Results 821-840 of 3,241 for speaker:Brian Ó Domhnaill
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: Is it not wrong to give the inspectors sweeping powers? Does Senator Gilroy agree with all of the statutory powers?
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: That is strange.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: I move amendment No. 25: In page 6, to delete lines 46 to 48. Regulations are being introduced. I apologise, as I am a little confused. I hope the Cathaoirleach will bear with me.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: The Senator is very kind. Amendment No. 25 addresses the ten day period subsequent to an offence being committed. While I appreciate what the Minister is trying to achieve, leeway should be given. For example, the French Government and local authorities in France are trying to comply with Directive 75/442/EEC, but the timeframe for individuals to comply with the regulations was changed to...
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: It relates to offences and the number of people in contravention of the legislation. Is the Department stating few septic tanks are not meeting the standard? That is what the Minister said on Second Stage. If so, I fail to understand why a retrofit grant scheme is not being introduced under the legislation.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: It is relevant to the overall cost to be placed on householders. Amendment No. 32 is not being discussed now but amendment No. 66 is.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: Yes. All of the amendments are interlinked and I appreciate the reason they are being grouped. Amendment No. 66 relates to fines and the criminal aspects of the Bill. The Minister's justification is that when the 2007 Act was introduced, the fine set was â¬15 million. The Act was introduced to deal with major developers who were causing substantial and massive pollution, including in...
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: As the Minister referred to the issue, it is only fair that I be given an opportunity to refer to it. That legislation had nothing to do with septic tanks.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: My point relates to the offence committed. The Minister is introducing various offences under the legislation, whereby if septic tank owners do not comply with specific criteria, they will be deemed to have committed an offence. He did not need to introduce these offences under the legislation. In fact, he did not need to introduce any legal sanctions. Instead of introducing offences,...
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: Encouragement and offences are like night and day. We are creating offences and criminalising people instead of trying to-----
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: This relates to offences and penalties. The line we propose to delete is in section 70L(2), "A person who contravenes a regulation made under this section commits an offence." What are the regulations? We do not know what they are so what offence could someone commit as a result? We are giving sweeping powers here. A regulation which has not been made could constitute an offence. We are...
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: It is relevant to fines. The fine in County Cavan, if I am correct, is currently-----
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: -----â¬1,270. The class A fines proposed under the Minister's legislation amount to â¬5,000. Cavan County Council is controlled by the Minister's colleagues, councillors from Fine Gael, and they are proposing to increase the fines to class C fines, or â¬2,500. There is a big difference between â¬1,270 and â¬5,000, as is proposed in this legislation. Using fines is the wrong way to go...
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: It is wrong to criminalise those people and bring in fines, whether they are â¬5,000 or â¬10,000. I am pleading with the Minister as people have made the following point at meetings in Donegal. Many people are saying they will not pay the registration fee and if they are brought to court and fined, as the judge is entitled to impose a class A fine of â¬5,000, what happens if it is not...
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: How many are working?
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: What guidelines will be used?
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: I have read much of the European judgement today.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: If the Cathaoirleach wishes to wait we can deal with it in another section as it is relevant to another section. The Environmental Protection Agency guidelines of 2010 have been emanating from Europe since 2007.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: It is relevant to the work carried out.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: I appreciate what the Cathaoirleach is saying.