Results 23,981-24,000 of 26,766 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: Why?

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: It is difficult for Government and Opposition Senators to support amendments brought forward at this stage. We got sight of many of these amendments only in the past couple of hours. This is not a good way of progressing legislation. Leaving aside the haphazard manner in which the Bill is being progressed through this House, Sinn Féin had core concerns about the Bill, which concerns...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I second the amendment. We are dealing with the transfer of property of water services authorities to Irish Water. In the context of that particular section and the amendment, we need to raise with the Minister of State the very serious issues raised by the Dublin City Manager regarding the €2 billion worth of assets that will be transferred from Dublin City Council to Irish Water...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I know that but there is no point in agreeing to publish annual reports by Irish Water without dealing with the fundamental issue of the transfer of those assets in the first place.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I understand that but we only get one chance to come in on the amendment so I will take the opportunity.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I will finish on this point because I would like the Minister of State to respond to it. There is a very real concern that these assets and properties are being transferred over to Irish Water simply to fatten it up as a company that can be eventually sold off and that by just transferring the assets and not the liabilities, it will better position Irish Water to be able to borrow money. I...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: We have a duty to put these questions to the Minster of State today given that the Dublin City Manager was so robust in his criticisms and concerns regarding this Bill and its implications for services in Dublin and I would say for services across the State.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I wish to add to the Senator's comments. I have just received a copy of the Report Stage amendments from the Bills Office. Senators had no choice but to table amendments late because the House sat late last night. The difficulty is that the Government is trying to ram through seven or eight Bills this week. It wants to guillotine the Bill and not give anybody, ranging from the staff, the...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: It is not agreed.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: It was a disgrace that the Water Services Bill was guillotined yesterday and-----

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: -----I hope it will not be guillotined on Report Stage. I also regret that many of the genuine concerns and questions put to the Minister on a wide range of issues relating to the Bill were simply not addressed. Either the Minister did not have the information or he was not prepared to give it to Senators. Many of the questions and concerns we raised were the same as those expressed...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: My point is that I hope the issues of concern not just to Dublin City Council, but to all local authorities, and which we are bringing to the Minister's attention, will be addressed. Frankly, the Minister's response so far has been a very good impression of Manuel in "Fawlty Towers", whereby he knows nothing. We want straight answers to questions on these issues but we are not getting them....

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: In reality, the water charges will be a big imposition on households. The Government is not prepared to give us the information. It wants to blame the Commission for Energy Regulation and give it the responsibility. I hope the Bill is not guillotined on Report Stage.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: The Bill will be guillotined.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: The Minister of State is being somewhat short-sighted in respect of the availability of grants because the logic of his remarks on water charges is they are being introduced to ensure that - as he would perceive it - people will act more responsibly in how they use water. There is a range of different reasons the Government is introducing water charges but the Minister of State has used the...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I do not care how many times the Senator has heard it. However, Members have not received the right answer.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: I am sorry if democracy is a bore to the Senator-----

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: ----- but these points have not been raised. I am responding to-----

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: First, I do not care what Senator Keane thinks about what I am saying. I am addressing my points to the Minister of State and to him only.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2013)

David Cullinane: Absolutely. I will respond again to what the Minister of State said and simply am setting out the logic for his benefit. He states that he wishes to incentivise people to conserve water and use it more appropriately and that charging for it is one mechanism that will do this. This in turn will incentivise people to then invest in technologies, be they automatic taps with sensors,...