Results 281-300 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: We might include Waterford too.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: Of all the things I have done in this Bill, this is the one on which I can solemnly say there is political consensus. Every politician wanted this removed. We can have political arguments and make political points but let us not talk in a way which does not represent the facts, and I include, with all due respect, the representative body with which the Senator is very much involved and the...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: This has already been dealt with in the 2001 Act. People now have the right to get a postal vote if working outside their area as returning officers etc., on polling day. It has been dealt with but perhaps it has not come into effect because we have not had elections. It is a good amendment but it is already covered by the Electoral Act.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: If outside their area, those working as returning officers etc., are entitled to a postal vote. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: There might be a misunderstanding but the effect of the amendment would be to make sure no election other than a local election could take place.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: I accept from what the Senator has said that the amendment would have that effect. We are trying to encourage the electorate to vote on polling day. There is no conflict between a European and local election which can be complementary in that they deal with clearly defined and different issues. People understand what they vote for on the day.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: I will not go down that road. I cannot accept the amendment, though I understand the Senator's point which was fairly made. As Senator Moylan said, a situation might arise where a new council was elected but could not have a mayor for five years. A bigger danger would be the creation of different classes of councillors, some of whom would be eligible for the position of cathaoirleach while...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: Does the Senator want to bring them back?

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: I have listened to the comments of Senators Bannon and Tuffy. I presume the amendment has been tabled as a means of raising the issue, as it will not deliver anything if it is accepted. It is a wish list that has not benefited from any substantial thought. I will give the Senator the benefit of the doubt by saying that he may have put down the amendment to raise the subject of substantial...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: They decided that an Upper House was unnecessary. Perhaps Senators should be careful when referring selectively to Denmark, as it now has a unicameral system. I agree with the Senator about Denmark's system of local government and I have used that example for many years. I am frustrated in one sense, as it should be stated that Denmark has such a good standard of waste management, as well as...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: We have some of the lowest tax rates in the world.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: It is largely being carried by Fianna Fáil councillors throughout the country.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: Some did.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: I have listened carefully to the Senator. I do not intend to engage in a long discussion. I have been kind and reasonable in saying that I understand that the purpose of the amendment is to generate debate, but it represents a simplistic, puerile attempt. The references in the amendment do not mean anything. I have given credit where it is due, but let us not pretend that it would make any...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: I understand what the Senator wishes to do. The issue pertains to the Electoral Act 1997. My views are well known on the issue in its widest sense and I intend to deal with the Act soon when I will return to the House. The regime that exists for local authority members is a fine one and it worked extremely well in the last local elections.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: I am repealing the entire Act because of its consequences. All sides of the Houses accept that the last election was a nightmare.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: In case I have been misunderstood or misquoted, the important issue is transparency. I did not say there should not be any limit but that it is very much a secondary issue and it should be at a realistic level. It is clear, not only in this country but elsewhere, that money will not guarantee election. In the United States fortunes have been spent without success. Forbes has almost brought...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: This was introduced in the Local Government Bill 2000 as a direct response to all the local authority associations who wanted it. It is included for a very good reason. Town councils are the smallest common denominator in the system. While they do not have many powers, equally they share the same electorate as the county council and there has been a long tradition of this connection. Many...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: It needs to be made clear that section 217 and Part 21 of the principal Act continue the existing law which has been in place since 1941. These provisions enable the Minister to remove members from office where they fail to perform certain statutory duties. The Labour Party amendment seeks to revise the law in relation to the timing of a new election. For more than half a century, just four...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Martin Cullen: It would not be much of a deterrent. It would hardly be worth the effort and expense. The current system is fair, and people behave accordingly within the context of the system. Many Senators made the point that election brings responsibility. Unfortunately, people very often want to hear the good news but they do not want to stand up when difficult decisions are being made. I am not blaming...