Results 2,141-2,160 of 26,006 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Deputy takes a very cynical view.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Humbly, I disagree. The most important thing is that this works. It will evolve. On the normal workings of the directly elected mayor, there may be some aspects of the work they do that are of a heavy lifting nature. It may not be a policy aspect. They may wish to devolve and delegate it for the smooth running of their office. They may not want to get bogged down in an enormous amount...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I propose to address these amendments together as these have been grouped for discussion. These amendments relate to Part 4, which sets out the functions of the mayor. Looking to amendment No. 20 first, it proposes the insertion of an additional definition for this Part, adding the "Limerick-Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy". This is to support the other amendments relating to...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Okay.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am looking at the relevant section, which is section 34(4)(a). We specifically mentioned LSMATS primarily because it is there and set down under the Southern Regional Assembly's regional, spatial and economic strategy, RSES. It specifically mentions that each local authority must come up with its own plan under LSMATS. It is there on a statutory footing. Under this particular section,...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Amendment No. 21 relates to section 30, which provides for the establishment of a Limerick mayoral and government consultative forum, facilitating engagement between the mayor and national government. I thank Deputy Quinlivan for his support for this important new structure. It is novel. This forum is new. I am convinced it will be key in supporting the office of mayor and helping to...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Amendments Nos. 22 and 23 relate to section 31, which requires the mayor to prepare and publish a mayoral programme setting out the key priorities and objectives for his or her term of office. It is important to remember that the democratically elected mayor will run on a manifesto put before the people of Limerick and will be elected on that basis. It is important that the mayor prepare...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Does the Deputy want to withdraw that comment?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: That is good to hear. It is the best in the country.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: We may have differing views but we are all proud of Limerick.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Will I deal with the question?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is all about striking a balance. Regarding Deputy McNamara's point on the speaker and deputy speaker, the arrangement was recommended by the implementation group chaired by Mr. Tim O'Connor. Deputy Leddin was part of that. Once again, it is about striking a balance to make certain that whatever we put in place will work. It is based on the New York model. We took many of the group's...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Once again, the rationale involved a judgment call on the part of the implementation group and on our part to take it on board. It was put forward by the board as a recommendation that would ensure another element that would make the new local authority run very smoothly. It has worked effectively in New York. Let us see how it works.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: We wanted, as much as possible, to retain the means by which the existing council runs in the normal way. The mayor is to bring added value. We had the ceann comhairle and leas-cheann comhairle and there are now to be a speaker and deputy speaker. It is a political call that we took on board. If we set up implementation groups to make recommendations, we are subject to accusations if we...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: When I entered office, it had already been taken on board. I inherited a general scheme and it was already recommended in that it had been adopted by the Government. It was not a call that I made in my role as Minister of State; it was already in a general scheme. This entails a Cabinet decision, and it is something that I, as Minister of State, have to implement. It could bring an added...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: It came from an implementation group comprising all stakeholders, including councillors. One of the recommendations on evolving towards a directly elected mayor was that the office to which the Deputy is referring would provide further cohesion in working with councillors. Ultimately, everyone has to work together on this. I have an open mind on it. It has been put forward constructively...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The primary element of this is the devolution of executive functions from the chief executive officer, CEO, to the mayor. That is the principal logic behind this. The Deputy is going into another space that is separate.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The principal logic of this is that we have a directly elected mayor with executive powers. That will evolve even more over time. Deputy McNamara is going into a different area. For me that is a separate issue again. It is almost housekeeping. The mayor is taking over executive powers being brought forward. I mentioned two areas - the budget and the development plans the CEOs were...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I mean-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: It should not take away from the fact that it was very well chaired.