Results 8,461-8,480 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: There is some work still to be done. We hope to bring it back here for Report Stage within the next three weeks. I welcome the positive reception from all sides of the House to the concept of business improvement districts. As Senators know, this has been tried and tested elsewhere, especially in the US and Canada, and I believe the success achieved elsewhere can be translated to our cities...

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: This amendment proposes the inclusion of the word "use" after the word "work" in section 129B(2)(a). As it stands, the Bill provides that the project services and works in a BID proposal must be, in the rating authority's opinion, for the benefit of the business improvement district and those who live, work or carry on an activity in it. That is a broad-ranging provision in itself....

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: I do not propose to accept these amendments as they stand. The existing provisions in section 129D provide that a copy of the BID proposal must be made available at the principal offices of the rating authority concerned. The existing provisions in section 129D(a) do not prevent a rating authority from posting a BID proposal on the Internet. In addition, section 129E(d) does not prevent a...

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: I do not see what the question has to do with the amendment concerned. However, in terms of co-operation, obviously the purpose of the legislation will be to ensure there is a level of co-operation between business and the local authorities that has never been seen in Ireland before. This was discussed in great detail on Second Stage. We have seen instances in other jurisdictions where BID...

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: Amendment No. 4 provides for the substitution of the words "may be inconsistent" for "is inconsistent" in section 129F(1). The purpose of this subsection, in the first place, is to allow the rating authority an opportunity to examine the submissions received during the public consultation phase and second, to give an indication to the BID proponent of its analysis of those submissions. On...

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: Again, I cannot understand how the contribution of Senator Bannon has any relevance to the issues being debated on Committee Stage.

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: I should like to assure him that just as on all other occasions, the Government continues to give an extraordinary level of funding to local authorities. There was never such a degree of cash endowment among the local authorities in terms of the funding from the Government levy and the moneys they generate. I have no doubt this is not going to interfere in any way, but will provide...

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: I reiterate that the Bill does not contain provisions relating to the Derelict Sites Act. There is no reason to make provision in this regard because local authorities are provided with adequate powers under that Act. I take Senator Bannon's point that we should perhaps bring to the attention of local authorities the fact that they should use the provisions of the Derelict Sites Act much...

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: There should not be any great difficulty with these amendments, which bring the wording used into line with electoral law.

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: This amendment brings the wording used in the Bill into line with that in section 129B(1)(b) of the Local Government Act 2001, which refers to a rating authority approving implementation of a scheme.

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: These amendments provide for the nomination of councillors to the board of a BID company by the elected council rather than by the cathaoirleach thereof. It is considered that it would be more appropriate for the council to make such appointments. There are many precedents for this and examples include the appointment of members to joint local authority committees and appointments to bodies...

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: These amendments provide for the insertion of new subsections (5) and (6) in sections 129P, 237D and 237F. The latter provide for a recalculation of the BID contribution levy, the property entry levy and the post-entry year property levy if the valuation of a property changes. The amendments provide that in the event of an appeal under Part 7 of the Valuation Act 2001 against an amended...

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: The mechanism of an appeal is available to everybody and it is the responsibility of individuals to submit appeals, which will then be considered. In the event that an appeal results in an amendment being made, the Bill now states that we must take cognisance of this in terms of the levy that will be imposed on businesses. The Bill is consistent with existing legislation.

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: These amendments are purely technical in nature and relate to the repositioning of the new Part 22A within the Local Government Act 2001. It came to light, following publication of the Bill, that a Part 22A had been already inserted by the Local Government Act 2003. It is necessary, therefore, to reposition the new Part 22A. It will now be inserted as the new Part 19A after Part 19.

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: We already know that Senator McCarthy can dance and sing, and now we know he has a fine eye for draftsmanship. I accept these amendments.

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: This is a technical amendment necessary to correct the reference to the Valuation Acts by removing the word "to" and replacing it with "and".

Seanad: National Development Finance Agency Annual Report 2005: Statements (3 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is profitable, and increasingly so on an annual basis.

Seanad: National Development Finance Agency Annual Report 2005: Statements (3 Oct 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: I welcome this opportunity to address the House on the annual report of the National Development Finance Agency, or NDFA, for the year ended 31 December 2005. The NDFA commenced operations in 2003, with the functions of advising State authorities on the optimal means of financing the cost of public investment projects to achieve value for money and on all aspects of financing, re-financing...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (27 Sep 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: Grant allocations are made to county councils each year under the Local Improvements Scheme. Details of allocations for each of the years 2000 to 2006 and grants claimed by and paid to councils for each of the years 2000 to 2005 are set out in the following Table. I intend to announce the 2007 Local Improvements Scheme allocations early in the New Year.

Written Answers — Fire Stations: Fire Stations (27 Sep 2006)

Batt O'Keeffe: The provision of funding for a replacement fire station at Tallow was not included in the 2006 Fire Services Capital Programme. However, the provision of such funding will be considered in future years having regard to overall demands on the fire service capital programme, the priorities of Waterford County Council, the level of activity, the proximity of other fire stations and the standard...