Results 921-940 of 2,018 for speaker:Pat Casey

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Affordable Housing: Discussion (31 Jan 2019)

Pat Casey: I will now take questions from members. As most members wish to engage in this topic, I will take two members at a time and I ask them to restrict themselves to five minutes. I call Senator Boyhan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Affordable Housing: Discussion (31 Jan 2019)

Pat Casey: We are interested.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Affordable Housing: Discussion (31 Jan 2019)

Pat Casey: I am well aware of it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Affordable Housing: Discussion (31 Jan 2019)

Pat Casey: If the Senator does not mind not interrupting, everybody wants to get in today. I will go to a second round if I can.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Affordable Housing: Discussion (31 Jan 2019)

Pat Casey: I thank the witnesses for the presentations today. We could spend another day here merely discussing this subject alone. On the first mention of affordability, what automatically comes to mind is whether it is affordable to buy a home. We must remember that affordable housing is equally about the rental market and that whole sector, which we have a tendency to forget about. I have a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Health and Safety (5 Feb 2019)

Pat Casey: 204. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to review the procedures regarding lunch times at primary schools, particularly to ensure the children attending have sufficient hygiene and time to eat their food; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4981/19]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: An Bord Pleanála: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Pat Casey: I wish to take my opportunity to wish Mr. Walsh well in his new role and to Mr. Cussen in his role as a planning regulator. Two significant people have been lost to the Department and there is a huge hole to fill within the Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: An Bord Pleanála: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Pat Casey: I will try and focus on the processes as opposed to anything else and perhaps makes some comments on other issues. I believe that the 18 week period is unacceptable in today's environment. I fail to see why it cannot be put into statute that a decision has to be made in 18 weeks one way or another. We brought a similar measure in the local authorities many years ago whereby the authorities...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: An Bord Pleanála: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Pat Casey: We will come back to that point again. I would be interested in that also.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: An Bord Pleanála: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Pat Casey: Senator Lawlor, is that a decided case?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: An Bord Pleanála: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Pat Casey: We all have our views on some third-party appeals. At times, there is no doubt that the reason behind appeals can be questionable. I have even noticed some people looking for financial reward out of that, if nothing else. It has stymied much critical development in the country over the years and is something at which we probably need to look. I thank the witnesses for their engagement....

Homelessness: Motion [Private Members] (14 Feb 2019)

Pat Casey: Over several previous contributions on homelessness in our Republic, I have pleaded with this Fine Gael Government to declare homelessness to be a national emergency and I have asked that it do this now. Our homelessness national emergency needs a whole-of-Government response, with monthly targets and delivery reports. We must declare today that the common good of the people dictates that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Developments in the Water Sector: Discussion (14 Feb 2019)

Pat Casey: Most of my questions are for Irish Water. I thank our guests for their submissions. I wish to refer to a few points that were not touched upon, some of which are outside the delegates' control. I will start off with the commercial harmonisation of rates. The CRU has still not published the information, which is disappointing. Irish Water has now been established for six years and we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Developments in the Water Sector: Discussion (14 Feb 2019)

Pat Casey: We will start with Mr. Gallen.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Developments in the Water Sector: Discussion (14 Feb 2019)

Pat Casey: We could not facilitate Ms Walshe because of the restrictions of the seats.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Developments in the Water Sector: Discussion (14 Feb 2019)

Pat Casey: There are only eight seats at the table.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Developments in the Water Sector: Discussion (14 Feb 2019)

Pat Casey: Does Irish Water care to swap one of its speakers?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Developments in the Water Sector: Discussion (14 Feb 2019)

Pat Casey: Does anyone else wish to comment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Developments in the Water Sector: Discussion (14 Feb 2019)

Pat Casey: I have a few follow-up questions, most specifically for the Department. What significant issues remain outstanding before any Council text is agreed? Can the Department inform the committee as to the position of other member states on this proposal? Is there a divergence of views among the other states?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Developments in the Water Sector: Discussion (14 Feb 2019)

Pat Casey: Yes. I have a few more questions so I will put them first. Have the EU institutions modified their proposals based on the subsidiary concerns raised in the national assembly? What is the new anticipated timeline for the progression of a dossier and is there any indication of an implementation date? Is it likely that this proposal will still have a substantial impact on Ireland?