Results 13,041-13,060 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Motion to Recommit (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: Amendment No. 29 addresses an omission in the published Bill. It proposes that section 45 of the Local Government Act 2001, relating to the attendance of the media and the public at local authority meetings, shall not apply in the case of the local community development committees. Although local community development committees will be local authority committees, their role and function...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Motion to Recommit (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I am including an amendment for definitions of both community elements and economic elements of the integrated plan to be added to section 128A.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Motion to Recommit (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I did not do that.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Motion to Recommit (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: Senator Cullinane should know all about that in Northern Ireland where there is a permanent government to which Sinn Féin is subservient.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Motion to Recommit (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I wish to clarify that under the new section 66 provisions, local authorities and local community development committees are tasked with preparing integrated local economic and community plans. I would have thought Senator Cullinane would welcome that the community plans would be part of the economic and community planning that would take place in each local authority area. This is the...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Motion to Recommit (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: No.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Motion to Recommit (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I am surprised Senator Cullinane does not acknowledge what is being done.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Motion to Recommit (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I know Senator Cullinane does not like freedom of speech but I am surprised that he does not acknowledge that the work we are doing in the Bill has already resulted in a 20% reduction in the cost of employing people in Waterford city. Savings have been made on the merger which Senator Cullinane opposed, including in Sinn Féin’s recent budget. It is a clear indication that...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Motion to Recommit (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I am sorry, I should have said Senator Cullinane’s party. These plans will have economic and community elements which will be prepared separately but in parallel. Consequently, the provisions in the Bill relating to the development of a local and community plan are to be replaced by the new provisions.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Motion to Recommit (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: Amendments Nos. 31, 32 and 34 provide for specific references to the plan we just spoke about in section 128B to be replaced by reference to "the community elements of the plan" or those elements of the plan as the case may be.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Motion to Recommit (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: There are no cuts in funding.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Motion to Recommit (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: Local government is at the bottom.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Motion to Recommit (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: What about the elected representatives?

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Motion to Recommit (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: Senator Cullinane should acknowledge that locally-elected representatives with a democratic mandate from the people are the most important people on the ground with whom one should consult. We are valuing them by giving them more responsibility. They are the people whom I support. The community sector will have to go to local authorities and work with them.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Motion to Recommit (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: No. Senator Cullinane might be well used to being subservient in the manner in which his party deals with opposition in the community, in particular in Northern Ireland but we do not subscribe to that view. We are aligning the community sector with local government to ensure that the elected person, who has a mandate from the people, is centre stage and has the more powerful voice. There...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I do not support amendment No. 40, but we will discuss the issue with amendment No. 47, when we come to it. Amendments Nos. 42 and 43 propose additional categories to be covered in regard to the membership of committees. I do not agree that a reference, as proposed, to drawing members from communities of interest is required, because section 128D (2)(d) already provides for members to be...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I agree with the Senator's sentiments. What we are trying to do is rebalance the powers in favour of the elected members who were frustrated in recent times when the finances of local authorities were in difficulty and they saw an enormous amount of activity in their communities in the form of EU programmes into which they had little or no input. What we are doing is aligning the community...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I assure Senator Cummins that in so far as is possible there will be structures in place that will ensure we will have the greatest level of participation and input from the community sector irrespective of whether they are a majority or a minority.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: They never got as much.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (15 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: No; €22 million.