhaps the party would supplant the SDLP. A couple of facts have been missed in the discussion on Northern Ireland Water. We heard about the structures in place in the North. Northern Ireland Water was established by the British Government under the direct...
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: Instructions have been issued to stop installing meters. As I indicated on many occasions to the previous Minister, Mr. Phil Hogan, I would not hold up Northern Ireland Water as an example to follow. Several changes must be made to the company. Sinn Féin is only one party in a five party coalition. I highlighted the weaknesses in Northern Ireland Water on previous occasions when I...
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: God help those who try to achieve some level of accountability from Uisce Éireann in respect of how it spends income from development levies. On privatisation, we heard from a member of one of the Government parties, Deputy Michael McNamara-----
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: No, it was not. Having read the relevant part of the Bill, the Deputy has highlighted an important issue. He felt strongly enough to abstain from the vote on the original Bill last Christmas. Perhaps the Minister of State will recall the Deputy's wise decision to abstain. He should not try to brush the matter to one side with a wave of his hand. He is not Mr. Hogan. This is a timely...
- Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: I tabled an amendment to the Title to make Irish Water comply with the provisions of the Official Languages Act 2003 and I am disappointed that it was not accepted.
- Water Services Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (17 Dec 2014)
Brian Stanley: The Minister has moved somewhat to try to address the issue through legislation. However, the Minister is not in a position to hold any future Government, right, left or centre, to the legislation. The changes he has made are aimed at trying to get the Bill through the Seanad, given that his party members in the Seanad clearly backed the need for a referendum when they voted to introduce a...