Results 13,181-13,200 of 13,214 for speaker:Pat Gallagher

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

Pat Gallagher: I thank Senators from all sides for their very constructive contributions to this all important debate on the Licensing of Indoor Events Bill 2001. I appreciate it is some time since the Bill was originally initiated as it took a long time to get into the queue. It is almost complete and I have no doubt we will get the necessary co-operation from the House with a view to ensuring we can...

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

Pat Gallagher: The legislation also covers churches, a subject Senators may wish to discuss at a later date. As far as venues are concerned, each event will require a licence as crowd management issues vary with the type of gig and audience profile. A rave gig with a teenage audience would require a high level of crowd control, whereas a classical concert would not. For example, a Daniel O'Donnell concert...

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

Pat Gallagher: It can vary from time to time. Senator Quinn raised a question concerning the recommendations of the Farrell, Grant Sparks report on fire safety and services, including the proposal to establish a national fire authority. A number of recommendations are being considered by the Minister. We can all agree that there are many positive recommendations to improve the delivery of fire services. It...

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

Pat Gallagher: The amendment proposes to give primacy to tertiary roads in the context of extra revenue generated by the increases in motor tax set out in the Bill. I cannot accept it as to give statutory priority to a particular class of road such as tertiary roads would set a most unwelcome and inflexible precedent. Senator Tuffy, supported by Senator Bannon, is saying the €65 million should be spent on...

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

Pat Gallagher: It was less than €500,000 in comparison to a contribution in my county of €3 million and a contribution in Galway of €5 million.

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

Pat Gallagher: I hope the Senator's council will be able to respond when we raise this matter with it. The 2003 Estimate for this area is €432,000 compared with €410,700 last year. We must be realistic about this. I am making an obvious point. If there are problems in this area, local authorities have a duty and a responsibility to contribute some of their resources to address them. A number of local...

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

Pat Gallagher: This is a matter for each local authority and we will look at it on an authority by authority basis. Senator Tuffy mentioned Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, which under the 2003 allocation receives €9 million, though there is nothing for tertiary roads. However, if one goes back a few years it received €127,000 for that sector. This is a matter of priorities but if her local...

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

Pat Gallagher: The effect of this amendment would be to eliminate altogether the existing relatively low surcharge that applies to taxing one's car on a quarterly rather than annual basis. Fractions of a euro are rounded downwards for motor tax purposes and the proposed amendment would make it cheaper to tax a car on a quarterly rather than an annual basis. There would also be additional administration...

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

Pat Gallagher: I appreciate the points the Senator makes. Everyone can face financial pressure and I readily accept that motor taxation is expensive for young people. More importantly, however, their insurance costs are much too high, a problem I hope will be rectified by the steps being taken by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The annual rate of motor taxation for cars in...

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

Pat Gallagher: As the House is aware, the purpose of the increases in motor tax is to fund local authorities' general purpose and road funds in 2003. The level of increase in motor tax rates provided for in the Financial Resolution passed by the Dáil on 12 December last, and provided for in this Bill, is set at 12%. The Senator's amendment would see the increases reduced to 5%. A decision to increase taxes...

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

Pat Gallagher: There is no question of the Minister conning anyone. It was suggested in the other House that this would be additional funding over and above last year's figure but when the Minister introduced the Financial Resolution in the House on 12 December, he made it clear that the reason he increased motor taxation was to retain the same level investment in non-national roads. When I addressed the...

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

Pat Gallagher: I thank all the Senators who have contributed to the debate. I thank the Leader of the House and the Seanad staff for their co-operation in ensuring this Bill will be passed by both Houses before the statutory date. This Bill is important as it provides for the local government fund for various local authorities and ensures the increase of the general purpose fund by some 6%. It will also...

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

Pat Gallagher: The origins of this Bill were established with the passing in the Dáil on 12 December last of a financial resolution which essentially amended the Finance (Excise Duties) (Vehicles) Act 1952 and the Finance (No. 2) Act 1992 in respect of rates of motor taxation and trade plate licences. However, the resolution has only a limited life and to continue its effect, it needs to be replaced by a...

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

Pat Gallagher: I may not be watching the Senator directly and perhaps I am out of order but it does not mean that I am not being attentive.

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

Pat Gallagher: I have listened to every word and could perhaps repeat it verbatim.

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

Pat Gallagher: I thank the Members who contributed to this important debate. As in the Dáil, the contributions were lively and wide-ranging. While many of them were outside my remit in this regard, I will try to deal with them as best I can. The contributions are a fair reflection of the Bill. Some Members who are opposed to the legislation strayed quite a bit away from it. I am not infringing on the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - School Closures. (11 Mar 2003)

Pat Gallagher: I welcome this opportunity to outline to the House the position on St. Joseph's secondary school, Newtownforbes, County Longford. The school is one of four post-primary schools in the area and was established in the early 1950s. Formerly an all girls boarding school, co-education was introduced during the 1970s. In 1989 the boarding element was closed. Enrolments at the school peaked in the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Company Closures. (11 Mar 2003)

Pat Gallagher: I thank Senator Mansergh for raising this matter on the Adjournment. The Tánaiste learned with grave disappointment of the recent decision by Pall to close its medical filter manufacturing operation in Tipperary with the loss of 155 jobs. The Tánaiste understands that the parent company has made a decision to transfer this line to Puerto Rico. The company currently employs a total of 230...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Tourism Industry. (11 Mar 2003)

Pat Gallagher: I thank the Senator for raising this matter on the Adjournment. It gives me little pleasure to speak about the challenges facing the tourism sector when, for the third year in a row, the industry is facing economic and financial pressures caused by events completely outside its control. The Senator's motion calls for encouragement of the airline and hotel industry to adopt flexible practices...

Seanad: Adjournment Matter. - Schools Building Projects. (5 Mar 2003)

Pat Gallagher: I thank Senator Terry for raising this matter on the Adjournment. The Department's current position regarding the allocation of funding for school projects was outlined by the Minister some time ago and is available on the Department's website. In addition, the capital programme has been published. Full details regarding individual projects, including schools being provided with temporary...