Results 13,101-13,120 of 13,270 for speaker:Pat Gallagher
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (11 May 2004)
Pat Gallagher: The effect of the amendment would be to ignore respected Members like Senator Quinn and assert that the major parties should decide these issues. That would not lead to useful legislation. Contrary to Senator Brian Hayes's suggestion, all legislation coming before the Houses of the Oireachtas is important. General consensus is somewhat different to all-party support. If we must have the...
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (11 May 2004)
Pat Gallagher: The procedure proposed in section 1(9) of the Bill is the same as that generally used for commencement orders for many years across a wide variety of legislation and I see no need to change the procedure. Having regard to the discussion on amendments Nos. 1 and 4, I cannot accept amendments Nos. 5 and 6. If we were to change this and other pieces of legislation in this way, the entire system...
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (11 May 2004)
Pat Gallagher: Amendment No. 7 seeks to extend the description of the offence described in section 2 in relation to the software used or intended for use in the system. The Bill already covers this point, perhaps in a less direct manner. I refer the Senator to section 1(2) which states: The Electoral Acts 1992 to 2002 and this Act may be cited together as the Electoral Acts 1992 to 2004 and shall be read...
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (11 May 2004)
Pat Gallagher: The wording of the amendment would set the commission an impossible task. For example, the amendment refers to "highest standards". Standards always change and the commission's report states the voting machines produced by the internationally accredited company, PTB, are constructed in line with the current general state of technology. This is fluid. Reference is also made to secrecy and...
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (11 May 2004)
Pat Gallagher: This amendment, tabled by Labour Party and moved by Senator McCarthy, is not directly related to the Bill and does not represent a clear understanding of the role of the Minister in the conduct of elections. Each of the electoral and referendum legislative codes provides that the conduct of an election or a referendum is clearly the statutory responsibility of the relevant returning officer,...
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (11 May 2004)
Pat Gallagher: It is interesting. Deputy Howlin had responsibility for the general election of 1997, the referenda in 1995 on divorce and in 1996 on bail, the local elections in 1994 and the European elections. I do not know if Deputy Howlin was the party's director of elections and I am not concerned about it. The late John Boland, who was Minister for the Environment in 1986 and 1987, had responsibility...
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (11 May 2004)
Pat Gallagher: I am not suggesting otherwise. The Senator probably believes the commission could incorporate the other commissions, such as the commission on electoral boundaries, the Referendum Commission and the Standards in Public Office Commission but it does not arise in the context of this legislation. There is no necessity for this amendment. However, it is a matter for the House to decide.
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (11 May 2004)
Pat Gallagher: I have nothing to add. The late Jimmy Tully, another man for whom I had great respect, was appointed Minister for Defence in 1981 when I was a new Member of the House. He was also a Minister from 1973 to 1977 but he was not a director of elections; neither were former Deputy Peter Barry or former Deputy Dick Spring. However, it is an interesting point and even if they had been directors of...
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (11 May 2004)
Pat Gallagher: It is abundantly clear that in passing the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001, the Houses of the Oireachtas approved the use of the electronic voting system. I defended the original proposal in section 48 to provide the Minister with the authority to extend electronic voting to the other electoral codes. We took advice and the issue was compared to that of Carrickmines, which was debated in this...
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (11 May 2004)
Pat Gallagher: Amendment No. 1 proposes to insert a new section into the Bill. The Government regards this as unnecessary. The commission's terms of reference in Schedule 5, together with sections 21 and 22, clearly state that the commission's reports will comprise recommendations on the secrecy and accuracy of the system including its application or non-application at the European and local elections on 11...
- Seanad: Health Board Services. (7 May 2004)
Pat Gallagher: I thank Senator Terry for the opportunity to speak on this important matter. With regard to the provision of new health centres generally, the identification, prioritisation and provision of such facilities to meet the needs of local communities within its functional area is a matter for the relevant health board or the ERHA, the Eastern Regional Health Authority. In the case of Mulhuddart,...
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (7 May 2004)
Pat Gallagher: I thank Senators Bannon, Kitt, Quinn, Maurice Hayes, McCarthy, Brady, Terry and Brennan for their contributions to this debate. We have debated the general concept of electronic voting on other occasions. The aspect of the system being considered today is important. In my introductory remarks, I clarified the reasons we are proceeding with the Bill. Although the Government has decided not to...
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (7 May 2004)
Pat Gallagher: The Bill before the House, which was passed by Dáil Ãireann yesterday, follows from the undertaking of the amended motion passed by Dáil Ãireann on 18 February to establish on a statutory footing the Commission on Electronic Voting which has been asked to report on the secrecy and accuracy of the arrangements proposed for electronic voting; introduce legislation to enable electronic...
- Córais Uisce agus Séarachais. (4 May 2004)
Pat Gallagher: Tá sé i gceist infheistÃocht â¬4.4 billiún ina iomlán a chur ar fáil do sheirbhÃsà uisce agus séarachais ar feadh thréimhse an Phlean Fhorbartha Náisiúnta, 2000-2006. As an méid sin, tá â¬3.8 billiún sonraithe do mhórscéimeanna poiblÃ. Tá an infheistÃocht seo dÃrithe ar na seirbhÃsà uisce agus uisce drámhaoile is gá a chur ar fáil chun tacú leis an bhforbairt...
- Córais Uisce agus Séarachais. (4 May 2004)
Pat Gallagher: Tá tógáil na scéime seo freisin le tosú an bhliain seo chugainn. Tá an t-airgead ar fáil ón Roinn chun na scéimeanna seo a thógáil. Déanfar scrúdú práinneach sa Roinn ar na doiciméid ón chomhairle chondae a luaithe is a faightear iad anseo.
- Seanad: Disabilities Bill: Motion. (28 Apr 2004)
Pat Gallagher: The Government is committed to the preparation of a disability Bill that will facilitate the participation of people with disabilities in Irish society. The Government's intention to bring forward the Bill was signalled in An Agreed Programme for Government. The programme states: The Government will complete consultations on the Disability Bill and will bring the amended Bill through the...
- Seanad: Schools Building Projects. (6 Apr 2004)
Pat Gallagher: I thank Senator Morrissey for giving me the opportunity to outline on behalf of the Department of Education and Science the position on the Beechpark Avenue site in which the Castleknock Educate Together national school is located in temporary accommodation. The Department purchased the lands at Beechpark Avenue in 1983 to provide a post-primary school in the Castleknock area. At the time of...
- Seanad: Draft Guidelines on Rural Housing: Statements (Resumed). (6 Apr 2004)
Pat Gallagher: I thank all Senators for their valuable contributions on 10 March and today on the draft guidelines for planning authorities on sustainable rural housing. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Cullen, regrets he is unable to attend the debate this afternoon but I assure Members I will brief him fully on their contributions. The views expressed will be...
- Seanad: Draft Guidelines on Rural Housing: Statements (Resumed). (6 Apr 2004)
Pat Gallagher: The structures and provisions are in place, but I am not sure whether they have been effected hitherto. However, I assure the House that it will happen regarding the planning guidelines if they are not incorporated or taken on board. That should not be necessary, and this approach uses a carrot rather than a stick, but if it is necessary to issue such a directive, we will not be found wanting.
- Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (30 Mar 2004)
Pat Gallagher: As part of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness initiative, â¬335,722 was spent in the three year period to end 2002 on awareness campaigns to promote voter registration. Further expenditure of â¬181,945 was incurred in the same period advertising the supplementary register facility and polling arrangements in the run up to polls. Separate information campaigns were also undertaken to...