Results 4,521-4,540 of 6,908 for speaker:Cian O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: 197. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the justification for the continuation of virtual rental inspections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11859/22]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: 295. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a passport application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12195/22]

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 2: In page 8, between lines 36 and 37, to insert the following: "(5) Within 12 months of the passing of this Act, the Minister shall lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas that examines the establishment of a statutory skills register for the construction sector and sets out recommendations for reform in this area.". I welcome this Bill. The amendments...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Is it the intention that over time, in order for someone to be included on this builders' register, skills and qualifications in the respective areas will be required?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Insofar as the Minister can say, what is the thinking regarding timelines for that and how it will be progressed?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: At present, the number of people undertaking apprenticeships in plastering, for example, is much lower than it was in 2004. We are only at about 15% of the 2004 levels, or perhaps a little higher because the number has increased in the past year. Even so, we are far off the apprenticeship levels there used to be in areas such as bricklaying, stonecutting, tiling and plastering, that is, the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Just to clarify, the Minister of State said this is "on competence". One can be competent from one's experience and not have qualifications or certified skills. The Minister of State is talking about addressing that in future years and that one will have to have the certified skills.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: It will not just be competence based on experience. I wanted to be clear on that.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I want to make similar points. Of the whole Bill, this is the area that I have the biggest issues with. My amendment is slightly different in that it looks to remove a number of the potential non-State bodies that this could be applied to. It as not as specific as Deputy Ó Broin's amendment is, although his suggestion that this would be a function for the NBCO is a very good one. The...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: It would be helpful to hear the Minister of State's rationale. Deputy Ó Broin's amendment is very good but my amendment comes at this from a different point of view. It does not name the public agency that would be involved but it would confine it to a public agency, which I think makes sense. We have not heard the rationale from the Minister of State as to why he thinks it is...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I wish to make just a quick comment. There is a bit of a contradiction here. We are being told that the Construction Industry Federation is the appropriate body to run the statutory register because of its experience of running the voluntary register. That is valid. At the same time, we are being told that we cannot read anything into the fact that nobody has been struck off, because it...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 4: In page 10, to delete lines 17 to 26.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 5: In page 11, to delete line 13. My question is about the definition of "public morality". Where is it defined? All I could find was a Dáil debate on it almost 100 years ago in 1928. The contributions in that Dáil debate 100 years ago said that they were not sure that this was a good term to be putting into legislation because of its loose definition.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: It is a mistake. It is meant to be "contrary to public morality", not "public policy". That is line 12.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes. To be clear, the amendment seeks to delete the line "contrary to public morality," not "contrary to public policy,".

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I am looking for an explanation of the definition of "public morality." As I have said, I looked and all I could find was that debate from almost 100 years ago in 1928 where various Deputies were not happy that it was a properly defined term. They were quite clear, even 100 years ago, that they felt it was quite a loose definition, and that the concepts of what is public morality and what...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Do we know if there is a definition anywhere? All I could find was references in a 1928 Dáil debate where it was used in legislation back then, I believe for the first time. There was a lot of objection to the use of the term, with people saying that it was a very loose definition. In those Dáil debates there was really no definition settled on or given to it at all.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: If the Minister of State could, that would be welcome.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: It is really just to find out it means and where is the definition around it.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 Mar 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: To be fair, becuase there is obviously a typographic error - and I do not know whose end this is at - I will withdraw the amendment today and may bring it back on Report Stage. Presumably I would not do that, but I would appreciate a definition.