Results 22,801-22,820 of 26,610 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: A person can only use that resolution process if he or she is a customer. That is the point.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: The point is that only people who are deemed to be customers of Irish Water can use the dispute resolution service. We do not agree with that because we believe the Minister is deeming everybody now to be a customer and unless people register, they cannot use it. We are not talking about any and every complaint. Section 8(1) states: "Subject to this section, the Commission shall provide a...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: It is not available to non-customers.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: There is a clear distinction between a customer who walks into a shop, purchases something and makes a complaint where an extra process is put in place to allow the customer who purchased the goods to be part of that, and people who might generally be in a position to make a complaint about any aspect of the shop itself. Everybody will be deemed customers of Irish Water. Whether they are...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: Yes. Section 8 states: "Subject to this section, the Commission shall provide a dispute resolution service to any customer of Irish Water having an unresolved complaint ...". Is that only open to people who are registered with Irish Water, yes or no? If the answer is "Yes", that is precisely the point we are making - namely, that we are making this service available only to people who are...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 25: In page 10, to delete line 7.The line stipulates that a complaint must be made to Irish Water by a registered customer. We see this as another stick in the Bill to encourage people to register. It has been said ad nauseamby many Senators that there are certain people who will not pay, who cannot pay and who will not register. For some this is a point of principle...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: I do believe, however, that we need to have the proper balance in the forum itself. Notwithstanding my concerns about its powers and functions, we need to have people with expertise, but also users of our water services. Senator Ó Clochartaigh spoke earlier about the problems they are having in his own area of County Galway and Connemara, and it would be very useful to have people with...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: I had strayed from discussing the public water forum because we were asked to confine ourselves to the specifics of the amendments in previous contributions, which we have done. However, we had strayed somewhat into the powers and functions of the forum and the appointments process. The Minister went some way towards providing us with clarification of some aspects of it, which is to be...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: I am sorry-----

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: There are still questions about what the forum will do. We have just spent the past half hour talking about what it will not do. Will the Minister be specific about what exactly the forum will do in terms of its powers and functions? The relevant section states it shall represent the interests of customers of Irish Water, which is fine, but that could literally mean anything. It also...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: Yes. I welcome the proposal that the Seanad petitions committee could look at this issue as well. It would be useful if we followed up on the matter. I will press the amendment because this body could look at the issue. I assume from the Minister's response that he or the Government will not accept my amendment. I urge the Leader of the House, who is not here, to pursue this issue through...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: Whose fault is that?

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: I formally second the amendment. I agree with the last speaker. It is not the intention of the amendment that we have a debate on whether fluoride should be in water, and it is not what we should be debating. There is a great deal more work to be done here today. However, listening to the Government Senators over the past half hour on this and the previous amendments, I am beginning to...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: Of course not.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: I second the amendment. I will not go over any of the ground covered by Senator Ó Clochartaigh because he made eloquent points. Section 7(5)(a) states the primary function of the forum which states: "to represent the interests of customers of Irish Water." I imagine the primary interest for most people is to get good quality drinking water and, therefore, it makes sense that a forum...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: No.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: I commend the Minister on his response stating the draft regulations will come before the relevant Oireachtas committee as this will be a positive step. The Commission for Energy Regulation will then define the categories of people who will make up the board and this is a positive step. I want to allay the fears of Government Senators on this amendment as it does not exclude anyone. The...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: I am.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: The Senator is at the top of my list.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)

David Cullinane: The Senator will not have that big smile on his face after the next election. I look forward to that.