Results 3,101-3,120 of 5,132 for speaker:Trevor Ó Clochartaigh

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Therefore, there is no comparison with what the Minister of State is introducing, namely, double taxation, because people are already paying for this tax from their general taxation. The Minister of State is now adding an unknown extra tax – he will not state how much – for a service in respect of which we do not know what we will get. We are not sure what investment will be...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: How much money does the Minister of State intend to raise?

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I welcome the further chance to speak. I have read the EPA report. I read it last year and the year before as well and I share the Minister of State's concerns on the quality of water. He noted a number of counties. In my county of Galway, there are problems in: Oughterard, Ballinasloe, Carraroe, Inis Oírr, Kinvara, Ballinasloe No. 1 - two different schemes for different issues,...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: It relates to the Minister of State's talk of the figures not adding up. I go back to the charges and the money being brought in and the money going out. We have had the €1.2 billion figure that it costs to provide water. The Minister of State needs to clarify how much the Government expects to collect in water charges and how much of that will be spent on capital investment to fix...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: The rates alluded to by the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, and Senator Gilroy cover a significant area, including school books, school transport, septic tank desludging, local healthcare, libraries, recreation, waste collection, water supply and the fire service.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: It is included in the rate. It is important to state that there are two rates - the regional rate and the Assembly rate. It is important to note that the Assembly, because of my party's insistence, has been frozen for the past number of years. Local authorities, of which Senator Gilroy would be aware, that have a majority of SDLP, for example, in Derry, have the highest rates in water...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: The Minister of State referred to the regulator. The figures I quoted were provided by the energy regulator; therefore, they are not fiction.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: The Minister of State may not have met people who have been disconnected, but 13,000 is a very significant number.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Perhaps they are not calling to the Minister of State's constituency office, but they are certainly out there. He is suggesting people go to the MABS and that is what they do because they have no other choice. However, we should not be forcing them into a situation where they have to do so, which is why the amendment is a good one. The Minister of State has still not told me what Uisce...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: In fairness to the Minister of State, he came out for the second half like a Kerry full forward playing in an all-Ireland final.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: There was a lot more bravado than fact in what the Minister of State said. He paints a picture of a very benevolent-----

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Absolutely.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I knew that; that is why I mentioned it.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: It is important to outline some facts. The Minister of State paints a very benevolent picture of utility companies which, unfortunately, is not recognisable in reality. In March this year the ESB announced that its profit before taxation had risen to €327.6 million in 2012, up from €78.8 million in the previous year. The figures published by the Commission for Energy...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: The Minister of State should tell that to the almost 13,000 whose supply was cut off.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I did not interrupt the Minister of State. What he has said is not borne out on the ground. That is the genuine concern. People find it very difficult to pay their bills. Perhaps some of these 13,000 customers are also the people who will find it very difficult to pay their water bills. The Minister of State did not answer my question. He talked about people who could pay. I asked about...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Cuirim fáilte ar ais roimh an Aire Stáit. Bhí cuid mhaith daoine ag éisteacht leis an díospóireacht an lá faoi dheireadh agus ní tharlaíonn sin ró-mhinic ó thaobh ábhair a bhíonn á plé againn anseo. Cuireann an leasú áirithe seo atá molta cuid mhaith imní ar dhaoine i gcomhthéacs cuid de na...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Is the Leader willing to extend an invitation to the commissioner? That was my question.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I asked a different question today. I asked whether the Leader was willing to invite the commissioner as a distinguished guest.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I asked a different question today.