Results 7,301-7,320 of 7,604 for speaker:James Bannon

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: The Minister made the point that civil servants are not allowed to contest elections. I understand that certain grades are not allowed and that not all civil servants are debarred.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: I move amendment No. 4: In page 3, to delete lines 33 and 34 and in page 4, to delete lines 1 and 2 and substitute the following: "(2) Members of both Houses of the Oireachtas shall be provided with all documentation that a councillor is entitled to." Oireachtas Members should automatically receive any local committee or subcommittee reports which directly affect their county where it is...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: Will the Minister take these amendments into consideration?

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: Will the regulations be published on Report Stage?

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: I move amendment No. 10: In page 4, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following: "(5) Each local authority shall lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a copy of its annual report not later than 3 months following adoption by each local authority.". At present most annual reports are received 12 months too late, which is unacceptable. A period of three months should be sufficient as...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: This is something that comes up at our local authority members' association meetings. It is important to have a time limit from the date the annual report is adopted to when it is made available. On some councils copies will be made available 18 months after a report has been adopted. This is unacceptable because the report is outdated by which time a second annual report should be available....

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: Would the Minister consider making it three months rather than four months?

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: I move amendment No. 11: In page 6, line 3, to delete paragraph (b). Where a person is qualified to be nominated for the position of cathaoirleach, it is important that he or she should have served at least five years as an elected member of the local authority. There is a genuine fear among local authority members that a whizz kid could buy his or her way into office by pouring money into an...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: It was part of the Local Government Act 2001 to delete that particular section. The Minister and Fianna Fáil Members spoke earlier about innovation in politics. That is an issue that should be looked at in the cities of Dublin and Cork on a trial basis.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: The last time round there was a provision in the Local Government Act 2001 regarding directly elected mayors and chairs throughout the country.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: The proposal lacked real powers. I would like to see councillors in a particular borough council in Dublin and Cork decide the function of mayor on a trial basis. Members expressed their real concerns the last time on the whole issue of directly elected mayors. While it was one of the most controversial provisions of the Bill it made no reference to what powers those directly elected chairs...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: I would not want mayors in every local authority because the population would not warrant a whole series of mayors. Places such as Paris and Brussels have mayors. When we set up the confederation of European councillors we were met by the mayor. It is perceived as an important position and brings with it great responsibility in most European cities. It is the mayor who meets visiting...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: I was not talking about rural areas and I made that clear.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: I am not talking about counties.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: Please listen. I am not talking about Longford town.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: We have two mayors in Longford.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: It was an idea that I felt would bring about a fundamental shift of executive powers from the manager. I am not saying this should apply across the country but we should operate a pilot scheme in, perhaps, Dublin and Cork which would show a shift of power from managers to directly elected mayors.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: I move amendment No. 12: In page 6, before section 8, to insert the following new section: "8. Section 24(1) of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the deletion of subsection (1) and the substitution of the following: (1) For the purposes of this section and subject to this Part and regulations made under it, every person whose name is on the register of local government electors prepared...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: It was not in place at the last local elections.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

James Bannon: I move amendment No. 13: In page 6, before section 8, to insert the following new section: "8. Section 27(b) of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the insertion after paragraph (a) of the following new paragraph: '(b) At the poll for a local election no other poll shall be held.'.".