Results 3,601-3,620 of 8,212 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I wish to indicate support for this amendment. It is really important because, if we think back to the debates we have had on housing over the last five years, we know that points often have been made on the floor about concerns, about what might happen and about unintended consequences or sometimes even forewarned consequences to specific...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I agree with the broad thrust of the amendment. The caveat "Subject to its obligations in relation to the provision of social housing" is important because public land has a role in making affordable housing available for purchase. Also, public land has a really important role in the provision of public housing to people of all income categories. For example, publicly-owned public housing...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The fundamental problem with the open market being included is exactly as Senator Warfield has outlined, in that these houses cost any amount. There is an element of a blank cheque to this. When we talk about affordability, most people's understanding of it is we will be setting a ceiling on the price of houses and there will be houses at a price affordable to purchasers. However, what is...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will make a few very practical points. To be clear, a number of people raised whether such houses could be purchased privately but that is not necessarily the concern I spoke about. My concern reflects some of the concern from Senator Warfield and others that we are talking about an open market dwelling without a ceiling. That is the concern. It is not an open market dwelling up to a...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: To be very brief, I hear a lot about the perfect being the enemy of the good. However, we must remember that there is a concept called "the better", for which we could still all aim. I would suggest that the best way for the Minister of State and others who have expressed concern in this is to assert that the problem is that one really cannot come in and ask for a blank cheque. That is the...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I support the amendment. It is a sign that we see support from across the House. We are not speaking to Senator Fitzpatrick's amendment, but when we will come to it I will support the thrust of it. I have also tabled an amendment on public-public partnerships in the spirit of recognising that we are in a situation where there are other ways in which this can be done. We have heard about...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is the Minister of State saying he might come back on Report Stage?

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We might be putting our own versions on Report Stage. It is good to know that the Government will have its separate version. I am sorry to cut across.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Many of us will be putting forward amendments to the Land Development Agency Bill 2021 when it comes to the Seanad. There have been some very good and constructive suggestions in that regard, including in terms of concerns around its provisions relating to section 183 of the Local Government Act 2001. I expect we will see very positive amendments, including some that are driven by backbench...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 6: In page 8, to delete line 14. This amendment relates to public private partnerships as a mechanism for the delivery of affordable housing. The concern here is that history whereby there has been a very strong preference for public private partnerships in the provision of affordable dwellings. That is amendment No. 6. I have an opposition to public private...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I said that, yes.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Senators have made some interesting points. I take on board the valid point made by Senator Casey in respect of situations where there is no public land. I hope that the Minister of State hears the following and that we can address it on Report Stage. There are different expectations in respect of how we use public land versus the partnership element. Therefore, I take on board the fact...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I spoke last week about articles in the newspaper. We see local authorities now being told they should lease rather than buy. I do not want to be inaccurate but I think it might be the Heron Wood estate. I am not sure if that is correct.I understand the financial pressures of the time. The fact is that more was paid out in 20-year leases than could have been used to buy the houses....

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will withdraw it, nothing that others have co-signed it and may wish to reintroduce it on Report Stage, as is their prerogative.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 7: In page 8, line 14, after "arrangements" to insert the following: ", where the provision of affordable dwellings or publicly owned social or cost rental housing constitutes not less than 80 per cent of such an arrangement".

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 8: In page 8, line 14, after "arrangements" to insert "and public-public partnership arrangements". I will withdraw the amendment, reserving the right to introduce a new version of it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 9: In page 8, between lines 14 and 15, to insert the following: "(d) arrangements under paragraph(b) or (c)shall be subject to the condition that affordable housing or publicly owned social or cost rental housing constitutes at least 80 per cent of such an arrangement.".

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I know the comments made by Senators have been intended in a positive way. They have talked about addressing the reality of unequal social backgrounds and experiences. However, we need to be clear that this is not about people's aspirations. It is not that people need to be inspired by seeing a rich person living next to them. I understand that is not what other Senators have suggested,...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Okay, it was due to cost. However, everything in this housing legislation involves that. It is a question of housing for people with a disability being mainstreamed and being part of any large housing block in respect of which we are making arrangements or in which we are investing. Perhaps the Minister of State can address these issues. I want to be very clear that in my initial comments...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (28 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will not speak at length to it again