Results 2,001-2,020 of 25,975 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I can go through the process.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I will add further clarity around the thinking about the three-quarters provision. Currently, if a CEO is to be removed, it requires three-quarters of the votes of the elected members in the chamber. The mayor will now take executive powers from the CEO; therefore, it fits in. That was the thinking at the time. Apart from setting a high bar, there is a basis for the three-quarters. It is...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: To clarify, I said at the time that both the mayor and the director general - the now CEO - based on the powers they have, will be able to enter into contracts. The mayor has powers to enter into contract in areas where he retains executive functions. The director general will have powers, as he has now, to enter into contracts that come under the area he retains. I also clarified at the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is not unreasonable. It will take me a substantial amount of time to go through the provisions. We could provide them to the Deputy literally after the meeting in order that he can go through them prior to Report Stage. We have them all here, just-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I have them here but it will probably take me a good three quarters of an hour to read them all out to the Deputy.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I know that.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am in the Chair's hands on this.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Section 31(4)(a) provides that the cathaoirleach of a local authority takes precedence at all meetings of the local authority. All that will happen there is that the príomh chomhairleoir will now take up the position of cathaoirleach in that regard.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The príomh chomhairleoir is chair of the plenary sessions of the council.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The mayor is accountable to the council, has executive powers and, basically, responds to the chamber in the same way as the CEO would. The mayor is also a member of the chamber. The recommendation of the implementation advisory group, IAG - and I went back and read the report last night-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I will put it this way. I could see Deputy McNamara's abiding interest in the matter so I felt it was only appropriate that I give it the importance it deserved. I went back and read the IAG report. The IAG recommendation was - I am paraphrasing here - that, having considered the matter in depth, it believed there was a need for a separation of the roles at the plenary session of the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Yes, but may I humbly say-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Effectively, this is a directly elected mayor with executive powers. The cathaoirleach does not have executive powers at the moment. The príomh chomhairleoir will not have executive powers. The directly elected mayor will come into the chamber and report to the chamber on all the areas under his or her executive powers. The meeting will continue to be chaired by the príomh...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I would put the counterargument to the Deputy. Does he believe that the current CEO should chair the council chamber?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Ergo, then why would the directly elected mayor, who has executive powers, chair the chamber? There is a need for efficient operation. The mayor is to bring added value, not to replace the cathaoirleach. The mayor is to take on some of the measures but ultimately, we want someone to bring enormous added value in policy areas, be accountable to the chamber in the same way as the CEO and...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: This only applies to meetings. The cathaoirleach will chair the meeting. It is as basic as that.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: In essence, the cathaoirleach chairs the session.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I look forward to debating it with the Deputy on Report Stage.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Which part is that?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Where the chief executive incurs additional expenditure, under certain circumstances, the cathaoirleach must be informed immediately.