Results 3,721-3,740 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Looking at the amendment, it is good to see references to owner-occupiers, as long as that is additional to social housing. The Minister has been clear that this is an addition to Part V. I, of course, reserve the right to amend this new amended section on Report Stage but it is positive to be referencing owner-occupiers. There is a question of carrot or stick involved here. I understand...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 36: In page 15, to delete lines 10 to 28.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 37: In page 15, to delete lines 29 to 32.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Minister acknowledged the flaws in the SHD system. He has stated that this is a better system. This is about ensuring we move to a new system as soon and as expeditiously as possible, with all the benefits of better planning that might bring, but also ensuring that applications in the pre-planning process are rerouted into the new large-scale residential development process. It just...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 40: In page 17, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following: “Report on vacant units in LRD development 17.The Minister shall, within 18 months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining the number of completed housing units under the LRD process which remain vacant.”. This amendment and amendment No....

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: With regard to amendment No. 41, I am getting a signal from the Minister that he is willing to engage between now and Report Stage. That would be useful. Those data are crucial, whether they are put in a report laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas or before the Oireachtas joint committee. There is a piece the Minister did not address but he said there was no problem in providing...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 41: In page 17, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following: “Report on the operation of the provisions of this Act 17. The Minister shall, within 12 months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining— (a) the proportion of sites, expressed as a percentage, which have been granted LRD planning permission...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 42: In page 17, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following: “Further transitional measures 17. (1) Where an application under section 16 in respect of the Act of 2016 is proceeded with and planning permission has been granted, such planning permission shall be revoked 12 months after it has been granted in respect of scenarios where construction of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets and Climate Action Plan: Engagement with Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (16 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Minister opened by mentioning the question of the carbon budgets. We should be front-loading more action into the first carbon budget. We do not have the balance right. For any of us in politics, the moment we are there in a room and able to act is the moment to do so. On page 23 of the action plan, there is a reference to the sequestration potential of trees. The latter will only...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets and Climate Action Plan: Engagement with Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (16 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Will Ireland champion and promote a loss-and-damage facility, as was called for by 136 countries and blocked by the EU and a number of others in Glasgow? Will we be using this year to ensure that the EU and others support such a facility at the next COP?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets and Climate Action Plan: Engagement with Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (16 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is for schools and hospitals, rather than directly funding retrofitting. Some €49 million is going to banks to give loans, rather than, for example, rooting that into direct retrofitting of schools and hospitals. Why should they be taking loans with the profit share that gets added to that? That is not economically efficient for us.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets and Climate Action Plan: Engagement with Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (16 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is not my question. My question is why are the environmental aspects being done through private loan systems and off-balance sheet loans, rather than through direct public investment in retrofitting our infrastructure, which will, as the Minister said, pay dividends in the long term for the State, when we currently have access to 0% finance directly?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets and Climate Action Plan: Engagement with Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (16 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: But we are paying for that risk reduction.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets and Climate Action Plan: Engagement with Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (16 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Apologies. The key is that we are paying for de-risking. Why are we paying €49 million?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets and Climate Action Plan: Engagement with Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (16 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Minister will be aware of the concern about the ranges and the fact that the upper end of the ranges only barely add up to the 51%. I hope he will consider revising that because we need to leave space for more ambition. I am concerned about that. Should the achievement of 51% not be the middle of the range we are providing for each sector?

Seanad: Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill 2021: Committee Stage (11 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will give a wider speech on my amendment a little later. On section 2, I will flag that it is good there is a provision allowing those who may have already registered under the current process to preserve that, yet we also protect those who may wish to register in future. It might, however, be an area that could require further clarification. One area I might look at on Report Stage...

Seanad: Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill 2021: Committee Stage (11 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have had a bit of back and forth with the Minister in respect of section 3. I appreciate the information and useful tables she supplied regarding applications. My question relates specifically to the foreshore and State lands. As I understand it, while the legislation is moving back in terms of the previous periods that applied, it is also effectively removing many of the provisions of...

Seanad: Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill 2021: Committee Stage (11 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I should have mentioned this in the previous section. We are going back to the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009. This legislation is moving forward in a very tight timeframe. With regard to easement versus profit à prendre, we could and should be looking at shorter periods for certain profits à prendre, as basic as the right to light, but that will potentially be part of...

Seanad: Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill 2021: Committee Stage (11 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The point I would like to make relates to section 5, but it does not matter too much. I welcome that it has been recognised that the burden of proof in the 2009 Act was so high that it would, in some cases, almost be in conflict with legislation that has come in subsequently, such as the general data protection regulation. For example, people would be required to provide large amounts of...

Seanad: Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill 2021: Committee Stage (11 Nov 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 1: 1.In page 5, between lines 10 and 11, to insert the following: "Report on engagement 7. The Minister shall, within 12 months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining progress in relation to engagement with the Law Reform Commission, the Oireachtas, local authorities and other key stakeholders in respect of the...