Results 181-200 of 221 for speaker:Aubrey McCarthy

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Multiple Unit Developments: Discussion (14 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: I thank the witnesses for being here and for their statements. I am shocked by what has been mentioned. Deputy Hearne mentioned Grenfell and a witness said, "But for the grace of God." We were mentioning fire wardens. It sounds like a grave situation, and as was said, but for the grace of God nothing has happened. In my area of Kildare a number of years ago, six units of housing were...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Multiple Unit Developments: Discussion (14 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: Usually, and I get that you set up a different company and do another gig, but it is the professionals who certify the work who are meant to be indemnified.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Multiple Unit Developments: Discussion (14 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: By whom?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Multiple Unit Developments: Discussion (14 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: That is my point. All those people were involved in the initial blueprints.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Multiple Unit Developments: Discussion (14 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: Has the system changed? I know Mr. Montague said on paper-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Multiple Unit Developments: Discussion (14 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: Should we get local authorities and give them responsibilities for inspection?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Multiple Unit Developments: Discussion (14 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: That is my whole point. If you do not change the way you build and certify, we are going to be spending billions now fixing the last disaster while waiting for the next one.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Multiple Unit Developments: Discussion (14 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: One of the witnesses mentioned the example of a charger. The fire warden will not see the charger going on fire in a bedroom so that is a whole disaster.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Multiple Unit Developments: Discussion (14 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: Professional-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Multiple Unit Developments: Discussion (14 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: Finally, are there any examples of successful indemnity claims?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Briefing on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of a Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill 2025: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: I am just a bit confused with what my colleague, Senator Fitzpatrick, mentioned about the mechanism of how it works and the self declaration. I am involved with homelessness but I am also involved in the tourist sector. I remember back in 2017 Airbnb was going to be done away with, there was to be no more and everybody was warned. Anything I had as Airbnb in Dublin I made sure was stopped...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Briefing on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of a Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill 2025: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: Are the local authorities going to police it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Briefing on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of a Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill 2025: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: Everybody who had an Airbnb was going to jail back in 2017. Nearly ten years later, that has not happened. It looks like there is going to be a lot of resources required in order to police this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Briefing on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of a Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill 2025: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: I wear another hat. I am involved in homeless outreach, homeless centres, etc. We have a café on Pearse Street called The Light House where you meet a lot of people and we feed up to 500 people a day. One thing I am seeing is that the emergency accommodation numbers are just over 16,000, with 5,000 of them being children, which is unforgivable given the amount of houses that have been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Briefing on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of a Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill 2025: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: Which cancel out our emergency accommodation nationally.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Briefing on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of a Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill 2025: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: The Cathaoirleach mentioned Youghal. In areas like that, where tourism is the backbone and keeps the whole thing going, there has to be a delicate balance.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Briefing on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of a Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill 2025: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: I thank Ms McGuire and wish her the best going forward.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó (Atógáil) - Order of Business (Resumed) (21 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: I also welcome ambassador Pavel Vošalík to the House. He is a marvellous representative of his country and it is wonderful to have him here. As the winter comes in and the nights get darker, I am seriously uneasy and frustrated regarding the worsening homelessness situation in our country. The most recent figures released by the Department of housing are not just numbers on...

Seanad: Higher Education: Statements (21 Oct 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: I thank the Minister for being here. It is good to have him, and he is welcome. We have talked about higher education. I want to talk about the human aspect of it and lives that have been transformed, challenged and shaped through higher education in our country. I believe our universities are more than lecture halls and libraries. They are places where ambition meets access and where...