Results 61-80 of 13,185 for speaker:Pat Gallagher

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Arts Funding. (11 Nov 2003)

Pat Gallagher: I welcome the opportunity to address the Members of the House on the topic of funding for the arts and I thank Senator Bannon for raising this important matter. The funding allocated to the Arts Council in 2003 was €44.1 million, which represented a reduction of €3.568 million or about 7% on the Arts Council's provision in 2002. Naturally, it would have been better to avoid any reduction...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Architectural Heritage. (11 Nov 2003)

Pat Gallagher: I thank Senator Henry for raising this matter. The order to which the Senator refers is the National Monuments (Approval of Joint Consent) Order 2003 made by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on 3 July 2003. This was laid before each House of the Oireachtas, as required by section 14 of the National Monuments Act 1930, as amended. Either House of the Oireachtas...

Seanad: Containment of Nuclear Weapons Bill 2000 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (12 Nov 2003)

Pat Gallagher: The Containment of Nuclear Weapons Bill 2000 was passed by the Seanad as long ago as May 2000. With the permission of the House, therefore, it may be wise to provide Members with short introduction to its background and an overview of the amendments that were made to it in the Dáil.

Seanad: Containment of Nuclear Weapons Bill 2000 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (12 Nov 2003)

Pat Gallagher: I am pleased to be in the Seanad to report on the amendments made to the Containment of Nuclear Weapons Bill 2000 during its passage through the Dáil. I have said that some time has passed since the Bill was passed by the Seanad. Senators will recall that it was passed by the House in May 2000 and it passed Second Stage in the Dáil in February 2001. An issue arose at that point, however,...

Seanad: Containment of Nuclear Weapons Bill 2000 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (12 Nov 2003)

Pat Gallagher: On the question raised by Senator Bannon, the Commission advice was solely on administrative details and clarified how other member states proposed to deal with the administration. Changes that have taken place since the Bill was initiated in the House, such as those pertaining to radioactive waste, are totally outside its scope. The legislation is unaffected by the delay in its passage. It...

Seanad: Containment of Nuclear Weapons Bill 2000 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (12 Nov 2003)

Pat Gallagher: I will now elaborate on some of what can be regarded as the more substantive amendments. Some of these are a consequence of other amendments. In saying that they are of a more substantive nature, I am assured, on the basis of legal advice, that they do not alter in any way the original thrust or scope of the Bill. Amendment No. 4, which has been categorised in the second group of amendments,...

Seanad: Containment of Nuclear Weapons Bill 2000 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (12 Nov 2003)

Pat Gallagher: We debated the penalties in detail on Committee Stage. The level of penalties laid down in the legislation has been endorsed by the Department's legal advisers. It fits the crime whether on summary conviction or indictment. When Senators raised the issue of the appropriate level of fines during the debate on other legislation, the Licensing of Indoor Events Act 2001, I informed the House that...

Seanad: Containment of Nuclear Weapons Bill 2000 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (12 Nov 2003)

Pat Gallagher: The Bill includes a section on administrative issues. The term "materials" is straightforward and refers to materials of a nuclear—

Seanad: Containment of Nuclear Weapons Bill 2000 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (12 Nov 2003)

Pat Gallagher: Although we are incorporating the protocol into our legislation, thankfully we do not have the materials to which the Deputy refers, apart from a small amount in some of our universities, namely Cork University and, possibly, University College Dublin where they are handled transparently. When one considers the materials used by the nuclear industry, the world would be a safer place if all...

Seanad: Containment of Nuclear Weapons Bill 2000 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (12 Nov 2003)

Pat Gallagher: Senator Brady's response adequately addressed Senator Bannon's concerns on my behalf. The materials referred to by Senator Bannon do not come within the scope of the Bill as they are regulated already under other legislation and orders. The matter to which he refers is a responsibility of the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland. Question put and agreed to. Question proposed: "That...

Seanad: Containment of Nuclear Weapons Bill 2000 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (12 Nov 2003)

Pat Gallagher: I thank all the Senators who contributed to the debate on this legislation. The amendments proposed in the Dáil and accepted in the Seanad have improved the text of the Bill, consistent with the requirements of the protocol and our national position on nuclear non-proliferation. This is important legislation which has benefited from the consideration given to it in both Houses. The enactment...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Environmental Pollution. (3 Dec 2003)

Pat Gallagher: I thank Senator Ulick Burke for raising this issue. The Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts and related legislation designate local authorities as the water pollution control authorities. The control authority in this case is Galway County Council. Under the legislation, the Environmental Protection Agency acts in a general supervisory role. I have made inquiries about the matter. I will...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Environmental Pollution. (3 Dec 2003)

Pat Gallagher: Galway County Council's allocation from the fund in 2003 was €25,037,960. This represents an increase of approximately 92% over the 1997 allocation and an average increase of over 15% in each of the past six years. The recently published Abridged Estimates Volume indicates that €1.118 billion will be available to the local government fund in 2004. This represents an increase of...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Environmental Pollution. (3 Dec 2003)

Pat Gallagher: We will know more about that when the council acquires information from bodies such as the ESB, Hibernian Wind Farms, Gort Wind Farms and Ascot Contractors on the basis of the section 23 notices. Full information is being sought. We hope that all the information will be made available and a further decision will be made on that basis.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Environmental Pollution. (3 Dec 2003)

Pat Gallagher: It is important to clarify that conditions relating to bonds are a matter for the local authority.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Schools Building Projects. (3 Dec 2003)

Pat Gallagher: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. I am glad to have the opportunity of outlining to the House the Department of Education and Science's position in regard to the provision of improved accommodation of St. Mura's, Buncrana, and Monreagh national school in Carrigans.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Crime Prevention Programmes. (3 Dec 2003)

Pat Gallagher: I thank the Senator for raising this matter on the Adjournment and I am aware of his interest in this subject. I apologise for the absence of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform who regrets that he is unable to be here due to prior commitments. Garda youth diversion projects are community based, multi-agency crime prevention initiatives which seek to divert young people from...

European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (3 Feb 2004)

Pat Gallagher: Following the publication of the 2002 census of population figures in July 2002, a constituency commission was established under Part II of the Electoral Act 1997 to make a report on the constituencies for the election of Members to the Dáil and European Parliament. To facilitate the holding of the European Parliament election next June, the commission dealt with European elections first and...

European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (3 Feb 2004)

Pat Gallagher: I thank Deputies who contributed to the debate on the European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2003. As I said at the outset, this is a short Bill to implement the Constituencies Commission Report 2003 and to give effect to the European Union's Council decision of June and September 2002. I wish to focus on the Bill and to thank Deputies from all sides for their general welcome for it....

European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (3 Feb 2004)

Pat Gallagher: Yes.