Results 2,141-2,160 of 6,030 for speaker:Brendan Ryan

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (15 Oct 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 5: In page 9, between lines 26 and 27, to insert the following: "(3) The Authority shall invite and consider submissions from any local authority whose functional area includes a place to which the application relates. (4) The making of a submission under subsection (3) shall be a reserved function.". This amendment is about the authority. It recommends that the...

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (15 Oct 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I thank the Minister for his response. On the basis that he has agreed to give some consideration to the issue without any commitment, I do not intend to push the amendment.

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2009)

Brendan Ryan: The Minister of State rightly states the amendment would empower the regulator to limit numbers if he or she so wished. Surely the Government and the State can trust the regulator to live up to his or her obligations under the legislation under which the office was established to decide whether such power should be used. The argument we heard against this was based on a return to the bad...

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2009)

Brendan Ryan: During the part of the debate on the 2008 Act that pertained to the consideration of the greater Dublin area and the desirability of looking at Dublin in isolation, I argued there was a problem with leaving out towns and localities such as Drogheda and County Louth, which were not included in the greater Dublin area. Drogheda and its environs, as well as mid-Louth, are very much part of the...

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 27: In page 33, line 31, after "drivers", to insert the following: "and may, if the level of consumer demand so justifies it, make regulations limiting entry to the taxi market by reference to a particular number of new licences to be granted in any particular year, if it is satisfied that such a limit would not have any material adverse impact on the service to...

Seanad: Public Transport: Motion (7 Oct 2009)

Brendan Ryan: Colm McCarthy and an bord snip nua have made several recommendations on where cuts in public spending may be made. It seems that the Government will implement some but not all of the recommendations in the budget. In general there is no point debating every potential cut recommended in the report. It is preferable to wait until the proposed cuts come close to reality. Some may not become...

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 7: In page 9, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following subsections: "(3) The Authority shall invite and consider submissions from any local authority whose functional area includes a place to which the application relates. (4) The making of a submission under subsection (3) shall be a reserved function.". Amendment No. 7 speaks for itself. It ensures that...

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I accept the comments of the Minister of State and do not intend to press this amendment today. There may be some merit in his words. As we see it, the difference, or strengthening, the amendment would bring about is that the authority would invite and consider submissions from any local authority whose functional area is affected. The amendment would strengthen the Bill and we feel it is...

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 8: In page 9, subsection (3), between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following: "(a) he or she complies strictly with the best labour, health and safety standards,". Amendment No. 8 is self-explanatory and I have nothing further to say. Senator Bacik wishes to speak on it.

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2009)

Brendan Ryan: If I am interpreting the subsection correctly, it would also apply to public operators applying for a route in the hands of a private operator. As there seems to be equality, I do not have a problem with the section.

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 13: In page 17, subsection (3), lines 4 and 5, to delete "or by a member of the Garda Síochána". This is a drafting amendment to correct a provision that seems to misunderstand the authorisation for summary prosecution. It has never been the practice to authorise gardaí to prosecute summary offences because they have that authority at common law. The authority needs...

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2009)

Brendan Ryan: On the basis that the Minister of State will discuss it with the senior Minister and will consider the possibility of having that section deleted, I am prepared to give him that space but I ask him to ask the Minister if there are any previous examples of such powers being given to gardaí in other legislation. I believe they will be difficult to find.

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 3: In page 8, subsection (1), between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: "(a) shall have regard to the desirability of ensuring that operators of public bus services are not treated less favourably than operators of private bus services,". This amendment proposes to insert text into the general provisions for the consideration of applications for grant of licences...

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I wish to point out to Senators Cannon and O'Malley that the amendment does not seek more favourable treatment for the operators of public bus services. It would require that they not be treated less favourably; in other words, that they be treated equally. In the push for the privatisation of Irish Rail, Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann, there is a danger that we will throw the baby out with...

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 4: In page 8, subsection (1)(b), line 37, to delete "any or all of" and substitute the following: "subparagraph (iii) of, and such other subparagraphs as are appropriate of,". The problem with section 10(1)(b) is that the phrase "any or all of" leaves it too open for the authority when considering the 11 factors in granting a licence. Section 10(1)(b)(iii) refers to "the...

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2009)

Brendan Ryan: The object of amendment No. 5 is to prevent the cherry-picking of profitable routes while leaving loss-making and more troublesome routes to State companies. It would also ensure a free-for-all would not be allowed in the bus sector with competition strictly regulated. These are important amendments which would improve the legislation and are worthy of acceptance by the Minister.

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Second Stage (24 Sep 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, and his officials back to the House. I broadly welcome the publication of the Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009, which has been promised by the Minister and his predecessors for many years, because it brings some sense to the whole bus licensing regime. The time for reforming the antiquated 1932 bus licensing laws is long overdue. The different...

Seanad: Telecommunications Services: Motion (8 Jul 2009)

Brendan Ryan: My colleagues, Senators Hannigan and Prendergast, in proposing and seconding this motion, set out the issues as we see them and as highlighted by Irish Rural Link. As Senator Hannigan pointed out and as everybody here knows, access to broadband is, unfortunately, dependent on where one lives. Access is now almost universal in urban areas but not in rural areas. The national broadband...

Seanad: Stardust Tragedy: Motion (8 Jul 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I welcome the motion and the distinguished visitors to the Gallery. The Coffey report is a vindication of the heroic and valiant 28-year campaign by the Stardust families to achieve some level of justice for their loved ones and for the survivors of the 1981 Stardust inferno. I especially welcome two of the recommendations, namely: "that the cause of the fire is unknown and that none of the...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Second Stage (2 Jul 2009)

Brendan Ryan: The Labour Party has no major difficulty with the substance of this legislation but we are concerned about its results and the work carried out by the various agencies to be subsumed into the Department of Health and Children and the HSE. We must preserve the functions carried out by the agencies and ensure such functions continue while not being in any way reduced. As the Women's Health...