Results 7,441-7,460 of 7,652 for speaker:Joanna Tuffy

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, line 17, to delete "either House of the Oireachtas" and substitute "Dáil Éireann".

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I wish to make a number of points to support the case for Senators. The Government should let the practicalities determine who runs for what office. Few MEPs also serve as Deputies because it is not practical to do so. However, it is clearly practical to hold a local government mandate and be a Member of the Oireachtas. Why ban that? There are anomalies in that there will be the dual mandate...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I am sticking to the amendment, which relates to Senators. I think I should be allowed to make my point. The Minister will probably speak for as long as I do. There is value in having the voice of local government in the House. One of the problems that will arise is a high turnover of Senators because councillors like to elect sitting councillors to the Seanad. Nominated Senators have a...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I am addressing the amendment.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: This is what the amendment is about. All politics is local, as Tip O'Neill said. All legislation has a local dimension and vice versa. I realise that political correctness says otherwise and says that legislation and local issues are somehow separate. I totally disagree and those on the ground say different by electing national representatives at local government level. There are practising...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: The Minister has mentioned the example of the European Parliament. The dual mandate will not be abolished in the next election because it will operate in respect of European Parliament Members and Deputies. There are stronger arguments for first abolishing the dual mandate of a Deputy and MEP or a Senator and MEP. The Minister has mentioned groups, including political parties, which want the...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I know that, but we want a proper debate in the House. I will not be muted by political correctness. We should be free to debate these issues and do what is right.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: That is more important in getting more people involved in local government and making it relevant to people's lives. Again I would say—

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I did not say that.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I said, "That is more important in getting people involved." It is more important to reform local government in the holding and timing of its meetings. Getting greater numbers of people involved in local government is more important than the abolition of the dual mandate, which is a red herring. I fear that local government will be then cast aside and left to defend itself. Government moves...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: Many Members will not be Senators in the future because of the amendment the Government is introducing. I ask the Minister to reconsider.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I move amendment No. 2: In page 3, line 18, to delete "from being elected or co-opted to, or". An Oireachtas Member should be allowed to run in local government elections. This Bill provides that Oireachtas Members must first give up their seats in the House before they run in local elections. If they fail to be elected to a local authority, they end up without any mandate. At all other...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: The Minister has said he would not tolerate a situation where a Deputy or a Senator could run for a local authority and then not take the seat, yet in the Bill he is permitting a person to run for two local authorities but hold one seat. That creates an artificial situation which contradicts what he has just said. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I move amendment No. 3: In page 3, line 21, to delete "2004" and substitute "2009". The purpose of this amendment is to allow an adjustment period because people at national level are being disallowed from running for local government. Some of the present Deputies and Senators came in on the basis that they were local authority members. They are now suddenly in a position whereby they are not...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I know it is a matter for the parties, but the Minister is being unfair to his own colleagues. I am sure they will not be too happy when Independent Members, who will probably stay on until the end, remain on the local councils, while the Minister's party is pressurising his colleagues to give up their seats.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: It is not that. I am sure a case will be taken and one of the bases for that will be that people who came in under the present regime are to be disallowed their rights when they are in midstream. Why is the European Parliament allowing Ireland a derogation? The Minister said it is because we hold our European elections at a different time from our general election. I wonder why that is. We...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: They are not. One was to do with the holding of dual mandates.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: They are different.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: The purpose of this reasonable amendment is to allow a period of adjustment so that the people elected under the present regime have a chance to choose between local and national politics. Senator Dardis may well be in that position himself. I certainly will be.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: This new amendment was not tabled on Committee Stage. If, as the Minister says, we either do this or we do not, why was a derogation sought in relation to the European Parliament-Houses of the Oireachtas dual mandate? It would be useful to provide for a period of adjustment to address anomalies concurrently or in order. Reforms to address the European Parliament dual mandate could be put in...