Results 121-140 of 7,187 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 13: .In page 16, after line 38, to insert the following: “(2) Prior to making a determination under subsection (1), the Minister shall consult with the Mayor and the elected members of Limerick City and County Council.”.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 14: In page 17, to delete lines 1 to 25 and substitute the following: “Attendance before council 17.(1) The Mayor shall be entitled and required to appear before Limerick City and County Council. (2) The Mayor shall be entitled to speak and participate in discussions and move motions at meetings of Limerick City and County Council and he or she shall be...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am happy to leave amendments Nos. 14 and 15 aside for now because I hear what the Minister of State is saying about the reserved functions and ensuring the powers are there. Amendment No. 16 would just be adding that requirement for accountability; it does not change anything else. It does not limit the powers of the mayor in attending meetings, functioning as a normal councillor, putting...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am going to withdraw the amendment and reserve the right to bring it back on Report Stage. I will examine that.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 16: In page 17, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following: “(3) The Mayor shall be accountable to the elected members of Limerick City and County Council in the performance of his or her functions, unless otherwise specified in this or another enactment.”.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 17: In page 17, line 27, to delete “The director general, after consultation with the Mayor,” and substitute “The Mayor”. A fundamental issue and concern with this legislation is that the mayor is not necessarily being given the powers or discretion to hire their own staff, which is something that could create an obstacle. I cannot imagine...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 17: In page 17, line 27, to delete “The director general, after consultation with the Mayor,” and substitute “The Mayor”.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 21: In page 21, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “(5) Subject to section 145 of the Principal Act, the Mayor must be consulted regarding the appointment of the director general.”. These amendments relate to the wider issue around the appointment of the chief executive in local government. Specifically, section 145 of the Local...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I accept that the Minister of State does not like the mechanism I am suggesting in amendment No. 23, but it is important that there would be a mechanism. I am going to press amendment No. 21 and withdraw the other two.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 22: In page 21, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 145 of Principal Act 27. Section 145 of the Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (7)— “(8) This section shall not apply in relation to Limerick City and County Council.”.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 23: In page 21, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “Appointment of director general 27. (1) Where a vacancy occurs in the office of the director general, the responsibility for appointment of a new director general shall lie with Limerick City and County Council. (2) Such vacancies shall be advertised by the Public Appointments Service who shall...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 24: In page 21, line 27, after “writing” to insert “and with the approval by resolution of the elected council”. These amendments relate to the power of the mayor to delegate functions to the director general. We previously discussed the extraordinarily large numbers of powers that are going to remain with the director general, the seven...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----there is a transfer in one direction but not in the other. What I am really looking for are assurances, clarity and, to a degree, safeguards. Amendment No. 24 would say that delegation made under subsection (1) would have to be approved by resolution of the elected council. If there is a mayor who is elected and says, "Well I do not actually want to do that anymore" and who wants to...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister of State for his indications and co-operation. I am glad to hear that the issue is addressed in respect of amendment No. 27. Regarding amendment No. 25, I am happy to engage with the Minister of State. I will withdraw it. Of course, I reserve the right to bring it back on Report Stage, but I am happy to engage with the Minister of State in the meantime.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 25: In page 21, after line 39, to insert the following: “(6) The Mayor shall, on an annual basis, provide a list of delegated functions to the elected council.”. I will withdraw the amendment and I reserve the right to reintroduce it.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 26: In page 21, after line 39, to insert the following: “(6) The elected council may by resolution revoke a delegation under this section.”.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 28: In page 23, line 8, to delete “section 34.” and substitute the following: “section 34; “United Nations Sustainable Development Goals” means the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 1 to 17 set out in the document entitled “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, published by the UN...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Will the Minister of State indicate where biodiversity is included in this Bill? The Minister of State has said he does not feel it is necessary in various ways and that other legislation exists. In this new Bill that is setting out the vision for Limerick and for the mayor and where lots of specific things are mentioned, such as cultural, rural and social development, as are employment,...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be brief in response. One of the reasons this is important is because the bodies with which the Bill anticipates the delivery board engaging are involved in many things, such as rural, social and cultural development, employment, and enterprise and tourism, but again, environmental or heritage bodies are not mentioned in this context. The Bill refers to "including such bodies". I...