Results 4,761-4,780 of 5,132 for speaker:Trevor Ó Clochartaigh

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I move amendment No. 1a: In page 3, between lines 24 and 25, to insert the following: "4.—The Principal Act is amended by inserting after section 8(4) the following: "(5) Where a member of the Garda Síochána, or an appointed person for the purposes of this Act, finds a person and has reasonable grounds for believing that such person is committing or has committed an offence to which...

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: We are quite worried that it leaves the onus completely on the owners, some of whom will be well able to understand that but there might be a lot of people who will not. I am not sure what the information campaign to indicate to people what they must do will be. We would have expected that it would have at least included a letter from a local authority to anybody with a septic tank.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: In light of what the Minister said, we will take it in good faith and withdraw the amendment because we want to spend time on the other amendments.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Ba mhaith liom nótáil i dtaobh an díospóireacht a bhí againn aréir gur ceann de na rudaí is dearfaí a tháinig amach as an díospóireacht sin ná an méid Gaeilge a labhradh le linn na díospóireachta. Ba mhaith liom tréaslú leis na Seanadóirí a d'úsáid an Ghaeilge le linn na díospóireachta, ach níos mó ná sin, ba mhaith liom tréaslú leis na Seanadóirí a d'úsáid na...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: The second home allowance should also be investigated. I agree with Senator Walsh that it would be appropriate to debate the programme for Government in light of the suggestion by the Taoiseach in the Dáil yesterday that the policies which the Labour Party put to the people before the election changed over the night in which the programme was negotiated.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: We should have a debate on the programme for Government because the Labour Party Senators lambast the Minister for Health and other Ministers day after day in the House as if they are in opposition. We need to know where they stand. Are their policies those of the Labour Party or are they following the programme for Government? If they are, they need to stand by the decisions they are...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: What about Ministers' expenses?

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: On a point of order, I would like to review the finding in light of the fact that "local authority", which we had inserted in the amendment, came into the discussion so often last night that we feel it is relevant to the situation.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: We would like to have it noted that we do not agree with the ruling.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: We kept our counsel on Cavan last night and we intend to do so again tonight. We have an issue about the legal matter of a person's rights to protect themselves on their land in light of the Pádraig Nally case several years ago.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I am sure one of the Minister's party colleagues can inform him about this. There are legal implications arising from the Nally case regarding people's rights on their land.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: What legal advice was sought from the Attorney General on this matter? Have any flaws in the 2007 Water Services Act been rectified in this Bill? Many people are unhappy with this legislation and have said they will oppose assessors coming on to their land. We must ensure the legislation is watertight. Sinn Féin has an issue with failure to adhere to these regulations leading to a...

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Many contractors have gone out of business.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: It can be very hard to follow a contractor if a fault turns up. My reading is that it is the owners' responsibility.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: We are spending five minutes on it because a person could get a criminal record for a faulty septic tank that was installed by someone else unbeknown to them. That is a serious point. That is why Sinn Féin is arguing such cases should not be a criminal offence.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Senator O'Donovan made a valid point about prosecutions following the people as opposed to the property. Will the Minister enlighten us as to what advice has been given on this? Can a prosecution be attached to a property or is it attached to a person? Are there data protection issues as to people having access to information on the register? These are questions that need to be teased out...

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: That is scrutinising legislation.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I am glad the Minister clarified that.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: The Minister has stated the 2007 Act criminalises people; therefore, we will table an amendment on Report Stage to change this. It is the same point, on which I agree with the Minister.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Nov 2011)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I will. I acknowledge that there is a great deal of jousting going on, but this is a serious issue. If a builder was to do a botched job on a septic tank, the householder would know about it because the septic tank would not work, but if the tank was polluting groundwater, he or she might not know about this. The issue is he or she will be prosecuted if groundwater is polluted, not if the...