Results 241-260 of 1,954 for speaker:John Gilroy
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: If somebody is not a customer of Irish Water-----
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: We hope everybody will be a customer of Irish Water. Where people are not, the normal dispute resolution mechanism in the common and every other law of the land would apply. This is an addition to every other right. Unless I am grievously mistaken, that is my interpretation.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: Senator Bacik's interpretation of this is correct.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: She is, and the amendment is based on a misunderstanding of section 4. If one reads section 8(1) together with section 8(4) one can see that the intention is clear. Section 8(1) states: "Subject to this section, the Commission shall provide a dispute resolution service to any customer of Irish Water ...". Section 8(4) states that a person is not entitled to make a complaint unless they are...
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: It is the same thing.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: The point Senator Cullinane is missing is that the entire section refers to a complaint by a customer, and section 8(4) restates what is said in section 8(1). As far as I can see, it strengthens the position of customers because it obliges the commission to provide a dispute resolution service. Instead of being a negative point, as my colleagues on the Opposition side are saying, I see it...
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: The Senator did, and rightly-----
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: We expect the same level of courtesy from the leader of Fianna Fáil when we are making our contributions, which are reasonable and measured.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: Continue. As outlined in section 8.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: The view and objective of the Government is very clearly laid out in the entire Bill, and in section 7 particularly. I suppose we could be criticised for not accepting any amendments to section 7 but to accept an amendment would be to put something into the Bill which is not the intention of the Government. We have had a very good debate on all the points and amendments that were raised,...
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: That is unfair of Senator Norris. The Minister has gone to great lengths to assuage many of the fears - and the whole House has acknowledged that - during the contribution on section 7. I commend the Minister for that.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: The point I am making is that to accept an amendment as they are comprised here in section 7, would be to introduce something that is not the intent of the Government.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: The intent of the Government is what the legislation is about.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: If the Minister cannot find a way to accept the amendments tabled by the Opposition, maybe we need to take a look at how the amendments are constructed. Maybe there could be constructive amendments that would increase the intention of the Government in certain areas and give added strength to the legislation instead of opposing it. I know the role of the Opposition is to oppose and we accept...
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: Fianna Fáil is betraying its real view here.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: Then a Senator should sit down and say nothing?
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: Imagine if a Government Senator said to Fianna Fáil Members that they should sit down and say nothing. Imagine the outrage there would be.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: Senator O'Brien is right to say the amendment is specific to a review of the use of fluoride and that we should not open up the entire debate and make it about the use of fluoride. However, Senator Naughton is also right in that the issue of fluoride presents a challenging environment in which to make any argument, but that if there is any evidence to suggest that fluoride harms public...
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: If there is evidence to suggest it is doing harm to the public, perhaps its use should be reviewed. However, there is no evidence to that effect, despite the fact we have been putting fluoride into water for the past 40 years. If it was doing harm, that would certainly have come to light. Senator Mullins is incorrect to say the rest of Europe has banned fluoride. It is not banned, they...
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: No, they have not. They have not brought in laws to ban it. To ban something, a legislative change must be made.