Results 221-240 of 1,352 for speaker:Mary Fitzpatrick

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to River Shannon, Grand and Royal Canals and River Barrow Navigation By-laws: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank the witnesses for attending and for all the work they do to preserve what is an incredible heritage feature for us, natural and built combined, namely, the canals. They are incredibly special. I was struck by the €600 million figure. We cannot put a price on the value of the canals and our wider waterways. Waterways Ireland is the custodian of them, as is, equally,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to River Shannon, Grand and Royal Canals and River Barrow Navigation By-laws: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: My next question relates to the Royal Canal Amenity Group and, again, I apologise if this has been answered. Three organisations have been named but the Royal Canal Amenity Group is not one of them. I would say that if it were not for the Royal Canal Amenity Group, we probably would not have much of the Royal Canal left. What criteria were used? Is it a final list or is it likely to be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to River Shannon, Grand and Royal Canals and River Barrow Navigation By-laws: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank Mr. Rowe. When he spoke about the greenways there as a commuting route, I would caution that many years ago, there was a cretinous idea of filling in the canal and making it a roadway. I hope that the NTA does not get any delusions or ambitions to create it as a thoroughfare and over-engineer the towpaths. While they offer a great route into the city for cyclists, they also offer a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to River Shannon, Grand and Royal Canals and River Barrow Navigation By-laws: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Absolutely.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to River Shannon, Grand and Royal Canals and River Barrow Navigation By-laws: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: My next question relates to people who live permanently on a barge. Who is responsible for the domestic waste collections? We do not have permanent residential barges on the stretch of the Royal Canal where I live, around Cabra and Drumcondra, so I do not have an issue there. What has repeatedly arisen as an issue in terms of the maintenance of the canal, is the cleaning of the towpath,...

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (24 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Before I was appointed to the Seanad I was a city councillor. I was chair of a joint policing committee in Dublin Central and a founding director of the Cabra Community Policing Forum. I understand the importance of having good structures in place to deal with issues that arise in our communities around policing. I know the Minister shares the ambition we all have for safer communities. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Like other speakers, I am deeply disappointed that the Peter McVerry Trust, the DRHE and the Department have made themselves unavailable and have declined our constructive invitation for them to appear at a public session of the Oireachtas joint committee on housing. They would not have been appearing for our entertainment or solely for our information. This is a public forum where they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank the witnesses for coming here today. I was with the Cathaoirleach on the visit to the site in Shanganagh and I congratulate everybody at the LDA. It is great to see the progress. The quality of the build and the development is really impressive and hugely encouraging. It is exactly what we all imagined the LDA would be delivering when we passed the legislation. In terms of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I wonder if any of those stakeholders and those landowners have an appreciation of the pressures under which the Land Development Agency is trying to operate. The reality it that the agency has a plan here from 2024 to 2028. All the Opposition parties opposed the Land Development Agency legislation and if they are in power in 14 months after an election, they are likely to scrap the Land...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I apologise that I came in at the tail end. I had to attend another committee. Is €300,000 for a three-bedroom home a cost that can be delivered in Dublin city at the moment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: It is for a three-bedroom home in Dublin city, that is somewhere in Dublin 1, 3, 7 or 9, for example.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Is anybody delivering a three-bedroom home in any part of Dublin city for €300,000? The SCSI says it costs €470,000. The LDA is not aware of it being done.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: It has indicated a cost of €470,000.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Those costs determine the sales costs or the affordable cost-rental rents.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: That is what determines the cost Mr. Coleman mentioned earlier of €1,400 for a three-bedroom home in Citywest. I will not hold him to the exact amount. I appreciate there were varying amounts.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Rents are determined by the fact that it costs a certain amount to build these homes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: The SCSI report tells us that without the Government interventions of waiving the development levies and water charges, the help to buy scheme that helps people to get their deposits together and the first home buyers scheme, no one would be buying a home because they would not be able to afford it. That is putting even more pressure and expectation on delivery from the LDA, especially in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: There will always be competing interests and competing priorities. To be fair, the objective of a transport company is to provide public transport. I understand that. However, our narrow interest in this discussion and the LDA's responsibility is the provision of social and affordable homes in a timely manner where they are needed. They are needed in the city centre. They were needed...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: And specifically for Dublin Central.