Results 3,061-3,080 of 4,905 for speaker:Diarmuid Wilson

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: The Minister will be in Brussels.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: I move amendment No. 13: In page 29, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following:“19. The Principal Act is amended by inserting the following Part after Part 3: “PART 3A COMMUNITY COUNCILS22A. (1) Every city and county council shall designate Community Council Areas throughout its local authority area.(2) The structure of each such Community Council Area shall reflect the...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: I move amendment No. 14: In page 29, line 12, to delete “districts” and substitute “district councils”.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: I move amendment No. 15: In page 29, line 13, after “district” to insert “council”.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: I move amendment No. 16: In page 29, line 14, after “districts” to insert “or as municipal district councils”.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: This is the section that will see the town councils abolished. We went through the points on Second Stage and again yesterday. I do not want to labour the point, other than to say this is a mistake and a retrograde step. In my county of Cavan there will be 34 fewer local representatives to represent the people of the county. I do not believe this change should go ahead and that is the...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: As Senator Cullinane pointed out, Ireland is the most under-represented nation in Europe. I share Senator Walsh's disappointment in the Minister, who spent 20 years as a distinguished member of Kilkenny County Council.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: As the Minister stated, he wore his county colours with pride while a councillor and fair dues to him for continuing to do so. Unfortunately, he has taken the advice of officials because this legislation is an officials' charter.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: It is proposed to reduce the number of councillors in all county councils and abolish town councils. People in County Cavan will have 34 fewer public representatives as a result of the Bill.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: The winners will be the officials because, as the Minister is clearly aware, while it is easy for officials to fob off members of the public, they cannot easily fob off public representatives. I feel sorry for the Minister because officials have been trying for decades to achieve this outcome but previous Ministers did not fall for it. Unfortunately, the Minister has fallen for it in its...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: I am disappointed because I hold the Minister in high personal regard. He is an excellent Minister, albeit one who has made some serious mistakes which we do not have time to discuss. The winners in this process are the officials and the losers are the citizens.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: I do not wish to detain the Minister given that we must dispose of a large number of amendments by tomorrow. I concur with Senator Jim Walsh's comments on the current position and the circumstances that will prevail if this Bill is passed. The word in the Title on which I propose to concentrate is "Local". As a result of the Bill, County Cavan, the county with which I am most familiar,...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: It is related to local administration.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: Some colleagues who are newcomers to democracy may have a difficulty with freedom of speech. I will not take lectures from Senator Cullinane on whether this is a Second Stage speech or Committee Stage contribution on an amendment. While the Senator may not like listening to me and may get upset with my contribution, I will insist on making my point if he does not mind.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: We are discussing a Bill that allegedly reforms local government. It is not a local government Bill because when it becomes law, the elections that will be held will not be local. Under the proposed Cavan-Belturbet electoral area, people from Blacklion, a village in the west of the county on the Leitrim border, will vote in the same electoral area as people 40 miles away in Cavan town. Are...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: I may be straying slightly.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: I will conclude on a final point, which may give Senators a clue as to the reason Senator Cullinane appears to favour the legislation. The document known as Putting People First, which was meant to put the Labour Party first, will put Sinn Féin first in the east of the country because of the unpopularity of the Labour Party.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: I congratulate the Minister and his party colleagues on providing for the demise of the Labour Party. As a result, the vote of other parties, including Senator Cullinane's party, will increase. That may give a clue as to the reason the Senator is in favour of the Bill and wants to stifle debate.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: I second Senator Daly's amendment to the Order of Business. In respect of NAMA, for a Member of this House of the stature of the Government Chief Whip to suggest that somebody raises a matter of national importance that is in the public interest merely to milk it for publicity, is outrageous. He should withdraw that remark, which is outrageous.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2013)

Diarmuid Wilson: Senator Coghlan is in danger of inheriting the name of "NAMA Coghlan" if he is not very careful.