Results 1,101-1,120 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social and Affordable Housing (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, for coming into the House to take this matter. I will talk about Poolbeg West and the 3,000 homes that will I hope be built there in the coming years. For young people, like those in the Visitors Gallery, we are talking about building a sustainable city with a properly integrated social mix. I will give some of the history of the area....

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social and Affordable Housing (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: We need some indication that the SDZ can be opened up in a way that was able to be done successfully in the past and to perhaps develop a model that could be implemented across the country.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social and Affordable Housing (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Minister for State for his reply. I also want to thank the departmental officials who engaged with me on this issue prior to me submitting it as a Commencement matter. However, we cannot talk about this scheme forever. There are closing dates associated with the SDZ designation. The Minister of State is aware of what is involved in the SDZ process. I want to see, as does the...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I welcome the Minister to the House.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: Funnily enough, we could have made progress on this Bill if we could have had conversations offline on many aspects of the Bill. I have just had quite a heated discussion with the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, on RTE, as he seems to think this Bill is only for the hedges along the roads and that it is a baseline study and a pilot scheme. A pilot scheme needs a baseline study but there is...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: Yes. I thank the Senator for pre-empting my next line.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: It is across the Twenty-six Counties. Similar studies have been taking place in Northern Ireland, England and Scotland where they have clearly indicated it is illegal to cut hedgerows from March to August. I have a problem speaking to this as a heritage Bill, as the last thing it seems to be doing is protecting our heritage. One of main concerns relates to bird nesting patterns across the...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: Here comes the voice again. Listen to it. If one puts forward a logical argument, there is a shout of being anti-rural. What would I know as I am from Dublin? Use science and proper studies.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: Use logic. A pilot scheme should be for a small area and a baseline study should be used. We must ensure we do no harm as the figures are truly frightening when we look at our wildlife and the loss of habitat for birds and bees. I will hear again the question of what I would know, being from Dublin 4. We know it as we are part of Ireland. We want to see all of Ireland thriving and ensure...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: Destroying our natural habitats is not the way to build a strong tourism industry. It is a case of doing a pilot study over the entire Twenty-six Counties and then seeing what wildlife is still alive after two years. There may be bloody little and we will not be able to get it back. It will be destroyed over what is being called a pilot period. I am not anti-rural. I ask the Minister to...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I compliment Senator Paul Daly on his work to protect the red grouse. By no means, should anyone interpret my comments as an attack on farmers in rural Ireland.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: In many ways, it is the farmers in rural Ireland who have maintained the environment over a long period. As I have said previously about the Heritage Bill, the rules and regulations that we bring in are not aimed at the people who look after the land and protect the heritage and wildlife.We are bringing it in for the small percentage of people who do the opposite. In the same way that the...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: Down with that sort of thing.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I understand amendment 1a has been ruled out of order.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: Regarding amendment No. 1b with the expansion of the greater Dublin area, the canals and rivers act as a very important wildlife corridor for migrating birds to go into rural areas. As custodians of that, it is necessary for us to ensure those wildlife corridors exist to protect the interests of the natural heritage. Not too far from here one can see the commercialisation of the canal bank...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: Somebody wants to send Lorraine down the Barrow.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I have spoken on each of the amendments except amendment No. 1f. There is no question of the Minister's good intentions in this regard. Amendment No. 1f strengthens the Bill by naming the Minister. As outlined by Senator Higgins and other speakers, it does not make sense for this to fall to the "Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources" and it should also specify the...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: On a point of clarity, did the Minister accept amendment No. 1f, or indicate that she would accept it on Report Stage?

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: We need to be careful in this respect. I am referring to amendment No. 1f, which relates to page 4, line 15 of the Bill. The section states: "Waterways Ireland shall consult with the Minister for Communication, Energy and Natural Resources in relation to any matters which affect or may affect fish, fish life, fish stocks or fishing in the canals." This amendment does not cut across the...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I want to go back to amendment No. 1f.There is a certain responsibility in respect of fisheries for the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, but sometimes that crosses over, for argument's sake, in the case of coarse fishing for roach, pike, etc., and the encouraging of spawning grounds and planting of reeds and lilies. There are different areas where there is...