Results 7,461-7,480 of 15,009 for speaker:Eoin Ó Broin

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: I admire the Deputy's optimism. I have a few comments. First, we already have different rules on non-online advertising. For example, we know we cannot buy radio time or TV time but we can buy newspaper time and in many cases local newspapers would go out of business if it was not for the regular political adverts that are placed by Members of the Dáil, both inside and outside of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: I presume, once it is set up, that the commission will have the capacity to employ outside experts to undertake some of this research if it chooses to. Some of these areas have high levels of specialism. I am conscious of the long list of things we have asked the commission to do. Is commissioning appropriate external research in its remit?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: There may be a compelling case for it here. It is a matter for the commission to decide. I am expressing it here because the commission may well look back at these meetings. The commission might decide to take early action in this area and commission independent, external expert research to assist in that task.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: Sinn Féin fully supports the entire group of Government amendments, although I have some questions for the benefit of clarity with respect to amendment No. 90. The purpose of the amendments is to ensure full transparency and accountability, particularly with regard to money spent in the State for electoral purposes. We are in a unique position on this island because there are two...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: It is one of the great tragedies of partition that it creates all of these difficulties in many respects. To reiterate, Sinn Féin would much prefer there was one set of electoral laws for the island because it would make our job an awful lot easier. To return to my question about the consequences of the Government's amendment No. 90 on section 22, I am trying to ascertain whether the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: I wish to ask a technical question about amendment No. 90 so that I am completely clear about the legislation. Amendments to section 22 relate to, for example, donations into the State from subsidiary organisations to a political party registered in the State, so if a branch of the Green Party, Sinn Féin or whoever in the North, makes a donation, either in cash or in kind, that must be...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: Is my question not clear?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: For example, there are certain categories of donations in the South which, because they are below a certain financial threshold, do not have to be declared, yes?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: Whereas what we are saying, and I have no difficulty with this because I fully support the amendment, but it is just so I am clear, is that while there is a certain category of donations that can be made in the South that do not need to be declared, that does not apply to, for example, donations into the State via subsidiaries from outside the State because it applies to all donations. That...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: Exactly, yes.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: To add something-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: Yes, but I wish to add one point of clarification. This is a good opportunity for people to be very clear about the implications. For example, if the Minister of State, Deputy Nash or I were to organise an election fundraising event in the run-up to the next general election and party colleagues or branches from outside of the State, such as the Green Party in south Belfast or Sinn...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: I think I understand the provision, but given the all-Ireland nature of a lot of our political activity, it is very important all political parties fully understand the implications so they can be fully compliant with the rules afterwards.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: Yes. Therefore, for example, if Deputy Nash were to organise a fundraiser and a branch of the SDLP were to buy a table at the event, which it may well do because that party has a fraternal relationship and that is very healthy, that donation must be declared in its party leader's statement under this provision.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: It would not be permitted under the newest laws, though.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: -----and what it can and cannot be spent on. It is very rigid in the legislation.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: Regarding the briefings, the Minister of State can take it as read that we would like to have them. Perhaps the Minister of State can just schedule them without us having to request them. I am sure the Senators would feel likewise.

Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Instruction to Committee (31 May 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: I thank the Minister of State for his explanation. On the Bill itself, this legislation is of enormous importance. Repeatedly during our discussions both as part of pre-legislative scrutiny and on Second Stage, it was described as a once-in-a-generation Bill. I echo Deputy McAuliffe's description of the pre-legislative scrutiny. It was probably the most detailed done in this Oireachtas...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (31 May 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: 73. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will report on the heat loss indicator study; the timeline for its completion; if there are any preliminary results; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27445/22]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (31 May 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: 74. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated potential cost savings for the retrofit schemes of a heat loss indicator result of between 2.3 and 2.6 that enabled the installation of a heat pump with fewer energy efficiency upgrades. [27446/22]