Results 4,221-4,240 of 7,187 for speaker:Cian O'Callaghan

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

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes, Ministers can. I did not list Ministers.

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank the Deputy for his contribution.

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

Cian O'Callaghan: Given how limited the roles are in this office, my fear is that someone will be elected to the office and he or she will not take it as seriously as he or she should. He or she could end up delegating a whole load of the powers back to the director general. We already have a total power imbalance in local democracy between elected representatives and what are currently chief executives. If...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 83: In page 60, to delete lines 32 to 34 and substitute the following: “(i) the majority of the elected council approves a proposal by resolution,”. I will speak about amendment No. 83, and then amendment No. 84. This amendment is about how to initiate a plebiscite on having a directly elected mayor. There a few different ways in the Bill that a...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: On amendment No. 84, I put forward detailed reasons as to why I proposed it. With respect, the Minister of State did not address those: he addressed the issues around the integrity of the electoral register, which I did not even go into. I was talking about the difficulties and practicalities of achieving 20% of the electorate signing up. That is an impossible threshold to meet. Will the...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I have no intention of putting any of the amendments I have to a vote because I hope the Minister of State will take on board what I said and address the points.

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I apologise through the Chair. I was asking about amendment No. 84. I heard the Minister of State and Deputy McAuliffe on amendment No. 83. I am asking about amendment No. 84.

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I am happy not to press amendment No. 84 to a full vote on that basis. The point is well made by Deputy McAuliffe. With the best will in the world, a huge number of issues get attention during negotiations for a programme for Government. The 20% level would not have been under major scrutiny.

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

Cian O'Callaghan: The principle of a plebiscite is probably what received attention. If you do not delve into the detail of that, then 20% looks fine. It is just when you talk it through, which we have the time to do now, it becomes impossible. None of us want measures that are nice on paper but impossible to achieve so I ask the Minister of State to look at that in detail.

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 84: In page 61, line 2, to delete “20 per cent” and substitute “10 per cent”.

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 90: In page 65, line 20, to delete “two-thirds” and substitute “half”. These amendments are about the removal of the mayor from office. Given that there could be a situation where a mayor is elected by the general public and that may well not coincide with who has a majority on a council or anything like that, I can understand a rationale...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I accept the rationale in respect of amendment No. 90. As I said earlier, the balance in this is important. We do not want a situation, in an over-politicised sense, where a slim majority in a council could remove someone with a direct mandate from the people. That could happen in any sense. Looking at some other jurisdictions outside of...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: The process is a good one and is thought out. There are checks and balances to stop a group or majority of councillors in a council playing politics with this if they come from a different party from the mayor. My concern is a bad actor mayor and a cohort of councillors that reaches 26% could block any legitimate reasons for this process to be gone through. I will withdraw amendment No....

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 91: In page 67, line 1, to delete “three-quarters” and substitute “two-thirds”.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Social Dialogue (21 Nov 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: 10. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the social dialogue co-ordination unit of his Department. [49953/23]

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Nov 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: Sanctions.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Nov 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: There are 48,000 homes vacant between the two censuses. They should be getting charged the tax. I wish to ask the Taoiseach about long-term leasing deals. A US investor has paid €75 million to buy up a Dublin social housing portfolio consisting of 156 apartments. That is almost €500,000 for each apartment. Investors are willing to shell out such huge sums as the State...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Constitutional Amendments (22 Nov 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: 1. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his plan for constitutional amendments. [49954/23]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Constitutional Amendments (22 Nov 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: The programme for Government commits to holding a referendum on housing. The Taoiseach has clarified to me in this Chamber that it will be on the right to housing. However, there does not seem to be any urgency from the Government in progressing this referendum. Increasingly, it is looking like it is not going to happen in the lifetime of the Government. With just over 12 months left in...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Policies (22 Nov 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: 5. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the well-being framework for Ireland, overseen by his Department. [49955/23]