Results 11,341-11,360 of 11,433 for speaker:Michael Kitt

Seanad: Licensing of Indoor Events Bill 2001: Second Stage. (15 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: I join in welcoming the Minister of State and congratulate him on the introduction of this Bill which received a positive response in the Dáil. I read some of the Dáil debate in that regard. Indoor and outdoor events, whether in the entertainment or sports industry, raise many questions regarding safety. I note from recent articles in the media that there is a question mark over the holding...

Seanad: Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (2 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: I have much sympathy with what Senator Tuffy said concerning tertiary roads. I am concerned, however, that if we were to confine the amendment to the construction, repair and maintenance of tertiary roads, we would be forgetting about many other non-national roads. I am thinking, in particular, of county and regional roads. The Minister of State's Department makes a contribution to the CLÁR...

Seanad: Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (2 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: I support Senator Brennan's comments. The Minister of State's comments about tertiary roads are important. We know some of those roads are in bad condition and it would be a good idea if some at least could be included in the multiannual programme from 2002 to 2005. I hope the Department would look favourably on that request. I agree with Senator Tuffy regarding the state of the tertiary...

Seanad: Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (2 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: I join in the thanks to Minister of State, Deputy Pat Gallagher, for being with us here for two days and staying with the debate. I thank him and his officials too for the answers to the questions we raised. The non-national roads are important, particularly to the people who use them. We gave a list today of county, regional and tertiary roads and of the local improvement schemes which are...

Seanad: Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq: Statements. (2 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: I am glad to have the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for his comments on humanitarian aid, which is an issue we have discussed both at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and in this House. For some time I have been concerned about the UN Oil for Food Programme. The Minister of State referred to the fact that the UN, which had...

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: I support calls for a debate on Iraq. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs has sent a delegation but a larger delegation, involving other European countries, would be very useful. I would be glad to go on a delegation to Iraq—

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: —to see if we can get resolution on this issue. At the weekend the newspapers published the names of people with bogus non-resident accounts but there was no mention of the banks, in this country and elsewhere, which facilitated those accounts.

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: Will the Leader ask the Minister for Finance what action will be taken against those banks which facilitated and encouraged such accounts? They seem to be getting away scot free.

Seanad: Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (1 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: Is this a budget debate?

Seanad: Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (1 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: I was only asking a question.

Seanad: Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (1 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: I also join in the welcome to the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Gallagher. I very much welcome the opportunity to make a short contribution to the debate on this Bill. I was just looking at some of the information leaflets available in the inquiry office for those who visit the Houses of the Oireachtas. They indicate that legislation in a...

Seanad: Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (1 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: The building in question is used for training, mostly for elderly people who want to learn about on-line technology. They want to learn simple applications such as how to send e-mails to members of their family who live abroad and access replies. When this course was discussed some time ago, certain people objected to it on the basis that the money might be better spent on public health...

Seanad: Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (1 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: County Galway contributed over €5 million in 2003 and, therefore, there is a huge contribution to road tax receipts from the county.

Seanad: Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (1 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: A sum of €2 million is being provided this year and, as already stated, there is extra funding coming into County Galway which should give us a good non-national roads network. I also wish to refer to the local improvement schemes because they can make a good contribution to roads. I am concerned here with roads on which there may be no houses which lead into lands or bogs. A total of...

Seanad: Protection of the Environment Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (1 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: I welcome the Minister's response to this issue. On Committee Stage we raised the question of access and flexibility and I am glad the Minister has included the Circuit Court also, for which I thank him.

Seanad: Protection of the Environment Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (1 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: Senator O'Meara might be right about people giving back wheeled bins but there are smaller bins and special bags that can be bought. People are putting out less refuse because there is more concern about recycling. In Galway there was a debate on this. Landfill sites will last longer, now that there is more recycling and smaller bins are being used.

Seanad: Protection of the Environment Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (1 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: I second the amendment. Senator Bannon mentioned this on Committee Stage. He has stated very clearly how these words should be properly defined. I support the amendment.

Seanad: Protection of the Environment Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (1 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: I, too, thank the Minister for his attendance for the various Stages of the Bill. While it mostly deals with the licensing provisions, we discussed many other environmental issues. I thank the Minister, in particular, for his support for the Tidy Towns competition to which I referred and also for the fact that so many schools are involved in the green flag programme. I was recently at a...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Michael Kitt: That is up to the councillors.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Mar 2003)

Michael Kitt: The amendment under discussion proposes to extend the implementation date to 2009. The previous Minister was criticised for failing to abolish the dual mandate in 1999 and it is very cynical to propose that it be put off again. One is either in favour of abolishing the dual mandate or one is not. Most parties were in favour of doing so in 1999 when the previous Minister was criticised for...