Results 2,641-2,660 of 8,211 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Public Service Performance Report: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (22 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the witnesses.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Section 17 amends section 177L of the principal Act to reflect the repeal of section 177D, which relates to applications for leave. Section 177D, which is being repealed by section 21 of the Bill, which I will be opposing, provides for the decision of the board not to grant substitute consent. In its submission to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Section 18 amends section 177M of the principal Act to reflect the repeal of section 117D, which relates to application for leave, amends the reference to section 261A and channels applications to 177E, which has been amended. A key element in this section is the deletion of the phrase "in a case where it granted leave to apply for substitute consent on the grounds that exceptional...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to speak on section 19. The section amends section 177N of the principal Act and deletes the phrase "for leave to apply for substitute consent" throughout. Section 177N provides for the powers of the Minister to make regulations regarding substitute consent. This section will remove the powers of the Minister to make regulations in respect of leave to apply for substitute consent....

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 12: In page 13, between lines 31 and 32, to insert the following: "Threshold for substitute consent 21. The provisions of this Act including the right to apply for substitute consent shall not be applicable in respect of projects which have an estimated commercial value of greater than €5,480,000.". Amendment No. 12 would insert a new section into the...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I note that the Minister of State has not addressed my point on the additional applications. Perhaps he might expand on that, given as I say that this not an arbitrary threshold. This threshold is recognised in the EU in procurement laws and others as major works. Does the Minister of State feel that it is appropriate or acceptable for a project or a proposed development of more than...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To be clear, section 16 does not say that they have to be linked to the current use. This could be, as I understand it, any use on an adjoining site. Effectively, this case will arise when there are two properties beside each other. Therefore, it is not linked to the substitute consent, which is its application. There is that question. This does not really answer the question. In fact,...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Vótáil.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Section 21 repeals a number of really important provisions in the principal Act and the original measures we had for substitute consent.I will not go through all of them but I signal I may bring forward amendments on Report Stage on the specific different provisions being repealed in this section. While I will oppose the section which relates to the repeal of a group of provisions of the...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Why is it inserted in the Bill? If it is such a terrible thing that nobody wants to use, we could easily remove that.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This is additional. This is what is getting added in. It is not getting added because nobody wanted it. Basically, it means this goes straight to An Bord Pleanála. Of course, people can apply through the normal process and that is already there. This is a different route that is being inserted. If it is such a terrible route that nobody would ever want to take, why have it in the...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have an amendment coming up that will allow for the issue to be surveyed and then, good or bad, for the consequences or the impacts to be assessed.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 13: In page 14, between lines 34 and 35, to insert the following: “Report on substitute consent 23.The Minister shall, within 18 months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining- (a) the number of applications for substitute consent received in the preceding 18 month period which were made and the number granted...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: When the Minister replies to me and Senator Boyhan, he might comment on my concern as to whether the information would be available. Would information on things like the relevant exceptional circumstance in relation to each successful application be available? Perhaps it would. I ask the Minister to indicate whether he is confident that all of the three relevant items of information would...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: No, given the Minister of State's engagement and his indication that he is confident that such information will be made available, I will withdraw the amendment.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 14: In page 14, between lines 34 and 35, to insert the following: “Report on implications of Act 23. The Minister shall, within 6 months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining the implications or impact of this legislation in respect of: (a) the powers of local authorities in respect of the substitute consent...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I would like to respond very quickly. It would be useful to have, between now and Report Stage, a note on the normal enforcement powers. Local authorities can give an input into An Bord Pleanála, but they will not get to start the process of a substitute consent application in the same way they will have been able to. That is the key concern here. In terms of local development plans,...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Bill is not reported. I wanted to have a vote.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Built Heritage Protection) Bill 2022: Second Stage (16 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State. I know that this is an area of great personal interest to him. I join others in complimenting Senator Norris. Today is Bloomsday. One of the lines in Ulyssesreads: "The supreme question about a work of art is out of how deep a life does it spring." The work of art that is the portrait of Senator Norris springs from a very deep life, and this legislation,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have been following the debate with interest. I had planned to come in remotely but that did not work out. I am torn because I have two separate sets of questions that seem contradictory, which is the nature of these issues. One set of questions intends to move away from the money; the other intends to look in great detail at the money. There must be an acknowledgement that care...