Results 821-840 of 5,132 for speaker:Trevor Ó Clochartaigh

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I do not think anybody is trying to drag the debate out. It is important that we get time to tease out some of these genuine issues. The Minister chose an unfortunate example when he mentioned Oranmore because there are still issues around the development in question and a development adjacent to it. This example points to the reason we need the input of local authorities and councillors...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I think that is the crux of what we are trying to decide. I am not convinced that we will speed things up very much. I also raised with the Minister the issue of how big a development could be. A number of years ago, we might not have envisaged that a large international corporation that builds student accommodation would come into Ireland wanting to build thousands of units. I do not...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Yes. There would be significant concerns about the impact a large development of this type would have on the broader fabric of Galway city, for example, especially in light of the existing infrastructural pressures in the city.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I welcome what the Minister said about the rough sleepers because it was raised yesterday on the Order of Business and has been raised by others, so that flexibility is very important. The Minister mentioned the strategic developments. I know other elected representatives would be dealing with communities which have had major issues with the consultation process and I appreciate the...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: That is the point I was going to make. There have been a number of infrastructural developments in our area, some relating to decisions about wind farms. Local communities are up in arms because they felt that the consultation process was not adequate. Another issue arose in our area about a greenway on which there was a consultation process but people felt it was not adequate and not...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: My reading of the amendment is that it would prevent an applicant who already has permission for the development of more than 100 units from applying to the new fast-track process without first commencing work on the existing planning permission. I think the thrust of the amendment and what it seeks to achieve is laudable, and we will probably support it. Senator O'Donnell made a very good...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Carlow.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: We will go easy on the Minister of State.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Cuirim céad fáilte roimh an Aire. Táim an-bhuíoch de as an am a thógáil. I reiterate that we have issues in principle with this section which we outlined to the Minister previously. It is essential to have an independent review of the new mechanism. An issue arises with the amendments to the extent that one proposes an independent review, while the other...

Seanad: Micro-plastic and Micro-bead Pollution Prevention Bill 2016: Second Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach. Ba mhaith liom fáilte mhór a chur roimh an mBille seo agus go háirid roimh an deis labhairt air sa Teach seo. Bhí sé náireach go ndearnadh iarracht srian a chur ar an mBille trí leasú ó chairde an Aire Stáit i bhFianna Fáil. Tá ceist truailliú na...

Seanad: Micro-plastic and Micro-bead Pollution Prevention Bill 2016: Second Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I was coming to that. Bertie Ahern had a particular interest in-----

Seanad: Micro-plastic and Micro-bead Pollution Prevention Bill 2016: Second Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: -----make-up when he was spending €60,000 a year on cosmetics. It is quite clear that the Government motion is purely cosmetic as well. We all know that what has happened is that Deputy Dooley threw the rattle out of the pram because he wanted to get the kudos in the Dáil for introducing similar Bill. He went to his colleagues in Fine Gael and they had to bend over.

Seanad: Micro-plastic and Micro-bead Pollution Prevention Bill 2016: Second Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: So Fine Gael had to roll over and accept the Bill. It is like an episode of "Callan's Kicks"; it is unbelievable. This is the welcome to the new politics of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael coalition that the Independent Senators are being given. This is a very serious issue. We have seen recently across Europe and North America a growing awareness of the dangers that micro-beads pose to our...

Seanad: Micro-plastic and Micro-bead Pollution Prevention Bill 2016: Second Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: If there is concern about the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland, an amendment could be tabled to exclude certain medicinal products from the Bill and just have a blanket ban on cosmetic products. The amendment being putting forward states that the Bill could breach EU law but the Government is fine with flouting EU law when it comes to tax evasion on VRT. Nach aisteach an scéal é...

Seanad: Micro-plastic and Micro-bead Pollution Prevention Bill 2016: Second Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: -----agus gur thug siad leithscéalta faoi bhfáth nach bhféadfaidís tacú leis an mBille seo. Beag nó mór, tá na leithscéalta céanna i gcorp leasú an Rialtais anocht. Tá go leor cainte déanta sa Teach seo ar uisce.

Seanad: Micro-plastic and Micro-bead Pollution Prevention Bill 2016: Second Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Tá go leor uisce ann faoi thalamh freisin. Ba mhaith liom tacú leis an mBille seo, faoi mar atá mo chomhghleacaithe ón Eoraip agus ó Thuaisceart Éireann ag tacú chomh maith.I really do think that the way that this is being covered up, between the Government partners, the de facto coalition in the new politics is disgraceful. I note that the former pin-up...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Let me add my support on behalf of Sinn Féin to the amendment. It is positive that the Minister is taking it on board. I hope that will continue with a number of the other amendments in that vein.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I outlined our concerns about the democratic deficit in respect of sections 3 to 19, inclusive, and on that basis we will oppose these sections, section by section.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: This part of the Bill refers to the strategic housing developments-----

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I express my support and that of Sinn Féin for the amendments. At a time of such great dependence on the private rented sector for housing, many people with physical disabilities or who are aged or have mobility issues are finding it increasingly difficult to find suitable housing. I have come across a number of such cases in the Galway area, particularly within the private rented...