Results 5,961-5,980 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: The House has not yet reached section 2.

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: My understanding is that once amendment No. 3 was dealt with, amendments Nos. 4 and 5 became redundant and the House has moved to deal with amendment No. 6.

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: Amendments Nos. 7 to 10, inclusive, 12 and 13 are related. The amendments provide for the recoupment by local councils of the costs incurred in the taking of enforcement measures by authorities in breaches of the building code. The amendments arose from proceedings on Report Stage in the Dáil. My colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local...

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: Senator Bannon did well until the last two sentences and I was going to congratulate him on his positive response. If one examines what was said in the Dáil, one will see I promised I would consider it further and this amendment faithfully incorporates what was discussed. It is the specific point of this amendment. This issue of access is very important. It is a matter of scandal that...

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: These are technical amendments as recommended by the Parliamentary Counsel.

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: During the debate on Report Stage in the Dáil, a commitment was made to give further consideration to amendments which had been tabled. These concerned the increases in fines for breaches of the building code. Section 9 of the Bill already provides for substantial increases in fines. A fine of €5,000 already cited in the Bill was increased from £800. I am advised €5,000 is the...

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: It is.

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: It is a well made point. I queried why this was included. It emerged during the course of discussions because it was supposed to take into account the domestic circumstances.

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: I am not even sure maturity necessarily applies. When the Senator mentioned it I knew there was something odd about the age limit of 35 applying, as it does to the American presidency. It is not necessarily true that maturity, logic or common sense would follow.

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: The stipulation exists because it arose from consultations. If my memory serves, the explanation I received was that it was meant to capture experience and the reality that conditions have changed. Senator Norris made the point that changes occurred in 1977 when there were different forms of access to university. The stipulation is meant to capture such changes. It is amazing that the...

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: I understand the point made by the Senator, especially if there were a genius out there. I believe it could apply to those who have started in an academic course but had to drop out due to illness or domestic and financial reasons. The age limit came out of discussions and has not been raised to date. It should be read in the context of the entire section.

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: Unfortunately there is no amendment on the issue at this stage and none has been proposed at any point. It is a well made point but it arose out of discussions, specifically because circumstances had changed. It was meant to reflect the reality that it is easier to get access to courses for the profession, or rather that courses for the profession are more democratically governed today by...

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: It is.

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: There is no amendment before the House, we cannot decide to pluck one out of the air.

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: Not in this House.

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: The Senator knows there is no amendment before the House and I cannot discuss an amendment if there is none before the House.

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: We can discuss the idea, which we have done. I make the point that it would be imprudent to simply make a change on an issue that has passed without comment to this point.

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: Despite our full debate, we only failed to reach one Government amendment. I thank Senators because the Bill has been improved in the Seanad. On the 35 years of age matter, I share Senators' general antipathy to the creeping ageism in society and to the fact that ageism cuts both ways. While it was done previously, it is not possible to decide on the floor of the House to change something...

Seanad: Building Control Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: I would have been available to the House, but the rules are the rules.

Seanad: National Climate Change Strategy 2000: Motion (21 Mar 2007)

Dick Roche: That is not true.