Results 1,841-1,860 of 25,975 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I note the points Members have made. I have a few observations to make. When I came into this role, I had to look at a body of legislation that was not only around the legal form but also required a consideration of whether it would work in practice. I have been very honest in that. There are five staff, one of whom, the special adviser, is directly appointed by the mayor. The draft...

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Amendment No. 14 relates to the assignment of staff to the office of mayor. I note that Deputies Bacik and Leddin have tabled similar amendments, Nos. 12 and 15. The appointment of staff to the office of mayor was the subject of much debate on Second Stage and Committee Stage. The Bill, as published, provides that the director general will appoint the office staff in line with their...

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Amendment No. 9 aims to include further functions for the mayor. New subsection (6) proposes the mayor have an ambassadorial role in promotion and delivery of the living wage in business in Limerick. As I outlined on Committee Stage, the Government has committed to progress to a national living wage by 2026 by incremental increases of the national minimum wage, which has a statutory basis....

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: That is fine. I thank the Chairman for that clarification. I thought as much but it is good to have it clarified for the record. We had a very open discussion on this subject on Committee Stage. I recognise the good intentions of the amendments and appreciate that their aim is to ensure that Limerick can expect to have a mayor who is fully committed to advancing the issues that...

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am speaking to amendment No. 77.

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: To re-emphasise, amendment No. 77 also inserts a new subparagraph 160(1)(b)(iii) in section 160(1)(b) to provide that the amendment to new subparagraph 161(1)(b)(ii) will not affect any legal cases that are in being. This amendment will ensure that where legal proceedings have been initiated prior to the commencement of section 66 of the Bill, such proceedings will not be affected. This is...

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I move amendment No. 2: In page 7, line 22, to delete "Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Act 2023" and substitute"Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023".

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I move amendment No. 3: In page 7, to delete lines 23 and 24 and substitute the following: "(2) The Local Government Acts 1925 to 2023 and this Act (other than Part 5 and section 65) may be cited together as the Local Government Acts 1925 to 2023.".

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank the Deputy. Amendment No. 5 is similar to the amendment tabled by Deputy Quinlivan on Committee Stage and proposes to reduce the review period from three years after the office of mayor is established to two years. As I outlined on Committee Stage, we can all agree that once the office of mayor is established and the mayor is in situ for the appropriate period, there will need to be...

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank the Deputy. On a point of clarification, if a Member is not present in the House, do I still speak to the amendment? I do. That is fine. Amendment No. 8 in the name of Deputy Paul Murphy would prohibit the mayor from having any other occupation while amendment No. 7 in the name of Deputy Quinlivan, my Limerick colleague, and others, seeks to stop the mayor from having any other...

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I move amendment No. 1: In page 7, lines 16 and 17, to delete all words from and including “and” in line 16 down to and including line 17 and substitute the following: “to extend the circumstances within which a person may apply for an affordable dwelling purchase arrangement under the Affordable Housing Act 2021 and for that purpose to amend that Act; to provide for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (13 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes in their areas. My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist...

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Instruction to Committee (12 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I do not think we need formally respond to the debate.

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Instruction to Committee (12 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I will respond briefly on one or two points. Deputy O'Donoghue referenced council staff. I will bring an amendment forward tomorrow, which relates to staff in the directly elected mayor's office. The mayor will be consulted on the appointment of those staff. I very much took on board what came up on Committee Stage. Deputy McNamara referred to why we are bringing forward the amendment...

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Instruction to Committee (12 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I move: That Standing Order 187 is modified in accordance with Standing Order 233(2) to provide that it be an instruction to the Committee in relation to the Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023, that the Committee has power to make amendments to the Bill which are outside the scope of the existing subject matter of the Bill in relation to:the Local Government Act 2001 (as amended...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (12 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Housing for All commits to reviewing the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme and a report on the review has been prepared by my Department. The review was informed by engagement with external stakeholders, including the Department of Health, the HSE, the Disability Federation of Ireland and the Irish Wheelchair Association. Written submissions were...

Tenancy Protection Bill 2023: Second Stage [Private Members] (7 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Based on a sample.

Tenancy Protection Bill 2023: Second Stage [Private Members] (7 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: May I speak for a second?

Tenancy Protection Bill 2023: Second Stage [Private Members] (7 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Deputy O'Callaghan for his Bill. We are not opposing the Bill and we want to engage. I mention the empirical evidence that has been provided to us to date. The Government has noted that we are allowing the Bill to proceed to scrutiny by the relevant committee. However, the Government has noted that the reliance on the exemption has caused few disputes or referrals to the RTB....

Tenancy Protection Bill 2023: Second Stage [Private Members] (7 Dec 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Deputy O'Callaghan for bringing forward this Bill. As he stated, the Government will not be opposing the Bill and will allow it to progress for detailed debate on Committee Stage. In preparation for this, I have gone through the Bill quite forensically with the officials in order to see where we stand. I will go through a couple of aspects. It must be recognised that the legal...