Results 2,841-2,860 of 26,396 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: He would know a lot about Coleraine and that is all that I can say.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I do not accept his logic that amalgamation is good for Waterford but not for Galway and it does not make sense to base his decision on population figures.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: Section 10 deals with the boundaries of the new local government areas of Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford. I would like to revisit our earlier discussion on the natural expansion of Waterford city. Does the Minister agree with the strong case that has been made consistently by Waterford City Council for the natural extension of Waterford city into parts of the south Kilkenny area? Why...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: Yes. Did the Minister consider the matter? Did he study the report? Did he not agree with some of the recommendations in the report? Can he not see the sense and the logic underpinning those recommendations? Does he agree that these changes would be positive and good for the development of Waterford city?

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I want to speak on this section for clarification purposes because our amendments were ruled out of order. I would like to be helpful to the Minister because he raised an issue about these amendments. Amendment No. 11 proposed that the Waterford county area should have 18 councillors. Amendment No. 12 separately proposed that the Waterford city area should also have 18 councillors....

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: The figure in our proposal is 1,165, whereas the figure in the Bill is 949. To be helpful and constructive, we suggested a more appropriate figure in the case of each of the cities and counties. We are not criticising and opposing the Minister for the sake of it. We are trying to ensure there is adequate elected representation across the board. We want to make sure the issue of...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: -----it should correspond with the number of councillors we have in the North as well. It is important that we have a consistent all-island approach on these issues.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Ireland: Discussion with Chairman Designate (19 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I welcome the two witnesses to the committee today, and I very much welcome Mr. Ryan's appointment. He certainly brings a skill-set and assets to the job that I think will serve the IDA very well. I wish him the very best of luck in his new role. I have a number of questions that I would like to put to the witnesses, especially Mr. Ryan. My first question is about the information that we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Ireland: Discussion with Chairman Designate (19 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: Those from the south east would be disappointed with Mr. O'Leary's view on regional development and the south east. He stated that there would be no need for a regional director because he would rather see staff out globally promoting all of the regions and the State. The difficulty that we would have in the south east is that if one looks at the reality, not only the perception, when we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Ireland: Discussion with Chairman Designate (19 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: Sorry, with respect, the regional office in Waterford was closed. We do not have a regional office.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Ireland: Discussion with Chairman Designate (19 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: With respect, the amalgamation of Waterford city and county councils, as Mr. O'Leary will be aware, presented an economic development plan to the Minister and they are also calling for a regional director, a regional office and a regional strategy. It is simply not true to say that we have it. We do not have a regional office to the same extent that we had a regional office in the past. ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Ireland: Discussion with Chairman Designate (19 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: Remote offices is what they call them.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I support Senator Wilson on this. I agree it is a mistake to abolish the town councils. It would have been better to put the question to the people by way of a referendum on whether they wished to see town councils abolished. My concern in regard to all town councils being abolished is that we are throwing the baby out with the bath water. There is no doubt the system needed reform and...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: In Dungarvan in particular, there has been a very good relationship between the elected representatives of the town council, the county council and local organisations such as the Chamber of Commerce. The town has come on in leaps and bounds because of that association and because of that local democracy and the synergy that existed between the town council and the people who live in the...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: The Minister is the real Taoiseach.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: Irish Water is the new quango.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: Twelve years before it is privatised.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: It is unfortunately those of us on this side of the House who are listening to the nonsense from the Minister. He has done a very poor job of selling a very poor Bill. His pretence that this Bill is radical reforming legislation that will give powers to local government, is fiction-----

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: -----and absolute nonsense-----

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: Some might still agree we have the most centralised system of governance in Europe, if not the world. Our problem is that we have never given local government the power, functions and responsibilities it needs. Central government never gave local government real power. The Minister referred to all the great powers that the Bill will give to local authorities-----