Results 601-620 of 8,196 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to the Waste Sector: Discussion. (9 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Could I request something in writing?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to the Waste Sector: Discussion. (9 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Could we get written notes on the questions Senator Sherlock asked in terms of where there is not a service, including where people are not choosing a service? That would be helpful. That goes back to my earlier question of that being our problem.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to the Waste Sector: Discussion. (9 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Could we look into the costs of illegal dumping as that fits into the costs picture?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to the Waste Sector: Discussion. (9 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: This is actually crucial.

Seanad: Digital Services (Levy) Bill 2024: Second Stage (2 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Cathaoirleach. The Minister of State is welcome. The Bill too is welcome. I look at it alongside some of the other pieces of work in which Coimisiún na Meán is engaged. I wish to highlight the potential to do something more with the levy than is being proposed. When we were considering the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act, one important aspect transposed the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Construction Sector: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: These questions are very important. They are not about criticising any individual. Our task as a committee is to identify what is going to work and what is going to happen. We cannot take gambles because there is far less space now. We hear concerns about the profit margin and development. There is far less leeway in the space we have to address our climate crisis. We have no leeway....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Construction Sector: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is it better than price only?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Construction Sector: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is the question because, sometimes in certain areas, public delivery can be in a position such as, for example, where for a long period of time the State has had access to finance on perhaps a more favourable rate than the private sector. There is certainly scope there in terms of being able to do this without going through the market and where it would actually be more expensive to do...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Construction Sector: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have two more questions. Will I put them now so that they get answered, instead of going back to everybody twice?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Construction Sector: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have two specific questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Construction Sector: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It saves the need for everybody to come in twice. This is around planning issues. We talk about housing but actually what we see in the city centre is many empty office blocks. I live in the city centre in Dublin and we are surrounded by empty office blocks. There is that question and there is talk about reusing and repurposing them. There is also the question of appropriate use of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Construction Sector: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is not quite on circularity but it relates very much to the environmental footprint of buildings and their design. It relates to that question. I was really answering the point that Mr. Ryan made about the belief that if you build higher, it will automatically be better. In fact, repurposing a development at a mid-level can sometimes be better in terms of light, which has an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Construction Sector: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is interesting that Mr. Impoco mentioned the Dutch model, which is what my procurement legislation is based on. It is still about value for money but it is framing value for money within a wider lens.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Construction Sector: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On that storage piece, I am wondering-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Construction Sector: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: My apologies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Construction Sector: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That was very useful. I just wanted to highlight something. I was going to ask about the methodologies, but that is what the Chair asked about. Has there been engagement around the development of methodology? Has the council or the federation had any engagement with the Government on the question of the new methodologies being formed? How has that gone? What kinds of points have the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Construction Sector: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is this to do with certification?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Construction Sector: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Would Mr. Ryan agree that re-certification is a mechanism we need to have for material we reuse?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Construction Sector: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It strikes me it is the big projects where we would probably need it most. Green space is an issue in terms of larger developments. Maybe there is something in that. It was mentioned that materials can be stored for only six months. Is that correct? What is that based on? Is it a rule or is that based on-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Construction Sector: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It strikes me that on large sites, if there was something that could be stored for longer, for example, within a large development site, then down the line that could potentially be repurposed as being additional green space in the development. It seems a pity to simply have that six-month rule block when there could be quite large-scale use of soil and stone.