Results 1,421-1,440 of 3,425 for speaker:Emer Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: I thank all of our witnesses for being with us. I and most of us on the committee want this new Bill to amount to robust planning decisions as soon as possible, because that is how we need to respond to the housing crisis. It needs to do it through the delivery of homes and communities. That includes things like roads, public transport access, healthcare services and community amenities....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: I will start with two questions for CIF and Wind Energy Ireland that they have had much time to think about because I raised them in my first contribution. I ask about the zoned land and the simplification of that. I ask Wind Energy Ireland about the design envelope flexibility and how we bake repowering back into this legislation to make it work. I was interested to hear Ms....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: This was the question around zoned land and how there should be a presumption that all zoned land should be getting planning permissions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: I apologise for cutting across. They are saying a huge tranche of land should be looked at in the context of being there for future residential development. In my contribution earlier, I said that does not take account of the likes of, for example, protected structures or ecological factors. It is not site specific and does not look at whether that site is serviced from ESB and water...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: Mr. O'Connell got there eventually. Fair enough.

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters (9 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 37 and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh - the need to discuss naming the new national children's hospital in honour of Dr. Kathleen Lynn TD; (2) Deputy Claire Kerrane - the need to discuss the need for additional resources for rural towns...

Nursing Home Charges and Disability Allowance Payments: Statements (9 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: I next move to the Government slot and call Deputy Devlin.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: The 25% reduction in childcare fees has been very much welcomed by parents. However, the increase in demand for childcare in my constituency of Dublin Mid-West has not been met by a corresponding increase in available childcare places. In fact, an early childhood care and education service in Lucan is currently facing an accommodation crisis in September. If it has to reduce its service,...

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on St. Brigid’s Hospital, Carrick-on-Suir (Resumed): Health Service Executive (9 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: I apologise for interrupting. I wanted to make sure the message that my hand has been up since the presentations was passed on.

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on St. Brigid’s Hospital, Carrick-on-Suir (Resumed): Health Service Executive (9 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: I am sure the committee members usually go before substitutes and visitors. I know that did not happen today.

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on St. Brigid’s Hospital, Carrick-on-Suir (Resumed): Health Service Executive (9 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: Was there a miscommunication because I am online rather than in the committee room?

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on St. Brigid’s Hospital, Carrick-on-Suir (Resumed): Health Service Executive (9 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: I had my hand up since before the presentation finished. Having heard from so many members of the local community at this committee previously, it is fair to say that the care that was given in St. Brigid's Hospital sounds like it was second to none. The building is the issue. Ms Killeen White outlined exactly what the issues with the building are. I will outline to her what I have...

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on St. Brigid’s Hospital, Carrick-on-Suir (Resumed): Health Service Executive (9 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: Ms Killeen White is an expert in this field. In her opinion, could safe care have been delivered to older people in St. Brigid's Hospital at the point at which it closed?

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on St. Brigid’s Hospital, Carrick-on-Suir (Resumed): Health Service Executive (9 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: That was when it was a HSE Covid-19 centre. Infection prevention control measures meant it was unsafe to operate in that situation during Covid. Is that correct?

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on St. Brigid’s Hospital, Carrick-on-Suir (Resumed): Health Service Executive (9 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: The Chair made a suggestion earlier about whether we could still have it operating under the guidelines relating to the distance between beds. If we were to do that, it might result in there being four people per ward. Ms Killeen White would know the numbers better than I would. How many people would that accommodate upstairs and downstairs? Would that make it a feasible operation to run?

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on St. Brigid’s Hospital, Carrick-on-Suir (Resumed): Health Service Executive (9 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: I ask Ms Killeen White to elaborate on that and on why that is not viable. Is it not viable from an expenditure perspective, a care perspective or a combination of everything?

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on St. Brigid’s Hospital, Carrick-on-Suir (Resumed): Health Service Executive (9 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: I refer to the hospital being repurposed. It has been stated that there are no patients. Ms Killeen White told us that 24 full-time equivalents would be on site. What services are being provided and what is happening in that building on a day-to-day basis?

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on St. Brigid’s Hospital, Carrick-on-Suir (Resumed): Health Service Executive (9 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: That is more than 200 years ago, so maybe we will get the record of the Dáil corrected in that regard as well.

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on St. Brigid’s Hospital, Carrick-on-Suir (Resumed): Health Service Executive (9 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: Does Ms Killeen White have anything to add in respect of the flood plain issue?