Results 1,681-1,700 of 16,478 for speaker:Tommy Broughan

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: I move amendment No. 72: In page 22, between lines 35 and 36, to insert the following: "(4) In the event of a sudden crisis in the energy market the Minister is responsible for the maintenance and full functioning of the national energy system."

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: I was going to ask Deputy Eamon Ryan, who originally proposed this amendment, whether the Minister could appoint another chairman or continue with the same one if he did not want to operate that system. We are operating a similar system with ComReg. Would he still have that flexibility?

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: I move amendment No. 76: In page 23, line 38, after "and" to insert "the Public Accounts Committee". This amends the Schedules of the 1999 Act. This relates to the accounts and the submission to the Comptroller and Auditor General. We had an esoteric discussion on it and the Minister contended he has covered my point. The Minister, the Fine Gael spokesperson and I were all members of the...

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: I move amendment No. 78: In page 24, line 44, after "pipelines" to insert the following: "including all pipeline terminals and refineries associated with the recovery, bringing ashore and processing of Ireland's onshore or off-shore natural gas resources". These are again the amendments of the 1999 Act relating to natural gas safety and the functions of the commission thereby, by the...

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: I welcome the Minister's comment that this Bill may be amended in the Seanad to include the pipeline terminals and refineries. It would be helpful in the resolution of this. Last Friday's events make it clear that a problem exists. My colleague Deputy Michael D. Higgins stated the people we walked with on the Monday before and on Friday were muintir na háite.

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: Journalists spoke to these people. I was not there on Friday but I attended on Monday and I spoke to muintir na háite. Grave concerns continue and I urge the Minister to take a pro-active role to resolve this because of the danger of the stand-off. It should not fall on the shoulders of Opposition Deputies to resolve this. It is the Minister's responsibility. I welcome the Minister's...

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: Is the Minister's colleague a Member of this House?

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: Is this to be my final contribution?

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: If amendment No. 78 had been part of this Bill and CER had been given this safety role, it is possible that all of the sad events of the past six years would not have happened. People have grave concerns. Someone made a fair point to me last Monday and others from Erris and north Mayo have also made certain points to me about the entire history of this matter when they have visited this...

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: Amendment No. 78 is reasonable. The Minister agrees with its intent. I ask him to ensure we do not divide on it but rather to accept it and we can proceed from there.

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: I support the Fine Gael amendment moved by Deputy Durkan. The key point of his addition to this part of the 1999 Act is to require the commission itself to establish standards for heating and plumbing contractors, particularly as regards the safety of home heating and plumbing installations. As Deputy Durkan said, there is also a concern that heating should be as efficient as possible and...

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: Bord Gáis Éireann contractors are upgrading the network in Dublin city. Confusion has emerged about the responsibility of householders and BGE over the safety of fittings. When the work has been done and problems then emerge with the supply structure, no one is sure who is responsible. This work is not carried out by Bord Gáis Éireann staff and the Minister says the onus is on the...

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: We will have the new officers now anyway.

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: I move amendment No. 103: In page 45, lines 19 and 20, to delete all words from and including "with-" in line 19 down to and including "Finance" in line 20. This relates to the 2001 Act and the amounts of capital stock, as well as the exercise of the powers of the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in that regard. I originally tabled that amendment to ensure the...

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: This matter comes back to the fundamental issue which has been a background to many of the amendments put down by Deputy Durkan, and one or two of those which I put down myself with regard to this Bill and the NORA Bill. Ministers can act to sell shares in a State body as long as they have the permission of the Minister for Finance. My original thought was if we left out the reference to the...

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: I thank the Minister for his contributions in recent days. The first time we saw this Bill it was a significantly different Bill. I thank all our Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats colleagues for coming into the House to listen to the penultimate Stage of this debate.

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: The Deputy should not put down the north side. I thank the Minister for accepting quite a few of the amendments from this side of the House.

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2006: Report Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: He has also brought forward a number of very timely and important amendments relating to Bord Gáis Éireann, Bord na Móna and the general administration of the energy companies for which I commend him. I hope the Minister will consider a number of the issues, in particular the issue relating to refineries and pipelines, when the Bill goes to the Seanad, and produce an amended version if it...

Joyriding Offences. (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: I take this opportunity to welcome a major new report on car crime and joyriding, "The Nature and Impact of Joyriding in Priorswood", by Michael Rush, Paula Brudell and Aogan Mulcahy of the school of applied social science at UCD, which was prepared for the Priorswood taskforce on joyriding, of which I am former member. The report was launched at a well attended seminar at the Hilton Hotel...

Written Answers — Public Services Portal: Public Services Portal (15 Nov 2006)

Tommy Broughan: Question 105: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the work that has been done to date within agencies under the Vote of his Department in integrating services with the Reach Services public services portal; the spend to date and the planned spend by agencies under the Vote of his Department on such integration; the services from agencies under the vote of his Department...