Results 121-140 of 669 for speaker:Grace O'Sullivan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Financing of Social Housing: Discussion (14 Nov 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I absolutely agree with Deputy Ellis. When one scales up the supply of more apartments according to the model system, every apartment will probably be the same standard model. I just do not understand how the cost of apartments has risen so much. Is it like this in other countries? I understand the SCSI wants to prove the model, but in countries such as the Netherlands and Germany it has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank the Secretary General for his presentation. When we talk about community, we need to think rural and urban. Sometimes the Department of Rural and Community Development weighs heavily on the rural aspect but when it comes to climate change, it is going to involve everyone in every community in every area of the country. Mr. McCarthy said in his statement that "while the Department...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: Would that include communities in Dublin such as Tallaght, Skerries and Rush? Are they all communities within the framework?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: That is great. Does the Department have a framework the committee can see? I am talking about a list of criteria specifically designed to corral all the community groups in Ireland and lead them towards climate mitigation and adaptation. Does the Department have something to lead communities? Without a lead in climate change and without leadership and direction, we are at nothing. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I have one more question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: When will the renewable electricity support scheme, RESS, be rolled out? If communities avail of supports for solar or wind microgeneration, is there an opportunity for the Department of Rural and Community Development to be involved in the selling onwards of the supply to the grid?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank the witnesses for their presentation. The near zero energy buildings, NZEBs, are very impressive. Is there an opportunity to micro-generate around those buildings? Are there any plans to use solar or other techniques to generate energy and feed it back into the system? That would show great leadership. The presentation was excellent and progressive in certain areas, but perhaps...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: Could energy be fed back into the grid? Could we move in that direction?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I am thinking about this in terms of Ireland taking a leadership role and the OPW taking a progressive approach.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: How many catchment management schemes is the OPW engaged in to reduce the speed of water run-off into the rivers, which causes flood risk? What budget is being allocated to this sort of catchment management in the national development plan? How many "room for the river" type schemes are being developed? This approach is best practice in Nijmegen in the Netherlands, which is a place I am...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I live in Tramore in County Waterford where, as a result of the topography, the water flows down into-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I have in mind areas where there are embankments. In the example of Nijmegen, the environment and river system were integrated and many potential problems were offset. Is there an opportunity to consider such an approach here?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Business of Joint Committee (23 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I propose Senator Paudie Coffey.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Regional and Rural Transport Policy: Discussion (23 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank Ms O'Hanlon for her presentation. I will refer to the comment made by Deputy Ó Cuív about fares. Should we be looking at affordability in terms of equality so there is a fair regime throughout the country so people in rural areas are not disadvantaged? It might be something we could look at in the committee. If the NTA has put out its fare regime, we should look at it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Regional and Rural Transport Policy: Discussion (23 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: Exactly. I am a Green Party member. We were quite disappointed with the recent budget in terms of the focus on public transport and the allocation of funds to the areas of cycling and walking. I want to press Ms O'Hanlon a little bit more in terms of the Department's policy on sustainability. With regard to our carbon emissions, what is the policy of the Department in terms of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Regional and Rural Transport Policy: Discussion (23 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: It is funny because I am from Waterford. BlaBlaCar is an international car pooling mechanism that is used throughout Europe. My children use it all the time when abroad. It is such an efficient system. Are the officials aware of it? Is there any opportunity for us to encourage a company such as BlaBlaCar to operate in Ireland in an effort to be more efficient in car usage? It is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Regional and Rural Transport Policy: Discussion (23 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I have to follow up very quickly. I refer to the issue of the University Hospital Waterford, which relies on-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Regional and Rural Transport Policy: Discussion (23 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: -----that route from Waterford to Cork. The bottleneck in-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Regional and Rural Transport Policy: Discussion (23 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: -----Castlemartyr is dreadful. There are major health and safety issues that need to be addressed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Regional and Rural Transport Policy: Discussion (23 Oct 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I am interested in the testing in general. Where will it be carried out? Will it be carried out in different locations around the country? What are the parameters for that testing?