Results 13,501-13,520 of 26,924 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: There is an inconsistency. I do not see how a Standing Order which rules out some amendments on a given basis, does not apply to others on the same basis. It just does not add up.
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: It is not an explanation however.
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: It is not an explanation and it shows an inconsistency and incoherence to the-----
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: -----way in which amendments are being dealt with.
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: I move amendment No. 15:In page 8, to delete lines 22 to 30. This is really the only opportunity we will have to shoehorn in all the other issues. It should not be like that. It does, in my opinion, curtail a debate on the issues that-----
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Interestingly, the Government, through this Bill, seeks to allow, in the section which my amendment deals with, monitoring of water usage in dwellings. That is allowed and is deemed relevant to the Bill and yet a whole series of amendments which seek to deal with water conservation and water usage more generally, and particularly wasteful water usage, have been ruled out of order and deemed...
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Why then does the Minister include these interesting distinctions? He can try to explain them but, to my mind, it indicates that he is trying to leave that back door open through this sort of mechanism. Then he will be able to vary what he considers excessive usage and levy charges, as soon as he thinks it is politically expedient or possible to do so. I take some comfort in the fact that...
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: The thing that I do not understand is the failure to acknowledge the glaring hypocrisy and contradiction in the Government position. This contradiction which was evident from the beginning continues and persists even now that the mass movement against water charges has forced it to retreat on the levying of domestic water charges on most people. I refer to the Government's consistent and...
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: I said the Government was lying about its concern for-----
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: In that case, can I say the Government was lying?
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: I withdraw any personal reference to the Minister, but the Government was lying.
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: We will now hear from the Minister who always tells the truth.
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: It is very relevant.
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Is the Acting Chairman saying that he feels our pain?
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: That is a big admission.
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: It is a bit of a give away, a bit of a reveal.
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: I strongly support this amendment. One of the shocking examples of the waste of money in this whole debacle of Irish Water was the installation of household meters. Anybody looking objectively and impartially at value for money for the public would have said this was madness. The amount of money that was spent on putting in these household meters was to capture what Irish Water itself said...
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Many points have been made but it is worth underlining that if one talks to people in the local authorities, and this is true with regard to both housing and water, they always know what needs to be done. The problem has been that they were not resourced to do it. There are not enough people employed in the local authorities because we have run down the staffing numbers, particularly of...
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: In so far as the Minister claims that this Bill is geared towards water conservation, it is not directed at the majority of people but at a very small group which is identified as excessive users. We do not accept that is the main motive and we have expressed the view that it is a means of keeping a foot in on domestic charging so that over time the thresholds will be lowered bringing more...
- Water Services Bill 2017: Report Stage (7 Nov 2017)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Yes.