Results 2,581-2,600 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I did not promise amendments.

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I oppose the motion.

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I am happy that the Deputy is withdrawing the amendment.

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I did reflect further on the issues raised and the appropriateness of using the term "public interest" but on reflection decided not to use it. I thank the Deputy for offering to withdraw the amendment. I assure him that the public interest is part of the existing legislation, this Bill and the ministerial consent process contained in this and other Bills.

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I move amendment No. 7: In page 8, line 41, to delete "and". These are technical drafting amendments to correct an imperfection in the original Bill by deleting the word "and" on page 8 and inserting it between lines 6 and 7 on page 9. This does not alter the content or substance of the section as originally proposed but merely corrects an error identified during the proofreading process.

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I move amendment No. 8: In page 9, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following: "and".

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I thank the Deputies for their comments in respect of these amendments. Long discussions on the matter to which they relate took place both in the Seanad and at the Select Committee on Transport. What we are doing is establishing a commercial approach, as outlined in the ports policy statement, in respect of our ports and harbours. Essentially, we are adopting a model which is different...

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: On Deputy Deenihan's point, it is Government policy that at least 40% of any board should be male or female and this will govern the decisions in this regard. It is true that such a stipulation has appeared in legislation and I cannot honestly answer as to the reason it is not included in this Bill. It is included in some items of legislation but not in others. I always have been a strong...

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Members had a good discussion on this issue on Committee Stage and I will reiterate what I said at that time. Section 28 of the Harbours Act 1996 contains a detailed list of requirements regarding the information a port company must return to the Minister of the end of each accounting year. It includes a statement of all significant developments that occurred during the year, including any...

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: It looks like I am for it now.

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I am so deeply upset by the remarks of Deputy Sheehan that I will stay in order and address the points that Deputy Broughan made to me on marine pilots.

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Deputy Broughan made several points that we rehearsed very carefully on Committee Stage and I do not want to rehash them. The Deputy was very specific in the queries he raised on the age specified and whether we can change it from 60 to 65. As I explained on Committee Stage and reiterated here, it was the intent of my colleague, the former Minister of State Deputy Noel Ahern, to try to amend...

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Yes. It is an issue that needs to be resolved. Now the problems have been identified, we should be able to identify solutions. I will do that and ensure that the provision is in the Bill. The situation is more complicated than people thought because of existing contracts. With regard to the other matters, in section 13 there is already a well established system for harbour and pilotage...

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Yes, just the Harbours Act 1996.

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I thank the Deputies for their passionate pleas on this issue. As Deputy Sheehan said, I indicated on Committee Stage that I would give very careful thought to this matter before Report Stage. I take issue with the Deputy in saying that I made any commitment other than to consider his passionate and carefully worded statement on Committee Stage. I do not wish to reignite the debate, but...

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: What I am trying to do here is to provide an added option when the future of Bantry Bay, Tralee and Fenit is considered. All this Bill will allow us to do when enacted is allow that a Minister may establish a private company in respect of the harbour, may transfer control to a relevant local authority or, subject to a statutory consultation period, transfer control to a port company control....

Drug Treatment and Prevention (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I am replying to this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and for affording us this opportunity to clarify the position. I will begin by setting out the national context with regard to this issue before dealing with the specific situation in Cork. At a national level, the HSE...

Rural Transport Scheme. (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter, although he strayed somewhat from the subject of the Adjournment matter on the rural transport programme. There is a commitment in the programme for Government to the rural transport that underpins the rural transport programme launched in February 2007. The principal function of the rural transport programme is to address social exclusion in rural...

Flood Relief. (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I also take the opportunity to express my sympathy to all those who have been affected by the recent flooding in County Mayo, outlined by Deputy Flynn. In September 2004, the Government confirmed the Office of Public Works as the State's lead agency in flooding, to be tasked with delivering an integrated, multifaceted programme aimed at mitigating...

Disability Services. (7 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I thank Deputy Stanton for raising this matter. My colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, has asked me to reply to the Deputy on his behalf. I wish to outline the comprehensive policy and strategy that is in place in this area. The National Disability Authority, NDA, received a formal request from the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr. Michael...