Results 15,701-15,720 of 20,831 for speaker:David Norris

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: How is it we heard them?

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: The Minister of State said that the phrase included cultural and economic aspects. I am not sure if it does that. Margaret Thatcher drew a very clear distinction between society and the economy when she said that we had an economy and that society was a very detached object. To prevent that Thatcherite confusion, it might be worth looking at the Senator's amendment again. It is not...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: I support this amendment. It is a deficiency in the Bill that there is insufficient recognition of the significant problem of homelessness. I know it is the Minister of State's intention to deal with this, as he has clearly indicated. He has ambitious plans and we believe him, but in this section we have the matter of segregation between persons of different social backgrounds, as well as...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: I support Senator Coffey again on this matter. The movement from this side of the House is in support of the Minister of State's stated objectives. Should it come to pass, however, that Senator Coffey feels compelled to call a vote, I suggest that we should go through the division lobbies in light of the earlier debacle. In addition to a physical vote, we might also secure the services of...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: Yes, that is an additional flourish to the amendment. I passed a number of people in the corridors and while I had the bells ringing in my ears, they were unable to hear them. Perhaps if there was a visual attraction as well, along the lines that I have suggested, they might turn up in the division lobbies.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: Will the Minister of State clarify this point further? What he says is interesting in that he suggests it is within the passage of the Bill that these regulations are spelled out. However, I do not see them in the text of the Bill so how will that be done within the passage of the Bill? The Minister of State has unintentionally muddied the water because I am sure it must be after the...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: Not before the passage of the Bill. I think the Minister of State intends that the Bill should pass in anticipation of these matters, but those will not form part of the Bill. That is the point I am trying to clarify.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: Will that happen in the Seanad? Will this come as an amendment from the Minister of State on Report Stage, given it is not in the Bill at present, or does the Minister of State anticipate that the Bill will take longer than just this afternoon and he will have an amendment for us the next time the House sits to discuss this matter?

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: This is unsatisfactory. It is the responsibility of the Minister of State's Department to present a complete Bill to the Seanad. While I am sorry to have to say this because I know he is working hard on this, as are his staff, the Minister of State has produced an incomplete Bill, which is not appropriate. I repeat that the Minister of State is attributing to the Dáil functions that...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: Exactly.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: I will conclude because Senator Bacik and I have teased out the issue. Our difficulty is that while we welcome the implementation plan, this is all theory unless we put something into action. However, the Minister of State appeared to suggest that when it went to the Dáil, there would be a further legislative development which had not been considered at that point by this House. That is...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: I agree, we want to offer support.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: Senator Doherty has very succinctly expressed what I would like to find out. With regard to the Minister of State's wonderful jigsaw analogy, he will not win any prizes for a jigsaw that, as he admits, has a significant piece missing. I have done jigsaws in my misspent youth. The whole point was to get them finished. The Minister of State will not get a prize for an incomplete jigsaw,...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: How green does Senator Boyle think this eye is? I will make one constructive suggestion and not continue with this matter. We must get ahead and have our vote. When the Minister of State has answered Senator Doherty's very reasonable questions and if it turns out that this material part of the Bill will not be given primary consideration in this House but left to the other House, I suggest...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: I asked the Minister of State a specific and clear question and I would like an answer to it. Is he prepared to postpone Report Stage? It cannot affect the timetable for the passage of the Bill in any significant sense if he delays Report Stage until this House gets an opportunity to discuss it. Otherwise, I will begin to suspect the Minister of State's good faith in this respect. What is...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: I strongly support Senator Doherty. He has done us a service by providing a definition of homelessness for the Bill. I am sure Members on this side of the House will put forward amendments and if I do not put them forward, I will certainly support those who do. It is essential to have this definition of homelessness. I wish to comment on the wording of the amendment. The first thing one...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: The Minister of State will have time to consider the question of a definition of homelessness. He would do us a service if he provided a definition and he should not allow it to go to the Lower House. The Minister of State was a Member of this House and we have been treated with scant respect by it in recent days. I believe he would be doing the political system a favour if he either...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: I am heartened by some of what the Minister of State says, but I am disappointed with his response to the definition. I would like some information on that. I know there is a definition in the 1998 Act, but that dates from 20 years ago. We now have a more sophisticated and targeted approach in these matters. I would not like to think that we have not learned anything over the past 20...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

David Norris: The Senator underestimates himself.