Results 2,761-2,780 of 5,550 for speaker:Martin Ferris

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: No, he did not. The Deputy has suggested the Minister-----

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: I ask the Minister if he is going to introduce a grant procedure?

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: He has not responded on the issue of grants for upgrading.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: I support the amendment, which was tabled in good faith. It does not do the debate justice when the Minister refers to the contents of previous documents. All of us in the Opposition are trying to do the best we can for people in rural communities.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: I am part of a rural community. I grew up in a small cottage in a rural area where toilets and septic tanks were only introduced in the 1960s. I can remember when there were no toilets. Many of my neighbours' houses were built on perhaps one eighth of an acre or less. In the 1960s they put in their own makeshift septic tanks. From 1975 onwards the planning regulations were introduced...

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: It is very unfair to us when we are trying to debate this in good faith with the Minister and he will not tell us what he means by "financial hardship". It does not make sense. I do not wish us to continue in this manner. There was great hope when the Government was elected in February of last year. People said that we needed a change. They were sick of what went before. The rhetoric in...

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: Now comes the septic tank issue, which is of significant concern to people in rural Ireland. We want to get away from the Paddy the Plasterer politics that we endured in the House for a long time. The Minister has an opportunity. When he gets to his feet in five or ten minutes' time, he can tell us what he means by "no financial hardship". He can allay many of the concerns of those who...

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: I am glad to hear that.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: I welcome the Minister's public statement of it today, but I want him to state that there will be no cost to anyone who must undertake remedial work to upgrade his or her septic tank. I reaffirm the absolute commitment of every Member who has spoken to good, uncontaminated water. We will support whatever remedial works are necessary to bring that about, but it cannot be at a cost to these...

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: All of these issues must be clarified by the Minister. It is up to him to do what is necessary and to remove this ambiguity and suspicion. He should not underestimate rural people's anger. Is he listening to me?

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: The Minister is from a large rural constituency, as is Deputy Tom Hayes. From the meetings in his constituency, the Deputy will be well aware of how people feel.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: If I could be allowed to finish, please. The Minister must clarify the issues I have raised. He could clear up everything today, we could return to our constituencies tonight, call meetings for tomorrow night and Monday night and tell people that he told us-----

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: If the Minister called meetings, we would attend them. We could tell people that the Minister told us he would introduce a grant procedure-----

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: We do not know the standards.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: What about a response from the Minister?

Rail Network (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: There is serious concern regarding the awarding of the contract for rail maintenance to a British company, Balfour Beatty, which has also been awarded the €400 million contract for maintenance of the Bord Gáis grid. The reason for this concern, other than the fact that jobs will be lost among Irish contractors, is the company's poor safety record. Most of this record relates to incidents...

Rail Network (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I will forward the information I have to his office. I previously raised this matter in the House with the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, when I was sure all of this information was available. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, stated that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport has no operational role in awarding contracts. In light of...

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: I wish to return to some of the comments made by Deputies on the Government side of the House about taking this issue seriously. Deputy Brian Stanley has outlined Sinn Féin's position. We take this matter seriously and are absolutely committed to ensuring the protection of waterways, etc. However, we have serious concerns about the legislation in terms of its ambiguity, particularly in...

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: If the Minister knows anything more, will he please tell me?

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Martin Ferris: I can say that we had a legal person there to go through the content of the legislation. It was done absolutely accurately. What is in the legislation is quite frightening. It is the implementation of the legislation and the standards being put forward by the Minister that people are examining. That is what we need to see. I am aware of single rural cottages put in by the county councils....