Results 581-600 of 6,944 for speaker:Michael McNamara

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: I have them here as well, but the difficulty with-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: With respect, I would argue that we are to set up an office, that it will be expensive, that we have had a referendum that cost money-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: -----and that we are to put in office somebody whose predecessors enjoyed all these powers but who did not have a direct mandate, somebody who will go into office with a direct mandate, but these powers are being carved away from him or her.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: It is-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: I would argue that three quarters of an hour is not a lot of time in the context of having had a referendum whereby we will give somebody more powers and setting up and maintaining an office of príomh chomhairleoir which will cost quite a lot of money. As I said, I hope there will be more titles and derelict sites in Limerick because the number of derelict sites is decreasing and the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: I will go through the ones I have concerns about. Section 31(4)(a)-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: So the príomh chomhairleoir will enjoy precedence rather than the mayor, who has a directly-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: Yes, so there will be a príomh chomhairleoir, who is indirectly elected, to chair the meeting and there will be a directly elected mayor, but the príomh chomhairleoir will enjoy precedence at the meeting-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: I am sorry if I put the Minister of State through that.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: Again, my respectful view is that there will be, at best, this duplication of roles and, at worst, this competition between, effectively, an indirectly elected mayor and a directly elected mayor.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: Yes, humbly or otherwise.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: I have indicated that I will bring forward an amendment. I just do not see the rationale for the two separate offices. I do not think it will result in a workable solution. I hope I am proved wrong, but I fear that what we will have is a directly elected mayor with certain powers. Let us call him or her a príomh chomhairleoir but, essentially, he or she is elected in the same way as...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: No.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: If I am not mistaken, section 31(4) was not always in the Local Government Act 2001. It was introduced by amendment with the Local Government Reform Act 2014. Until that, there was no such provision, insofar as I am aware. Is it necessary to say one will have precedence over the other? If one will have precedence, I would argue it should be the person who has a direct mandate.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: It does not say "chair", it says "shall take precedence at all meetings".

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: If it said that the cathaoirleach will chair the meeting, I would not object, but "take precedence" clearly demonstrates a hierarchy.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: On section 104(7)(a)-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: It is in the Local Government Act 2001.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: The Minister of State argues that-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Nov 2023)

Michael McNamara: Yes. The Minister of State has repeatedly said that the new elected mayor will have budgetary powers, as opposed to the unelected mayor, which will continue to be a post, but with a different name. The elected mayor will bring forward the budget.