Results 1,001-1,020 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: It is not a disgrace.
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: It is a statistical reality. Just because it does not suit the Deputy does not make it undemocratic. The Deputy is being undemocratic.
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: Seats follow population trends and that is a requirement of our Constitution. Voters in all parts of the country should be treated equally. The commission dealt with the only constituencies in the country to lose population by recommending the removal of a seat from one and a boundary adjustment with the other two to make all three viable. Action had to be taken and that is what the...
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: Our Constitution clearly envisagesââ
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: ââthat three-seat constituencies comply with the principle of proportional representation. Subsection 5 of Article 16.2 provides that members shall be elected in the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. This is followed by the provision that no law shall be enacted whereby the members to be returned in a constituency shall be less than three....
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: ââin four constituency revisions in the past. I shall restate that because there has been an attempt to filibuster me and shout me down. On four separate occasions in the past there have been more three-seaters than under this report. I am sorry, it is virtually impossible to hear myself.
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: The PR-STV system has never claimed to achieve perfectly proportional results. Several proportional representation systems are more proportional, others much less so. For PR-STV to be perfectly proportional, the State would need to form a single constituency. Everybody recognises that this is not a practical suggestion. Constituency size in Ireland has been restricted to three, four and five...
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: I will make the point again. Simply because this does not suit one single Deputy, the practice that has been accepted for years should not be stood on its head.
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: I am delighted the Deputy is now interested in the people because when they referred to the peace process in the referendum a few years ago, the Deputy was not exactly lining up to go ahead with them.
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: Deputies raised issues surrounding section 6
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: Deputy O'Dowd referred to the position of MEPs elected in June. I have noted his points and will come back to what he said but I do not share the views he put forward. The Standards in Public Office Commission, the body charged by the Oireachtas with administering and implementing the regulations, has brought to attention an anomaly which is being corrected. I stress again the Government's...
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Referral to Select Committee. (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on the Environment and Local Government, in accordance with Standing Order 120(1) and paragraph 1(a)(i) of the Orders of Reference of that committee.
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: My Department is co-operating with the Department of Finance, the decentralisation implementation group, DIG, and the Office of Public Works to ensure the Government's decentralisation programme is implemented efficiently and effectively. An implementation plan, which sets out the broad issues to be addressed in implementing the decentralisation programme for this Department, has been...
- Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: Draft regulations which will transpose the directive into Irish law have been published for consultation. These were prepared by my Department working closely with the relevant public sector and industry stakeholders through a dedicated WEEE taskforce. Retailer interests are represented on this taskforce which was established in February 2003. It is intended to make regulations early in June...
- Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: Schemes to the value of â¬27 million to improve wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure in County Kerry are included in my Department's water services investment programme for 2004 to 2006, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library. The Kerry villages sewerage scheme, which includes Caherdaniel, is among the schemes being advanced under the programme. Kerry County...
- Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: The Glin sewerage scheme is included in my Department's water services investment programme for 2004 to 2006 as a scheme to commence construction this year. My Department awaits Limerick County Council's proposals for the appointment of consultants to prepare the preliminary report for the scheme.
- Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: My Department's guidelines for planning authorities on sustainable rural housing came into effect on 13 April 2005. Their purpose is to support the accommodation of rural housing needs, while ensuring that housing development in rural areas is sustainable in economic, social and environmental terms. Draft guidelines were published in March 2004 to give all those interested an opportunity to...
- Written Answers — Fairtrade Products: Fairtrade Products (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: My Department does not directly source Fairtrade products for use in its offices. However, the company providing catering services in my Department's headquarters has made and will continue to make available a number of Fairtrade products.
- Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: There are two vacancies on the boards of statutory agencies under the remit of my Department, one each in both the Heritage Council and the Rent Tribunal. I will consider the position regarding the filling of these vacancies in the coming months.
- Seanad: Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines: Statements (Resumed). (12 May 2005)
Dick Roche: I notice that Senator Norris has lost a lot of weight recently.