Results 3,261-3,280 of 4,933 for speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Development Review: Discussion (22 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I welcome that, because as we all know, and I saw this during my time working in a local authority, appeals can take a long time. They are complicated and we all need to examine the process because time is of the essence in things like this. Fast-tracking planning is important.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Development Review: Discussion (22 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Is it just the application process? Where does the Irish Planning Institute see the root of the problem? There is always a problem when we have a review like this. Where does Dr. Norton see the problem? Is there one particular problem? Is it the application process? Is it an overall problem? Do we need to change the system? As someone who has been reviewing this for some time, what...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Development Review: Discussion (22 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I have concerns that in the past two years, there have been 100 cases. Sixty-seven were granted and 34 were refused. There is a housing crisis and the reason the committee invited the board to appear before it was to sort out issues. We all agree on the need for proper planning but there cannot be a system where 67 cases are granted and 34 refused when the board is the body that exists to...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Development Review: Discussion (22 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I agree that we need proper planning, but we also need compromise. We are experiencing a housing crisis. I totally agree with proper planning for everybody but I sometimes wonder where certain refusals come from. I am always in favour of proper planning but I also believe the system needs to be examined because it is hard to understand some of the refusals. There needs to be some...
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I would like to talk about An Garda Síochána. Following pressure from Fianna Fáil, there is increased funding of €81 million for Garda numbers in budget 2020, which will deliver up to 700 new Garda recruits. However, I need clarity about something that the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, announced earlier this year, namely, that 800 recruits would join the ranks at the...
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I want clarification.
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: That is not a point of order.
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: The Minister, Deputy Flanagan-----
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: The newspapers are calling this a U-turn and broken promise-----
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: -----along with spin and empty announcements. I am giving the facts.
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I have risen here-----
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: -----to speak about the lack of resources for our gardaí.
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: The figure of 15,000 by 2021 was a key demand of Fianna Fáil, in a confidence and supply agreement with Fine Gael, which has not been easy.
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: A boost in numbers would mean a better system. There are people the length and breadth of rural Ireland living in fear because there are not enough gardaí visible in our towns and villages. They want more gardaí.
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Every week, I receive complaints about Garda vetting and how people must be vetted for each sports club, educational facility or youth organisation. In one case, a man was vetted 18 times across various sports clubs. He was waiting weeks for authorisation to volunteer for a small club which needed his services because there was too much paperwork.
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: There should be one vetting per person which would carry through.
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: There should be only one vetting for every activity, a kind of behaviour card, which would feature the Garda's vetting information. Shockingly, people are slipping through with devastating consequences. It simply not working.
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: We cannot keep asking for more and more from our police force when we are not giving it the resources.
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: The Minister was in the House last week and I spoke to him about resources.
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Oct 2019)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: The Minister agreed with me about resources.