Results 4,921-4,940 of 5,876 for speaker:Thomas Gould
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: Perhaps Mr. Carroll or Mr. McShea can answer my question. A constituent brought it up with me that when their son turned 18 years, he was taken off the child benefit. The children’s allowance was stopped. What they could not understand was why he did not automatically go on to the electoral register so that he could vote. When the election came last year, he was not able to vote....
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: I thank the Chair. We are here today discussing pre-legislative scrutiny on the electoral reform Bill 2020. Unfortunately, Senator Cummins seems to think that it is a witch hunt. This is disappointing because we are trying to get more people to engage with the electoral process and to get a more accurate and independent register. I think the majority of people want to achieve that. I...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: That is not the question I asked. Fine Gael does not hold registers nationally, is that what Mr. Carroll is saying?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: Can Mr. Carroll tell me who has access to all the registers both locally and nationally? How many people?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: Mr. Carroll said "approximately". He is saying that between all the Senators, councillors and Deputies, only six people have access to the registers.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: From a national point of view, how many people would have access to registers in 26 counties?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: I am conscious of the time. How many people?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: Will Mr. Carroll clarify that Fine Gael does know how many people have access to its registers? We have a Fine Gael Senator here demanding definitive answers from Sinn Féin, when his own party cannot even answer the same questions.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: Could I finish? I do not know where Senator Cummins is coming from, but surely he should have the same standards in his party that he expects from other political parties.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: In relation to the last point, I have often seen Fine Gael candidates out and about with lists of registers. Who has access to those registers on a local basis? Can Fine Gael provide the names of everyone in every constituency? Will it forward that information to us this afternoon?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: Do the directors of elections, the directors of canvassers or canvassers have access to that information locally?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: I thank Mr. Carroll. He has told me that Fine Gael has the same system as Sinn Féin. The only difference is we control it nationally because it is very complex. I move on to Mr. McShea.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: Mr. McShea said some of the data would be stored outside the EU. Are Mr. McShea and Mr. Sheehan confident they are not breaching EU guidelines? There was a ruling on contracts. Is Fianna Fáil confident that holding registers outside the EU is not in breach?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: When Mr. McShea says some data, could we have clarity-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: Thank you, Chair. Go raibh maith agat.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: Will I get an opportunity to come back in? I am just looking at the-----
- Nursing Homes Support Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (19 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: I welcome and support the Bill because for many, the fair deal scheme has not been fair or equal and the Bill finally provides recognition of that. We could go further and introduce a publicly funded residential care model because the Government is relying too heavily on the private sector to provide residential care. Older people must be treated with dignity and respect and they must be...
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Services: Motion [Private Members] (19 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: I wish to support this motion and I thank the Deputies from the Regional Group for bringing it forward. Some 50% of my constituency is rural and the lack of water and waste water infrastructure there is an important issue. We are in the middle of the worst housing crisis in the history of the State. 11 o’clock Without investment by the Government in water and wastewater...
- Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Vacant Properties (19 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: Providing funding is what I said.
- Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Vacant Properties (19 May 2021)
Thomas Gould: Does the Minister of State believe that one vacant homes officer in Cork could return 92,000 houses to use? It is not possible.