Results 2,281-2,300 of 3,241 for speaker:Brian Ó Domhnaill

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 - Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I have no choice but to do so.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 - Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Yes, we will withdraw the amendment.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 - Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I am fundamentally opposed to the section as it stands. I appeal to the Minister of State to look with reason at the amendments we have withdrawn and which we propose to resubmit on Report Stage. The household tax will be imposed on every house in the country. As we discussed yesterday, this is not a fair means of taxation. A charge of €100 is being imposed on a large high-value house...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 - Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: It is connected to the question of who should be exempted from payment of the household charge such as those in receipt of disability benefit, blind person's allowance and lone parent's allowance. Mortgage-holders in difficulty who are unable to meet mortgage repayments should also be exempted and also people in negative equity and those who bought property during the boom from 2004 to 2011...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 - Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I apologise-----

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 - Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: My comments are about the effects of the budget. If I go to Gweedore I could meet myself in Kerry, given the fact that the budget is impacting on everyone across the country, from Gweedore to Kerry, in many negative ways.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I fully appreciate the context of this motion. I agree with the Sinn Féin Senators that legislation which has a financially negative impact on households should be poverty proofed. All legislation should be poverty proofed and perhaps that has happened in this situation. I am not sure, but I doubt that the Department of Social Protection has poverty proofed this Bill. Last night the...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: That was on the holiday homes.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: It is a totally different matter.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I acknowledge what was said regarding the 2009 Act and second or holiday homes. These properties were purchased for investment purposes and often they were rented out. One cannot compare the second home levy to the household charge because the latter will affect every family in this country. We cannot support legislation that empowers the Minister to increase the charge by way of...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: If the Minister is willing to accept these amendments to the exemptions from the charge, we will withdraw them and resubmit them on Report Stage. In the event we do not get a favourable outcome, we will have to press the amendment.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: We welcome the exemption of shared ownership properties. We will, however, be resubmitting the amendments on Report Stage.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: On the general context of the Bill, the €100, to which Senator Leyden referred correctly, would appear to be unfair. I accept it relates more to section 3, which we will come to in a moment. It is inequitable for a person in a bed-sit in west Donegal to be charged €100 the same as those in mansions in any part of country valued at far in excess of €1 million. That was acknowledged,...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I know that.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I move amendment No. 3: In page 6, subsection (2), line 28, to delete paragraph (a) and substitute the following: "(a) €100, and shall not exceed €100 without an amendment to this Act,". This relates to the €100 charge that is being imposed by the Minister and the subsequent powers under regulation to amend the charge, but let us look at the fee of €100 before we discuss the amendment...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: That is not what I said.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I fully appreciate what the Minister said ins an freagra a thug sé, go háirithe i dtaca leis an dóigh a bhreathnódh an t-Aire Comhshaol, Pobal and Rialtas Áitiúil ar an táille €100 agus a intinn a dhéanamh suas maidir leis an táille a árdú, ag déanamh tagairt don phraghasinnéacs tomhaltóirí, CPI. We cannot accept the position of the Minister of State, unfortunately, and we...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I move amendment No. 2: In page 6, subsection (2), between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following: "(f) homes purchased under the Affordable Housing scheme; (g) homes on which stamp duty has been paid from January 1st 2004 up unto December 31st 2011; (h) homes purchased through the Shared Ownership Scheme.". The amendment relates to the definitions set out in section 2. Its purpose is to...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Yes.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2011)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: If the Taoiseach has made such a statement, I welcome the Government's U-turn on the disability allowance.