Results 4,261-4,280 of 24,399 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Seanad: Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: I join Senator Casey in his remarks about supports to business. The fundamental point is that if you talk to people who work in hospitality, they will tell you that the summer months are their season of opportunity in terms of employment and being able to buffer against the winter. Senator Casey is right. Notwithstanding that winter is bleak, it is bleak in the hospitality sector because...

Seanad: Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: I welcome the clarity from the Minister of State. Hopefully, we will not need to be here in June of next year. I am a member of the transport committee and we had an aviation recovery task force. It is time we considered a hospitality sector task force, which would report back. We welcome the increase in people back at work. As the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach said, the scheme has helped...

Seanad: Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Second Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: I welcome the Minister of State. Senator Mullen's contribution is one that we have a debate on in this House, to address the future of how we will pay. Some live in the land of milk and honey and therein lies part of our difficulty. Others of us live in the land of realism and recognise that we have rightly spent and borrowed billions of euro to support SMEs and workers. I would love to...

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: There are a number of issues amalgamating here. One concerns the Office of the Planning Regulator. Has the Land Development Agency engaged with local authorities that currently are compiling their area, county or city development plans? We must learn from the past. We must not replicate the mistakes we made in previous generations. That is why, in section 77(2)(c), reference is made to...

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: In the context of the amendment, I understand and agree with the remarks of my colleagues. I do not envisage any of the lands in question being developed. I am thinking of Regional Park Ballincollig and Fitzgerald's Park in Cork. I have a question arising from the amendment about old, disused Garda barracks and Army buildings. Some retired members of our Defence Forces need housing. How...

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: I welcome Senator O'Reilly’s intervention. We should be having a wider debate on Senator Boyhan’s contribution in the context of how we can develop in tandem with the LDA to work in partnership with local authorities, the Army, the Garda or whoever in looking at different models around the development of housing. We should not be afraid to be ambitious and different. If this...

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: It is, in the context of public lands, for the purposes of this Bill.

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: I thought I was, in the context of developing housing on public lands.Killarney National Park was mentioned earlier and you did not come in at all.

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: I am sure you would not like to see public housing or any housing in Killarney National Park.

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: Exactly. The point Senator Boyhan has made should not be glossed over. We should come back to it however we can because there is merit in his suggestion.

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: I have huge understanding of where the Senator is coming from on this. It is critical we give local authorities and their members, irrespective of our constituencies or none, a key role in this. A point we should also dwell upon concerns the creation of the offices of the Land Development Agency in Cork, Dublin and Limerick, including how they are populated and their role and remit, in...

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: I accept and appreciate that. I accept I strayed. There is merit in what Senator Boyhan is trying to achieve.We want transparency but we should examine the role of the strategic policy committees, SPCs, on our councils and how they can be better populated to deliver better outcomes for councils.

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: The Minister did not mention the development of the offices. He might revert to me on that. The Land Development Agency website needs to be more up to date. The Minister might also revert to me on mapping exercise I spoke about. We have seen on the website the number of projects to be delivered. To go back to Senator Boyhan's remarks, many of the sites were the sites of old barracks....

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: Gabh mo leithscéal but I asked the Minister a question-----

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Second Stage (9 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: I welcome the Minister of State. This is important legislation. It is about ensuring we deliver affordable housing on publicly-owned lands. The hypocrisy of those voting against this Bill should be laid clear for everybody. They are opposing the sale and building of housing on public lands for citizens of our country.This is what the Opposition is doing in opposing the Bill. As has...

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Second Stage (9 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: That is fine, and I did ask for clarification because I was surprised he wanted to have a second new tier.

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Second Stage (9 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: "Split it into two" was the phrase he used and I am glad he clarified it. Housing is a generational issue. We must build more houses. There was an audit and mapping exercise done on State lands by the LDA. Please let us not have more procrastination. Let us have delivery. Let the Minister of State's legacy in the Department be one of acting, building and creating a platform for people...

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Second Stage (9 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: Next Monday.

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: I will allow Deputy Griffin to go first.

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Jerry Buttimer: Yes. I thank both witnesses for their presentations and ongoing work. All of us are deeply conscious of the real need for reform and, ultimately, action to be taken in ending direct provision. In the context of the legislative foundation for proposed reform and the fact that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth may be stating that we do not need that...