Results 4,401-4,420 of 5,013 for speaker:Victor Boyhan

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister to the House. Yes, this Bill is a long time coming but it is an important one. I will focus on one aspect of it. I have had a number of meetings with a number of planners and city and county councillors in recent days. I will address some of them with the Minister of State later. I will be bringing forward a number of amendments on Committee Stage. It is...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: It is worth stating the Bill seeks "to amend and extend the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2015 and for that purpose to establish an office, to be known as the Office of the Planning Regulator, to evaluate and carry out assessments relating to planning matters and provide observations and recommendations in relation to those matters, to conduct reviews and examinations and to conduct...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: That is one example. With respect to Dublin Port, I noted that there were councillors and Ministers who had had issues in the past with development there. I have seen other Ministers, Deputies, Senators and county councillors from all parties oppose critical infrastructural projects I clarify that it was right and proper for them to make representations. There was nothing underhand about...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I will conclude on this point. The Minister of State is rolling out Rebuilding Ireland, which is important. We all have to put our shoulder to do the wheel, but we have to empower the 31 county and city councils to do the work, challenge their executives and deliver. The new office is very important and this is very good legislation which has been a long time coming. There are other...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: Hear, hear

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: They are well able to withstand that. If not, they should not be there.

Seanad: Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State. When I was downstairs listening to Senators Joan Freeman and Colette Kelleher talking about the amendments, I was reminded that both were the nominees of the former Taoiseach. Fine Gael's former leader chose these distinguished persons as nominees to the Seanad. That is important and I know why he chose them. It was because they were advocates in their own...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Harbour Authorities (6 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, for coming to the House. I have put down a Commencement matter calling on the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to indicate his intentions to authorise the transfer of Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company from the State to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, as provided for under the Harbours Act 2015. I...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Harbour Authorities (6 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minister for that comprehensive response. It is clear that it is intended to transfer the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company and the governance of the harbour to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. I appreciate that the Minister has outlined that he has a role only in the event of a dispute. Would the Minister consider appointing one or two people to the board early on...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: We could sell it.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: Will the Leader organise a debate on the national maritime strategy envisaged by the Government?There has not been much debate about it. We have had an awful lot of debate about the national planning framework in terms of equal distribution across the country. I would particularly like to see an emphasis on the national maritime spatial plan, which is being worked on by the Department. I...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I wish to raise an issue relating Coillte and its forest-farm partnerships. People who tuned in to "Morning Ireland" today heard a litany of stories and complaints. The programme included a special interview and investigation carried out by George Lee, who is part of RTÉ's news staff. We heard about a range of disappointments for farmers and people involved in the forest-farm...

Seanad: Statement by the Taoiseach (1 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Taoiseach. It struck me as I was preparing and thinking about what I might say that he would set his own narrative as an able and skilled politician. There is a lot of substance in what the Taoiseach has had to say. I will take it with me. However, I want to set out the concerns and initiatives of the people we all represent in Parliament. The constant and recurring theme...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Role of Chairperson of Housing Agency and Related Matters: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I want some guidance. May we ask questions at this point, or will the Chairman split the discussion into three sections?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Role of Chairperson of Housing Agency and Related Matters: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Victor Boyhan: They are all slightly intertwined. I am happy to await my turn but what I have to say relates largely to the fact that Mr. Skehan clearly mixed all the issues in here himself. I was hoping to comment-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Role of Chairperson of Housing Agency and Related Matters: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I thank Mr. Skehan for coming here. I appreciate that. I want to go through the points in the order I received them. Much of this hinges on the interview. Mr. Skehan said he gave one exit interview. I read a number of press clippings, and I am not necessarily saying they were interviews. Mr. Skehan gave a very extensive interview to The Sunday Business Post. He mentioned The Irish...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Role of Chairperson of Housing Agency and Related Matters: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Victor Boyhan: Could I please be let finish?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Role of Chairperson of Housing Agency and Related Matters: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Victor Boyhan: Some comments have been reported. I will single out some of them and Mr. Skehan may comment on them when I am finished. I understand he has given a series of interviews. He targeted homelessness charities and said there were too many of them. There is due process here and I would like Mr. Skehan to correct me when I am finished if I am wrong. He referred to the Apollo House activists as...