Results 4,761-4,780 of 7,604 for speaker:James Bannon

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Dec 2006)

James Bannon: That person had submitted a claim form and so on, and checked the Internet, but was not on register. I told the person I had written on their behalf but nothing happened. This is what is happening in many cases. It is not fair that such people will be disenfranchised at the next general election. I know others will not make the same effort in this regard. I am working hard in my...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Dec 2006)

James Bannon: The situation will be three to one in favour of the Opposition.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Dec 2006)

James Bannon: The Senator probably missed the point.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Dec 2006)

James Bannon: The amendments refer to the automatic registration of voters, which is a matter we should simplify for local authorities. We live in an era with modern systems of communication which can simplify the registration process. This should be done rather than going around, knocking on doors.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Dec 2006)

James Bannon: At present, people leave home at 6 a.m. and do not return home until 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. Local authorities work normal hours and we do not expect their staff to work more than the normal nine-to-five hours which they do.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Dec 2006)

James Bannon: People are away from their homes all day, including in Dublin. In recent days a woman told me she spent four hours in a traffic jam. She left Dublin at 4.15 p.m. and did not get home until almost 9 p.m. That is the fault of the Government, which is responsible for jams throughout the city.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Dec 2006)

James Bannon: There are traffic jams throughout the country. People are not at home when public representatives call owing to the neglectful way our transport system, including the public transport system, operates. I want a simpler system of automatic electoral registration, which the amendments call for.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Dec 2006)

James Bannon: I did not say that. I said one cannot expect staff of local authorities to knock on doors outside their normal working hours.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Dec 2006)

James Bannon: The Minister is the first Minister to admit, albeit indirectly, that the Government is in power by default when he said the register has been a disgrace for the past 30 years and accepted there were many anomalies and problems with it.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Dec 2006)

James Bannon: They got into Government by some form of default.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Dec 2006)

James Bannon: On another issue, the Minister said there are a number of elderly people who do not have PPS numbers. When a person reaches the age of 70 he or she automatically qualifies for a medical card and is required by the Health Service Executive, and prior to that by the health boards, to ensure he or she has a PPS number. There are people in their 90s, however, who never claimed anything.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Dec 2006)

James Bannon: Not everybody in the State has a PPS number, although I do not know of anyone who does not have one. I would be concerned about our national security. The Minister talked about not being able to track everyone. Some years ago there was a serious default in the Department of Social Welfare to do with people claiming and at the time the Government was able to track people by their PPS...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Dec 2006)

James Bannon: May I respond?

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Dec 2006)

James Bannon: The county register records the registration of all births, marriages and deaths. Every church body, whether it be the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland or the Methodist Church must make such registrations. Has the electoral register been cross-checked against parish registers?

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2006)

James Bannon: Will the Leader hold a debate on the excessive costs of tribunals? We have learned that the tribunals in hand have cost taxpayers between €700 million and €800 million. At a time of great difficulty in securing funding for community care and mental health services, money can be found willy nilly for the tribunals. The House should examine the costs of tribunals and debate how they can...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2006)

James Bannon: I want the tribunals to be more accountable to this country's taxpayers, who foot the bill for them.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (30 Nov 2006)

James Bannon: The Bill has not yet passed through all Stages.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (30 Nov 2006)

James Bannon: On a point of order, was I not entitled to call a quorum, given that no Government Member was present in the House?

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (30 Nov 2006)

James Bannon: We will await next May or June.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (30 Nov 2006)

James Bannon: That is an example of the direction society has taken under this Government.