Results 25,341-25,360 of 26,610 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: I fully agree with what the Minister said in his response, but there can be occasions where a child who has been abused may in the course of making his or her confession, confess that to a priest, and this is where a difficulty may arise. Responsibility lies with the priest. That was the point I was making, not that the abuser would report the priest.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (12 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: I wish to make a supplementary point, as I forgot to raise the issue of reasonable excuse. The Bills Digest made an interesting point, in that a number of submissions called for a detailed list of what constituted reasonable excuse. Rape Crisis Network Ireland, RCNI, stated: "The phrase "reasonable excuse" needs more elaboration generally, with an open list of situations which do provide a...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (12 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: I wish to raise a number of issues, the first of which relates to privilege. I refer again to the submission made by the Ombudsman for Children who made a number of interesting observations and dealt with two forms of privilege - legal privilege and clergy-congregant privilege, an issue we discussed on Second Stage. She called for section 2 to override legal professional privilege and...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: I welcome Dr. Nada Dhaif to the Gallery and offer my party's support to the medics in Bahrain who are facing trial. I hope they will receive justice. I also concur with the sentiments expressed by Senator Darragh O'Brien and others on this issue. I call for a debate on poverty, an issue Senator Ó Clochartaigh and I have raised on a number of occasions in recent months. The third...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (12 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister back to the House. I commended him for bringing forward the Bill on Second Stage as it is long overdue. It is a complex issue that throws up many problems that are difficult to resolve through legislation. That is a problem the Minister faced when framing this Bill. This is one of those issues, but I have purposely not tabled any amendments because I will use the...

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: I hope that the process is speeded up in the way the Minister of State describes. I wish her well in that regard and welcome that Limerick City Council approved the construction of 79 new houses. She also mentioned an implementation plan. I support local consultation but I think we can agree that extensive consultation has already taken place with the relevant agencies. The problem is...

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: Yes.

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, line 33, after "Minister," to insert the following: "in consultation with the Houses of the Oireachtas, relevant agencies and local authorities".

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 3: In page 5, lines 4 and 5, after "centralisation" to insert "or localisation". This amendment seeks to insert the words "or localisation" after the word "centralisation" on lines four and five on page five. The intent of the Bill is set out in section 5, paragraph (d), which refers to "the desirability of regionalisation or centralisation" but it does not mention...

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: If it is default position, it should be easy for the Minister of State to accept the amendment.

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: There was no misunderstanding. I accept the Minister of State's point that Members are dealing with existing local government powers. However, this section of the Bill outlines the purpose for which bodies may be established under the 1971 Act. The Bill's digest sets out for the first time the nature of the services that may be provided by any body that would be established under the Act....

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: Yes.

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 4: In page 5, line 11, to delete " 'services' includes—" and substitute the following: " 'services' not already being provided by boards may include—". I will not speak for too long on this amendment because I want to hear the Minister of State's response before coming back to it. In some respects, this amendment is related to the first two amendments which sought a...

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: No.

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 6: In page 7, line 40 and in page 8, line 1 to delete paragraphs (f) and (g). This amendment concerns the dissolution of the Limerick regeneration agencies for the north and south sides of the city. I am sure the Minister of State will be aware that many people in regeneration areas have genuine fears about the future of the process, not just in Limerick but in many...

Seanad: Decade of Commemorations: Statements (Resumed) (7 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: I, too, welcome the Minister to the House. There have been many strong and powerful contributions during this debate on this important issue. I am delighted to take part in this important debate on A Decade of Commemorations. It is hoped people from across the island of Ireland, North and South, will, based on their own perspectives, historical analysis and ideologies, take part in the...

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 1: In page 4, line 22, after "Reform," to insert the following: "the Houses of the Oireachtas, relevant agencies and local authorities". I would like to speak on amendments Nos. 1 and 2. I will not pursue amendment No. 5. I assume the Minister of State understands the logic that underpins amendments Nos. 1 and 2, which are similar in nature. The amendments seek to...

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: I thank the Minister of State for her response. I am pressing these amendments. Given that some of the functions that may be transferred are currently key local government functions, the Government should ensure the local authorities and the Members of this House are properly consulted. The reserved and executive functions that form part of the infrastructure of local government are...

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Second Stage (6 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: He is a main source.

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Second Stage (6 Jun 2012)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister of State. The first thing we should ask ourselves when we examine or discuss reform of local government or government generally is what principles should underpin the reform. For me, it is about adding value, achieving benefits and improving services. All I have seen so far from this Government, including what is contained in the Bill, is reduction and subtraction,...