Results 5,241-5,260 of 20,831 for speaker:David Norris

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

David Norris: Hear, hear.

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

David Norris: I wish to give a clear and specific example, if I may. I knew of a young man who had various difficulties. He had been subjected to aversion therapy because he was gay. His family was from rural Ireland and was very harsh in that regard. He was seriously distressed by this but, with great courage, pulled himself together. He was allocated a flat in the inner city which certainly met his...

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

David Norris: I support this amendment and wish to return to the case history I related some minutes ago. That unpleasant business might have been avoided if an appropriate assessment of needs had been done in the first place. The young man of whom I spoke would not have been placed in an inappropriate environment. I am all in favour of comprehensive assessments which would include consideration of...

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

David Norris: The Minister's response was inadequate and evasive because he relies on sections further on in the Bill, on general and vague phrasing and on ministerial regulations. I have been long enough in this House to know about ministerial regulations. The Minister's hands are not tied in this matter. There is no requirement in this legislation that these things should be included. We rely on the...

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

David Norris: When will we see the regulations?

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

David Norris: Exactly.

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

David Norris: Exactly.

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

David Norris: Senator Bacik has hit the nail on the head. The whole purpose is to provide discretion. I refer to the two amendments, amendment No. 37, the changing of "shall" to "may" and the substantive amendment No. 38. The whole point of it was to enable a housing authority and the tenant together to make arrangements for the payment of arrears owed and at the same time to allow them to be in receipt...

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

David Norris: Exactly.

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

David Norris: It is a point of great assistance and I am grateful to my learned colleague. Section 33(5) states: "Where there are moneys due and owing by a household to a housing authority under any of the provisions to which this section applies and the housing authority is satisfied that the household would otherwise suffer undue hardship the housing authority may, at the household's option, enter into...

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

David Norris: Exactly. They can moderate their demands for repayment but there is nothing there that covers the question of social housing support. I would certainly be of the view that this is an amendment on which this House should be quite firm. The Minister of State says he has accepted amendments but I cannot remember any of them.

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

David Norris: He accepted some of Senator Hannigan's amendments, which I welcome, and that is why he remembers them, but he did not accept any of ours. That means there is no technical difficulty. The Bill has been amended so the question of not amending it because of pressure of time does not arise. I appeal to the Minister of State to look at this again. This provision will pinch people quite hard....

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

David Norris: I acknowledge that the Minister of State has made some degree of movement in providing the amendment and that is in response to the amendment that has been put down. However, my problem is that under my amendment local authorities can still do what the Minister of State has just spoken of — they can still evict and charge arrears. I do not see how under my amendments a local authority...

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

David Norris: I do now.

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

David Norris: I will be pressing my amendments for the simple reason that the Leas-Chathaoirleach has explained to me that if the Government's amendment is allowed to go through, I will not have an opportunity to resubmit my amendment on Report Stage. From brief consultations I have learned, as I imagined, that the amendment is regarded as significant.

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

David Norris: Even if the Minister of State's amendment is passed.

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

David Norris: We shall see. It is an important amendment and the Minister of State has not satisfied me with regard to the question of discretion. He has answered other points but not the ones in which I am interested. The Minister of State should take carefully into account the interpretation of legislation by my eager young colleague, Senator Bacik, who is a brilliant professor of law at a...

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

David Norris: Under my amendment, all the powers the Minister of State seeks for a housing authority would survive. It could evict and charge for arrears. Under the Minister of State's amendment, an authority will be required to remove social housing supports. The whole matter of flexibility is left in abeyance. The language in the section of facilitation is taken directly and specifically from other...

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

David Norris: That is very welcome and I thank the Minister of State for his flexibility. I hope there will be further flexibility. Does this mean the Minister of State is pressing amendment No. 35 or are we all withdrawing amendments so that he can come up with something better?

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

David Norris: Does that specifically relate to discretion?