Results 4,081-4,100 of 4,773 for speaker:Paudie Coffey

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I support the calls for the Minister for Social and Family Affairs to come to the House to debate social welfare fraud. The national broadcaster did a good job last night by throwing a spotlight on this area. We all agree that resources in that Department should be re-allocated to investigations. Indigenous industries such as agriculture and fishing are inundated with inspectors and some...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: We lost our competitiveness.

Seanad: Regional Fisheries Boards (Postponement of Elections) Order 2009: Motion (8 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: On a point of order-----

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I draw the Leader's attention to the pressure on businesses. As we enter the middle of the Christmas retail season, it is very striking how many shop units in city centre areas are closed. One need only walk two streets from here, towards Grafton Street, to see the number of units that are closed or to let. This indicates that businesses are closing. I suspect many more are just holding...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I understand the Minister of State's point but he does not define who such an inspector should be, who would have the power to appoint such an inspector, or whether the inspector would be appointed by An Bord Pleanála. Will the Minister of State take this into account when he introduces the Bill in the Lower House? It is a genuine attempt on the part of Fine Gael to bring clarity to the Bill.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 13: In page 27, line 44, after "public to insert "within 7 days of receiving such direction". The new section 31(19) to be inserted into the principal Act provides that, "A planning authority shall make a direction issued to it under subsection (16) available for inspection by members of the public, during office hours, at the offices of the authority". However, the...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: We flagged at a very early stage the need to ensure the wording was clear and that, as with the planning process, a specific timeframe was laid down. The Houses can either produce legislation which is understandable and which works or we can produce that which causes great confusion among those - planners or members of the general public applying for planning permission - who will use it on...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 14: In page 27, line 45, after "authority" to insert the following: "for a specified period of time which shall not be less than 2 weeks".

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 15: In page 28, line 36, after "other" to insert "connected". These amendments are proposed in an effort to bring clarity to the language used in the Bill. Section 35(1)(b) of the principal Act, as amended by section 20(a) of the Bill, makes reference to "any other person". For the purposes of clarity, this should read "any other connected person or body corporate"....

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: Amendments Nos. 15 to 17, inclusive, and 20 are technical in nature. I welcome the introduction of amendment No. 19 to address the issues raised by amendment No. 20. The Minister of State has repeatedly agreed to consider bringing forward amendments in the Dáil. There is a feeling on this side of the House that we are being treated with a degree of contempt. We raised many of these...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 16: In page 28, line 36, after "person" to insert "or body corporate".

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 17: In page 28, line 41, to delete "any".

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 21: In page 30, to delete lines 5 to 24.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 1: In page 6, to delete lines 18 to 20.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 4: In page 13, lines 23 and 24, to delete "a vote of not less than two-thirds" and substitute "a majority". I spoke at length on this on Second and Committee Stages. We in Fine Gael see no logical reason for changing the wording from a simple "majority" to a vote of "not less than two-thirds". Later in the Bill the Minister proposes to reduce the quorum required for An...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I thank the Minister of State for his response which I regard as fairly positive. He has certainly listened to the debates and the concerns of Senators and their views on this issue. This is fundamentally an issue of democracy running to the heart of local democracy and the manner in which local authorities conduct their business with regard to development plans. The existing legislation...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 6: In page 15, lines 29 and 30, to delete "a vote of not less than two-thirds" and substitute "a majority".

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 7: In page 16, to delete lines 10 to 45 and in page 17, to delete lines 1 to 16. The Minister said during the debate on an earlier Stage that: ...the mandatory population threshold for preparing local area plans ... [should be] raised from 2,000 to 5,000 persons. The preparation of local area plans is resource intensive, involving consultation with both the elected...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Paudie Coffey: I appreciate the Minister's response. I am pleased he has listened and I trust he will introduce amendments on Committee Stage in Dáil Éireann. We would have preferred the amendments to be tabled in Seanad Éireann and we flagged our difficulty with this matter at an early stage, some weeks ago in the discussion on Second Stage. It is important that Ministers and officials give due...