Results 981-1,000 of 5,082 for speaker:Victor Boyhan

Seanad: Housing For All: Statements (7 Nov 2023)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien and I thank him for giving us his time. As agreed on the Order of Business we have 90 minutes scheduled for this debate. The Minister will have ten minutes to set out his stall after which Senators will each have six minutes and the Minister will have the right of reply for ten minutes. He may want...

Seanad: Housing For All: Statements (7 Nov 2023)

Victor Boyhan: The next speaker is Senator Moynihan.

Seanad: Housing For All: Statements (7 Nov 2023)

Victor Boyhan: I thank Senator Moynihan very much for that contribution. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan. We have set aside 90 minutes for this debate. Just two Senators have indicated their intention to speak and we are only 45 minutes in. I call Senator Casey.

Seanad: Housing For All: Statements (7 Nov 2023)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the seven Senators who participated in the debate.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Voting at 16) Bill 2021: Second Stage (7 Nov 2023)

Victor Boyhan: I will be brief. This is a good debate. We have had it before and I am somewhat surprised by the change in position and the moving of chairs. The people who were for this Bill are particularly against it from time to time. I want to acknowledge and thank Senator Malcolm Byrne and his team for preparing what is a very simple Bill and one which I support. I have spoken on it before. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Future of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Victor Boyhan: I thank Dr. Mellett, Ms Brien and Mr. O'Leary. I apologise, I had to chair in the Seanad so I am only coming in now. I am conscious that this is MARA's first presentation to us. Dr. Mellett set out clearly his vast experience. There are not too many vice admirals heading up coastal strategic organisations like MARA. Clearly, he has unique insight and experience. He set out his skill set...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Future of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Victor Boyhan: I will make three further points. What Dr. Mellett is saying about having a good environmental status is good, encouraging and positive. It was also great to hear what Dr. Mellett touched on regarding there being a biodiversity net gain because this is music to everyone's ears. It is sometimes about something so simple as this in respect of how to get things across to people. I refer to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Future of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Victor Boyhan: That is all the funding allocated to run the entire MARA organisation next year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Future of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Victor Boyhan: How many administrative staff does MARA have now? Does it have a large staff? I understand the organisation is based in Wexford.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Future of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Victor Boyhan: To return to the budget of €7.3 million-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Future of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Victor Boyhan: -----what were MARA's initial projections and budget request? What did it initially pitch for to run the organisation in 2024?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Future of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Victor Boyhan: Can Ms Brien give me a figure?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Future of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Victor Boyhan: So it is not even €1 million more. Was MARA ultimately happy with this figure of €7.3 million that it would have the confidence to do what it has to do? We might consider €7.3 million to be a lot of money but it is a mammoth undertaking. There are also initial set-up costs for MARA that it may never have again. It is not a huge body in the great grand scheme of what...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Future of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Victor Boyhan: It strikes me as modest but MARA is telling us that it can deliver its plan for 2024 at €7.3 million.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Future of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Victor Boyhan: I thank Ms Brien. I wish her well.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Oct 2023)

Victor Boyhan: Yesterday, in the audiovisual room, NewsBrands Ireland and Local Ireland gave a presentation on their key asks in respect of the Defamation Act and issues around advertising. It was a packed room. There were perhaps more journalists than politicians in the room. That was a missed opportunity for the organisers in that, clearly, the target audience for their message was the politicians yet...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consideration of the Citizens' Assembly Report on a Directly Elected Mayor of Dublin: Discussion (Resumed). (26 Oct 2023)

Victor Boyhan: It is clear that the three key words are clarity, clarity and more clarity. Everyone here today is neutral on the concept. Regarding what Mr. Geissel said earlier, we have four Dublin local authorities: Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, South Dublin County Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. I was a member of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for many...

Seanad: Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad: Mother and Baby Homes (25 Oct 2023)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. This Commencement matter relates to the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023. I was hoping the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, would be here but, as I read the newspapers every day, I am aware he clearly has many pressing issues on his plate this morning. I understand and...

Seanad: Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad: Mother and Baby Homes (25 Oct 2023)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minister of State for setting out matters comprehensively there. It is somewhat disappointing that it appears that we may not have a scheme up and running and paying out as envisaged this year. The Minister committed to having it in place and fully functioning in 2023. I accept this is complex, but it should not be. The scheme was designed not to be complex in itself and, as...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Oct 2023)

Victor Boyhan: I seek a debate on rural housing. I have asked for this on a number of occasions. Why am I doing so again? In the past few days, I attended the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, which met in Kildare. The social and environmental sub-committee, of which I am a member, took evidence over the past two days from many people involved in the sector, from the Office of the Planning Regulator...