Results 4,141-4,160 of 4,766 for speaker:Maurice Quinlivan

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: On amendment No. 22, the Minister of State referred to the mandate the new mayor will have, which is important, but councillors have a mandate as well and will have been elected on the same day as the mayor, whoever he or she may be. On that basis, we will be pressing the amendment. On amendment No. 23, I believe consultation is important. I agree with some of what Deputy Leddin said;...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: I will go back to amendment No. 22 and some of the comments the Minister of State made earlier about the implementation group. The report was very good but not all stakeholders were included and we are on record as saying this. My party was excluded from that implementation group at the time, even though we were the only party to make a submission to it. I will put that on the record, that...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: It was not done at the time.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: It was very well chaired and I have huge respect for the chairperson. I met him on a number of occasions.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: We were the only party to put in a submission and we were the only party to be excluded from it.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: It is being pressed.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: I move amendment No. 23: In page 22, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following: “(6) The Mayor shall before finalising the Mayoral programme, undertake a process of non-statutory public consultation with the people of Limerick City and County regarding the Mayoral programme.”. On the basis of what the Minister of State said, we will withdraw the amendment with leave...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: I move amendment No. 24: In page 22, lines 25 and 26, to delete “by the Mayor as the Mayor considers appropriate, and” and substitute “by the D’Hondt system, and”. What we are looking at in amendment No. 24 is the D’Hondt system. We reference local democracy and are supportive of the democratic elements of the election of members of the Limerick...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: It is the same thing.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: I move amendment No. 25: In page 22, line 28, after “subsection (4)” to insert “, including, but not limited to, businesses, trade unions, community and voluntary sector organisations”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: I move amendment No. 26: In page 23, line 31, after “time” to insert “, subject to the approval of elected members,”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: This is an issue that involves all of us who partake in election campaigns. We put up and take down posters. It is time-consuming and expensive. The fundamental issue we need to be very careful about is that it is an important part of election campaigning. Especially in some traditionally working-class areas, and some people might not believe this, there are some people who are not aware...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: I will speak to Deputy O'Callaghan's amendment No. 84 first. I agree that 20% is way too high. While the figure of 20% does not sound too high, it would be very high if you actually have to go out and get it. Looking at Limerick, when we had the referendum or plebiscite on the directly elected mayor, the turnout was about 50%. Approximately 70,000 people voted on that. If you double that...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: When any local authority has a referendum, the Minister in situ will be well aware that it is taking place and of the outcome, so a year is enough time to do it. Speaking from experience in Limerick, the report should be sent to the Oireachtas up to a year after the election is held. Otherwise, we are in danger of it going further and further and we saw what happened in Limerick.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: I am not suggesting that we cannot have an IAG report for the general area as well. It should be done within a year because of the experience we had in Limerick. Timeframes can be missed, things can go on for longer and people can get annoyed about the process, especially when they went out and voted for something. We go and knock on doors and ask them to do something. It was narrowly...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: A Minister will be in situ when the referendum or plebiscite is called. The Minister will know the date on which it is taking place and he or she can act on that. He or she should plan what he or she will do if there is a yes or no vote. A year is a reasonable duration. The IAG report to which the Minister of State referred is excellent. My only concern is that some stakeholders were not...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: The Minister of State also said again after that all stakeholders were involved.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: Unfortunately, they were not.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: I have full confidence in Tim O'Connor, the report and the recommendations. They were excellent. Some of them went into our amendments.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Maurice Quinlivan: I move amendment No. 88: In page 64, line 18, to delete “2 years” and substitute “12 months”.