Results 381-400 of 562 for speaker:Larry Butler

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: When we complete this Bill it is important that we draft new legislation to deal with what will be a tsunami if we do not take action.

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: To take up the point dealt with by Senator Burke, I understood that until this legislation is completed, NAMA is not a functioning body. Is that correct?

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: A point was made earlier today that the banks did not intend to honour an €11 million cheque paid out by a certain company for a contract because of the NAMA commitment. If NAMA is not a working body at present, how can the banks make that statement? The lending institutions must be careful about what they are doing at this time. It is not right to use legislation that has not yet left...

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: I agree with Senators MacSharry and Quinn that the focus of this legislation is to ensure a lift-off in the economy. While I commend the amendment, in the past ten years local authorities have made great strides in providing community services, not just in Dublin but across the country. The problem with putting individual groups into community centres is that they tend not to last....

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Motions (12 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: I want to correct Senator Regan who said that the Bill was guillotined.

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Motions (12 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: It was not guillotined in this House.

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Motions (12 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: We had a proper and high quality debate.

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Motions (12 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: That is not a point of order.

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Motions (12 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: I just wanted to correct the Senator.

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Motions (12 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: We had a high quality debate, thanks to all the parties who contributed amendments. I support the amendment to the Bill because it strengthens it. It proves that the Government will accept a good proposal from the other side of the House.

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Motions (12 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: It is important we work as closely as possible together to get the best decision when a major Bill such as this goes through the House. I disagree with the Fine Gael Leader when she says this is a risky Bill. There is a certain amount of risk in everything. We will take a risk when we walk out tomorrow morning and so forth.

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Motions (12 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: This is a business approach to getting our economy back. I do not want to move too far away from-----

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Motions (12 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: The leader of the Fine Gael group broadened the scope of what she was saying so there is correction needed there.

Seanad: National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Motions (12 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: We accept this as a good amendment to the Bill and it protects the people who work within NAMA and ensures there is proper accountability there.

Seanad: ^ Bio-fuel Obligation Scheme: Motion. ^ (18 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I also welcome the debate but the importance of bio-fuels could be overstated. They are important to the farming community which has the opportunity to develop a bio-fuels programme for the country but I would like the sector to focus on home heating, blending and agriculture. These three sectors have a huge future but as a long-term proposal,...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: I am worried about this also. The county council is sacrosanct in terms of how it develops the county without interference from a regional authority. The role of the latter should be to standardise practices in the region. That is fine but I am quite worried about how a regional authority will be able to affect a local county council and its development plan for the county. All regional...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: The Minister of State is correct. He is not taking any power away from local authorities. When the draft development plan is done by the local authorities and the authorities consider what the regional authorities are doing, the most important aspect, and there has been no mention of it in the legislation, is the local area plan, which is a bigger and more important plan. Each local area...

Seanad: Flooding: Statements (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: I wish to share time with Senator Ó Murchú.

Seanad: Flooding: Statements (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: I sympathise with all those throughout the country who have had their homes flooded. I come from a town, Graiguenamanagh, that floods on a regular basis. We are well used to flood waters, as the town floods virtually every year. My house is beside the canal, 20 yards from the water. Some years ago we decided to take action and construct defences. We decided during the renovation work to...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

Larry Butler: Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council only accepts cash bonds. Alternatively, the county manager and law agent can draw up a contract for the bond in which the guidelines clearly set out what must be done. County councils were not diligent enough in putting proper contracts in place for bonds. This was the problem. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council had little trouble because it...