Results 221-240 of 669 for speaker:Grace O'Sullivan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (28 Sep 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: Supply is the main problem, but two weeks ago, Dr. Mary Murphy and Dr. Rory Hearne presented their report on investing in the right to a home, housing, the HAP scheme and hubs. I wish to discuss hubs with the Minister. My view is that hubs are not homes, they are an interim solution, but the point that Dr. Murphy made that is that we should not see hubs becoming a long-term solution because...

Seanad: Well-being in Schools: Statements (4 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank the Minister for coming to the House today. As a Green Party Senator and member of the Civil Engagement group, I have not yet had an opportunity to meet him. I am speaking on behalf of my colleague, Senator Lynn Ruane, who is a member of the Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health and is unable to attend the debate. I will also raise some points of my own. As a mother of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Draft General Scheme of the Building Control (Construction Industry Register Ireland) Bill 2017 (4 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. Mr. Bradley's was particularly compelling and made very clear the process in terms of transparency and the fact that it is the interaction of the different aspects of it that will make it work most effectively. I want to come back to independence. Ms Spillane mentioned independence in her opening statement and has referred to it again. My...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Draft General Scheme of the Building Control (Construction Industry Register Ireland) Bill 2017 (4 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: We are in a housing crisis and by all accounts this legislation will be quite robust and positive in terms of standards and consumer protection. That gives me concern. There will be a race to build all those houses that we need to supply to the market. Often people cut corners when under pressure. That is where we must be careful. Do the hubs fall under CIRI? At the moment there is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Draft General Scheme of the Building Control (Construction Industry Register Ireland) Bill 2017 (4 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Draft General Scheme of the Building Control (Construction Industry Register Ireland) Bill 2017 (4 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: Yes.

Seanad: Budget 2018: Statements (10 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: After the budgets of the past few years, some people might be forgiven for welcoming today’s announcements as a relatively happy occasion. There are tax cuts, spending increases, higher payments for social welfare recipients and, as Senator Dolan mentioned, a little for almost everyone in the audience. I would like to start with some positivity, something that is often lacking in...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I wish to express my concern to the Government about the continuing detention of the Irish citizen, Ibrahim Halawa, in a Cairo prison. Despite his acquittal in an Egyptian court over three weeks ago, news reports yesterday indicated that the paperwork to secure his release had not even been begun by the legal authorities. I am concerned about the effects that continued detention of an...

Seanad: Eighth Report of Convention on the Constitution: Motion (11 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I welcome today's discussion on the report and the conclusions of same. The aim of the Constitutional Convention is to discuss issues in depth, examine different points of view and make new conclusions, which is exactly the kind of involved direct democracy that my party is so keen to see so much more of in the Irish political system.

Seanad: Eighth Report of Convention on the Constitution: Motion (11 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I formally second the amendment.

Seanad: Eighth Report of Convention on the Constitution: Motion (11 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: The conclusion of the report is very welcome. The directive principles of the social policy in the Irish Constitution are some of the most positive and engaging elements of the document.It is my belief that their better realisation by Irish Governments would go far in creating a fairer and more equal Republic that the founders of the State envisaged in the Proclamation of 1916. I hope,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Discussion (12 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank Deputy Ó Cuív for his presentation. I am generally very supportive of the Bill. However, I have a few questions. There are facilities in place in terms of boating, the Coast Guard service and other services, as the Deputy said, but in the event of extremely bad weather conditions, would it be possible for the counts to be done on the islands and the results of them to be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Discussion (12 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: Is there an option to do a count on an island?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Prohibition of Micro-Plastics Bill 2016: Discussion (12 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I am delighted to see this legislation on the agenda. As Deputy Sherlock knows, last year I brought similar legislation before the Seanad. I had a guarantee from the then Minister that he would inform the European Commission that Ireland wanted a prohibition on the manufacture and sale of microbeads and microplastics in Ireland. The first question is whether we can find out from the...

Seanad: Flood Prevention Measures: Statements (18 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank the Minister of State for attending this debate. I saw him on the TV3 programme last night presented by Matt Cooper and Ivan Yates, during the course of which Evelyn Cusack of Met Éireann and RTÉ drew attention to the mean increase of 1° Celsius in sea temperatures globally. We are seeing the pictures and reports in the newspapers of glaciers melting in the Arctic and...

Seanad: Flood Prevention Measures: Statements (18 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: It is highly likely.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank the Minister of State very much for his responses thus far. With regard to his comments on innovation and losing people, as a nation we should have ambition and should not be fed by fear. We should be fed by opportunity. I would like to start with my reaction to the draft plan as it stands. In terms of our climate obligations. we are an island nation, we have an abundance of wind...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: Can I get clarification that the SEA document is now available?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: Who conducted the SEA?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: Yes.