Results 861-880 of 5,027 for speaker:Victor Boyhan

Seanad: Marine Protection: Motion (23 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I hope they do not choke on their steaks.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I thank everybody for coming here this morning. I will keep my comments and questions very focused on what we are dealing with today, namely, examining local authority housing waiting lists. When I looked at this, the first thing that came to mind was transparency because a lot of people on our housing lists cannot understand the inconsistencies. I have one question for Ms Hurley. We see...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I apologise for interjecting. I have a question for the three witnesses who are here to represent local authorities. Is there funding for personnel in every local authority for a placefinder service?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: Is it a resource issue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: Is it a question of people committing to drive the initiative forward?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: Is there a plan to make that happen?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: What is the timeframe?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I have a question for Ms Keenan about the choice-based letting pilot scheme. Again, we have heard about the pilot scheme in various guises in the 31 local authorities. I presume that the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has reviewed its pilot scheme. I suggest Ms Keenan might share the lessons learned and information with us as the other local authorities would benefit. What have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: That is why I am asking about the follow-on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: Does the council show them? Do people have an opportunity to see houses on the list for choice-based letting?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: They do not actually get into them.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I am conscious of the discussions and the debate on the referendum and I do not want to repeat what other Senators have said. One thing that became clear during the campaign is that it was a good exercise. It was important we had engagement on all sides of the debate. We must never lose sight of the fact that we live in a Republic in which people are free and have the right to express...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I rise to speak about the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill in the context of the stories that have been released in the past 24 hours by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Zappone. There is nothing new about this story. We have all known this for a long time. I speak with some experience. I could have been adopted three times but my parents, individually, against...

Seanad: Report on Children's Mental Health Services: Statements (Resumed) (30 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I will not use all my time as I am conscious that others have things to say. I thank the committee and particularly my colleagues, Senators Freeman and Coghlan, for their work. Apart from the report itself, I found two things most important. I attended on the day of the committee's public hearings and heard the service users and those who wanted to use the service and their families. It...

Seanad: Local Property Tax: Motion (30 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have had the benefit of reading his transcript, which is very interesting. It is something we do not always have the benefit of before the Minister speaks.

Seanad: Local Property Tax: Motion (30 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome that 12 Fianna Fáil Senators have signed the motion. While I would not agree with all of it, it is a good motion and it is good we are having this debate. The current local property tax regime is exorbitant in certain places, and in certain circumstances it is grossly unfair and takes no account of people's capacity and ability to pay. At the same time, we need a form of...

Seanad: Local Property Tax: Motion (30 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: -----for decent local government services. It has nothing to do with the value of their properties, which I think is totally wrong. While I do not subscribe to the current system of local property tax, I believe we should work to demonstrate to people that the revenue that is collected locally will be retained locally, every penny of it. I believe this is where people have a problem....

Seanad: Local Property Tax: Motion (30 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: They are facilitating it. However, they can crank up their influence and their currency with this current Government. We know we will have local elections in 2019. I can tell the House here and now that local property tax will be one of the biggest issues facing the electorate in June 2019. If Fianna Fáil does not make an issue of it, somebody else will. I certainly will be doing...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (30 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (30 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I went through these two amendments the last time the Minister was here. He said he would reflect on the issues and I am sure he has done so. The aim of the amendment is simple: to ensure that, if an accused is prosecuted for an offence under this Act, he or she will have the option to elect for a jury trial. As the Bill stands, if a person or body corporate is prosecuted for any offence...