Results 21-40 of 13,185 for speaker:Pat Gallagher

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

Pat Gallagher: I welcome the opportunity to appear before the Seanad today to discuss the Licensing of Indoor Events Bill 2001, the primary purpose of which is to ensure public safety at large-scale indoor events. The Bill is set out in three Parts. Parts 1 and 2 relate to the licensing system for indoor events while Part 3 relates to amendments to the Fire Services Act 1981. Like anyone else going out for...

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: Licensing of Indoor Events Bill 2001: Committee and Remaining Stages. (7 May 2003)

Pat Gallagher: We will deal with the coupled amendments Nos. 1 and 10, tabled by Senator Bannon. I cannot disagree with anything he has said about the importance of fire safety. The feeling is unanimous in both Houses that we have a duty and obligation in relation to fire safety. Regarding the proposal to insert "chief fire officer or inspection officer" in the Bill, the person authorised by the fire...

Seanad: Licensing of Indoor Events Bill 2001: Committee and Remaining Stages. (7 May 2003)

Pat Gallagher: While I appreciate that Senator Bannon is trying to strengthen the legislation, we have already done this by incorporating section 29(c) which inserts a new subsection (5) in section 18 of the Fire Service Act. We have now given authority to the authorised officer – who could be the chief fire officer, assistant fire officer or senior officer – to issue a closure notice. Depending on the...

Seanad: Licensing of Indoor Events Bill 2001: Committee and Remaining Stages. (7 May 2003)

Pat Gallagher: Each fire authority has one chief fire officer. This chief fire officer, unlike a politician, cannot be on call 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. It would be extremely serious if this power were vested in the chief fire officer alone or in the the county manager. We are vesting this power in the authorised officer, appointed by the fire authority. While it is likely to be the chief fire...

Seanad: Licensing of Indoor Events Bill 2001: Committee and Remaining Stages. (7 May 2003)

Pat Gallagher: I am not sure if there are any county managers who were chief fire officers. It is somewhat irrelevant. The authorised officers, to be appointed by a fire authority county manager, will definitely be chief fire officers, senior fire officer or assistant fire officers. It is not necessary to insert ", through its Chief Fire Officer or Inspection Officer," as they are all covered under the term...

Seanad: Licensing of Indoor Events Bill 2001: Committee and Remaining Stages. (7 May 2003)

Pat Gallagher: I have no difficulty with the principle behind the amendments, which are similar to the amendments tabled in the in Dáil prior to Easter. Of course, a number of years down the road whether the fine is €3,000 or €1.3 million on indictment, it may need to be increased. That is a problem that has always existed. This matter will be resolved and responsibility for the indexation of fines is...