Results 1,001-1,020 of 3,241 for speaker:Brian Ó Domhnaill

Seanad: Irish Water: Statements (22 Jan 2014)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: There is no public scrutiny. The Minister of State can talk about coming before committees, but the information being provided is selective. At the moment, Irish Water is not subject to freedom of information. The Minister of State may contend that it will be subject to freedom of information, but that is currently not the case. It is currently not subject to parliamentary questions,...

Seanad: Irish Water: Statements (22 Jan 2014)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: It is disgraceful. It is the disgrace of our time.

Seanad: Irish Water: Statements (22 Jan 2014)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Seanad chun an ábhar seo a phlé. Ón uair dheireanach a bhí sé anseo roimh an Nollaig, tá go leor díospóireachta faoi cheist Uisce Éireann - an tionchar a bheidh ag an gcomhlacht agus na híocaíochtaí atá déanta ag lucht Uisce Éireann as airgead...

Seanad: Irish Water: Statements (22 Jan 2014)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: The Minister of State might clarify the figures given yesterday at the Oireachtas environment committee. These amounted to in excess of €180 million and an additional €15 million. The Minister of State might clarify where that €15 million is being spent. They were the figures given to our environment spokesperson, Deputy Barry Cowen, at an environment committee meeting...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (15 Jan 2014)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I move amendment No. 59: In page 56, line 16, after “council” to insert “or a county council”.This amendment relates to extending the opportunity to all councils, and not exclusively the six mentioned county and city councils, to call their chairperson or cathaoirleach "méara" or "mayor". In our case, in County Donegal, the council has for some time been in a...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (15 Jan 2014)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: It would not happen under normal circumstances.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (15 Jan 2014)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: In Donegal, we have been able to call our first citizen of the county "mayor" instead of the traditional titles of "cathaoirleach", "leas-cathaoirleach", "chairman" or "vice chairman". Members of every council in the country should be allowed to call the cathaoirleach or chairperson "mayor". This gives more meaning to the role given that it concerns the first citizen of each city or county....

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: That is now being reneged on. The proposal in the Bill of providing more local powers is far from the reality. The issue of costs has been raised. Much has been said about the efficiency savings of €440 million following the implementation of the provisions of the Bill. Will the Minister outline the exact areas in which these savings will be made?

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: The amendment relates to the transfer of powers. If the Minister wishes to reply to my questions on another part of the Bill, that is fine.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: In a recent parliamentary reply, the Minister outlined that he was not in a position to provide any detailed breakdown of where the saving would come from. Has there been a change in his position since last week? One would expect that when a major Bill such as this is going through the Oireachtas, everyone would be clearly aware of the areas in which the money would be saved. That is not clear.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I do not share the Minister's view that we are updating and providing more powers under the Bill. The Minister's assertion that somehow the Bill is moving from the 1800s to 2014 is not accurate because we are moving local government into a sphere where it will be the least democratically accountable in western Europe with one elected local representative per 4,800 people. Currently, we have...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I am only reacting to the point made by the Minister. He pointed out that the Bill was somehow providing more decision-making power locally. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are removing the level of democracy closest to the citizen, town councils, which is the most efficient and effective and involves the least cost burden to the taxpayer where decisions are made. They are...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I will restrict my remarks to the people of this jurisdiction because they are the people we were put here to represent. I listened carefully to what the Minister of State had to say. Perhaps most of his answer was given in what he did not say. He did not give us any of the information we sought. Out of the blue, he picked Donegal - I wonder why.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I refer to seven schemes in Donegal. I am not sure whether they are drinking water schemes or sewerage schemes,-----

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: -----but I can advise the Minister of State that Donegal County Council has made applications for funding to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, some of the approvals have been issued, but the vast majority of approvals to go to tender has not been issued despite a number of announcements. Often, I blame the local authority as much as anybody else. However, in...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: It is. It relates to Irish Water.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Okay. The charging plan, which will affect every citizen in the country, does relate to this section. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, has failed categorically to spell out in any reasonable fashion a ballpark figure for what consumers can expect to pay for water. If he is in control of this brief for the transfer to Irish Water of all of these powers, surely it would be reasonable...

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: No, they will not.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I did not shout.

Seanad: Water Services (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2013)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: The charges-----