Results 321-340 of 3,550 for speaker:Dominic Hannigan

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I join with other Senators in their concern over the deteriorating Irish economy. I heard the Minister, Deputy Brian Lenihan, on the radio this morning and, like other Senators, I was not greatly impressed. He has ruled out further taxes and seems to have ruled out a stimulus package. He said he will have to examine spending cuts. The Leader has kindly arranged for the Minister to be in...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: He accepted a small number.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I agree with my colleagues. I remain unhappy with the Government's proposed amendment. However, I must admit that our amendment No. 36 is not as clear as it could be and we will not move that amendment but will reserve the right to retable it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I move amendment No. 56: In page 25, subsection (4), between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: "(i) procedures for supporting tenants who fall into rent arrears designed to assist them in sustaining their tenancy.". This amendment, if accepted, would ensure that when tenants fall into arrears there are procedures in place for resolving the situation before the arrears accumulate to the...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I move amendment No. 63: In page 31, subsection (4)(b), between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following: "(iii) special needs charges.". This amendment seeks to insert the words "special needs charges". The rationale is to ensure special needs charges that may be levied are included in this section.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I move amendment No. 70: In page 34, between lines 32 and 33, to insert the following subsection: "(6) Where exceptional circumstances arise such that arrangements under subsection (5) cannot be put in place without causing undue hardship, a housing authority may cancel the obligation of a household to pay part or all of the moneys referred to in subsection (5).". The principle here is to...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Again, this comes back to the word "reasonable". We had a debate on a previous occasion about what constitutes "reasonable" in the context of the social housing assessment. There are cases of hardship, as I am sure the Minister of State has seen in his work in the past, in which people cannot pay off their arrears for whatever reason. This amendment is to give some discretion to the local...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I move amendment No. 84: In page 37, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following subsection: "(2) This Part also applies with necessary modifications to a dwelling provided by an approved body and constructed prior to the commencement of this Part.". This is to insert the ability to sell houses held by local voluntary housing agencies in the legislative framework. This applies to...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Can the Minister confirm whether this refers to houses that are built and occupied, or just future houses?

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I will seek clarification of that and may press it on a later stage.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Yes.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I move amendment No. 85: In page 37, lines 14 to 18, to delete subsection (2). This deletion is to allow the provision of flats to be included in the legislation. I can probably guess the Minister will raise the difficulties associated with administrative issues and management companies, but many of these issues will disappear with the forthcoming legislation on management charges. I ask...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Would the Minister of State consider a different form of wording such as "subject to arrangements being put in place to deal with issues relating to apartment complexes", which would ensure they would be included in this Bill? Currently, the clause specifically prohibits them. I accept the Minister of State has not quite reached that point in terms of the legislation but would he consider...

Seanad: Shoppers Task Force: Motion (3 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I move: Seanad Éireann notes that: the cost of food sold by retailers in Northern Ireland is at least 20% cheaper than the same retailers charge in the Republic of Ireland; the recent reduction of VAT in the North to 15%, whereas it is to increase to 21.5% in this State; the cost of mobile telephone usage in Ireland is among the highest in Europe; there is a significant disparity between the...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I did not hear the Leader indicate what time he expects Committee Stage of the Charities Bill to conclude today. Perhaps he will be good enough to tell us. We know the European Central Bank is expected to reduce interest rates today by between 0.5% and 0.75%. That will have a real impact on people with tracker mortgages and it has the potential to help those on variable mortgages. When...

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: The problem with the clause as currently drafted is that it codifies the exclusion, for ever, of any sports club from the possibility of claiming charitable status. As Senator Buttimer said, that is not really the spirit the Minister of State expressed on Second Stage last week when he said he did not intend to dilute or expand the current charities regime. The provision seems to codify...

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I am glad to learn the Minister of State has been in contact with many sports bodies. Some of them are coming quite late to the party and have just realised this legislation is imminent. I have been receiving e-mails on this subject from sports bodies over recent weeks. The most recent was three hours ago from the Federation of Irish Sports which represents 60 bodies. It is still pushing...

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Could it be an opt-in measure, where clubs choose to opt in?

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Following from Senator Mullen's point, what if we return on Report Stage with an amendment stating an included body can include a sports body if it fills in the necessary forms and provides the necessary accounts? Would the Minister of State be happy with that or does the issue go beyond the concept and principle of having a sports body as a charity?