Results 4,401-4,420 of 5,294 for speaker:Michael McCarthy

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Michael McCarthy: I move amendment No. 102: In page 35, line 38, after "Court", to insert "and to make only such order in the proceedings as follows from such determination". Section 50A(6) of the principal Act, as inserted by section 12, would allow the Supreme Court to determine a point of law but not to make an order. This amendment will make it clear that the court can make any consequential order quashing...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Michael McCarthy: The Minister's reply is reasonable. I withdraw the amendment.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Michael McCarthy: I move amendment No. 103: In page 37, to delete lines 19 to 22. This amendment is self-explanatory: civil servants should not serve on the board. I am interested in the Minister's view of the matter.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Michael McCarthy: In light of the Minister's comments, I am withdrawing the amendment, although I may revisit it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Michael McCarthy: I move amendment No. 106: In page 40, line 10, after "Board" to insert ", provided that a public representative who makes submissions or requests an oral hearing on a planning application or appeal shall not be liable for any fee". It is reasonable to exempt public representatives from paying fees for making observations. I do not need to preach to the Minister about people who make...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Michael McCarthy: There is merit in the Minister's reply. It is not my intention that we would be used by members of the general public to avoid paying the fee. I withdraw the amendment.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Michael McCarthy: I appreciate the Minister's reply. There is obvious merit in what he says and the point is well made. If one wants an example of the Minister's point, one need look no further than the incinerator in Cork and the disparity between the inspector's report and the absolute discretion of the board in that case. I may revisit this matter on Report Stage but the fact that this term was introduced...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Michael McCarthy: On a point of order, this amendment is grouped with the amendments taken with amendment No. 3.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Michael McCarthy: Yes, I understand.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Michael McCarthy: I move amendment No. 20: In page 9, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following: "(ii) specifying the website at which the text of the environmental impact assessment is available free of charge,". I welcome the Minister, Deputy Roche, to the House. I hope his comments about not wishing to be negative, which will be tested by these amendments, are true. The amendments seek to oblige...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Michael McCarthy: I thank the Minister for his reply. It is important that he has made a statement about the need for more use of e-technology. That websites are being mentioned in legislation is a reflection of the progress we have made in the information age in recent times, especially as not too long ago, many people did not know what they were used for. E-technology needs to be used in the future and the...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Michael McCarthy: While I support Senator Bannon on this, the Minister is making an important point about giving powers to members of local authorities. We have seen their role undermined somewhat in recent times. The Local Government (No. 2) Bill, for example, removed the decision making ability members of local authorities had as regards setting the cost of waste collection. That gives rise to a greater...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Michael McCarthy: I move amendment No. 34: In page 10, line 38, to delete "at its absolute discretion and". Lord Acton said absolute power corrupts absolutely. The term "absolute discretion" as it is used here is outdated and the legislation would be as effective without it.

Seanad: Garda Stations. (26 Apr 2006)

Michael McCarthy: I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, for taking time out of his busy schedule to take this Adjournment debate. This issue has been ongoing for some time in west Cork. At the beginning of 2002, members of the Garda Síochána, with the support of the Garda Representative Association, threatened to walk out of the Garda station in Dunmanway which has been...

Seanad: Garda Stations. (26 Apr 2006)

Michael McCarthy: While I appreciate the Minister of State's reply, it is not different from other replies we have received in the House and does not provide a timeframe. With a general election due in less than 12 months, this issue will be used as a political pawn. It is above such games; I plead with the Minister of State to ensure the refurbishment commences and give the House a date as soon as possible to...

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (26 Apr 2006)

Michael McCarthy: I second the motion. If we were to talk of political promises made and not fulfilled, and various commitments made by the Government, particularly with regard to the 2002 manifesto, we would be here for the night. It is important to focus on the matter before us. Particularly with regard to the greater Cork region, where Fianna Fáil had its biggest success in the last general election,...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McCarthy: I, too, want to thank the Minister for the time he has given, and the officials for the amount of work they have put into the legislation. It is very good that we are changing the name of some of the schemes. We will look back in time and wonder how long we could have gotten away with calling the "old age pension" just that, because it is ageist, to say the least. Politically correct terms...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McCarthy: I support this amendment. Other methods must be employed to alleviate and eventually eliminate child poverty because, without being flippant, throwing money at the problem will not succeed. Senator Terry has eloquently outlined cases where children attend school without clean, warm clothing, fail to have a warm meal one in every two or three days and lack a sufficient red meat diet. These are...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McCarthy: I thank the Minister for his illustrative examples of the social welfare packages that families could receive. I welcome these measures, as directing such child-centred payments towards the families in question is impressive. While I do not wish to detract from the importance of the figures, is there a concern in the Department of Social and Family Affairs that some of the money might not...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Michael McCarthy: I thank the Minister for making the telling and important point that only 2% of lone parents are teenagers. There has been an orchestrated campaign in this regard led by senior academics and journalists who know better — it is not that they should know better, they do know better. It has been led in many respects by an engineer. Engineers know a lot about a certain subject but a professor...