Results 1,761-1,780 of 2,015 for speaker:Pat Casey

Dublin Transport: Motion [Private Members] (10 May 2017)

Pat Casey: I welcome this debate on the motion tabled by my colleague, Deputy Lahart, which aims to address the problem of transport gridlock that exists in the greater Dublin region. As a Wicklow Deputy, I want to put on record the fact that part of this congestion is because 70% of Wicklow's workers are leaving the county every day to work mostly in Dublin. This situation is unsustainable, not just...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing in Ireland - Census 2016 Results: Central Statistics Office (10 May 2017)

Pat Casey: I thank the CSO for the information it provides for us. Without the facts and data provided, it would be very hard to make decisions. I have taken a number of points from the information provided. Home ownership is at its lowest level since 1971, while average household size has increased for the first time since 1966. The average age of home owners is also increasing. There is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 May 2017)

Pat Casey: 199. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of instances of cover for double hip replacement that have been assessed as appropriate for critical illness cover with regard to the assessment by a company (details supplied) for critical illness cover for teachers in the ETBs; the acute operative surgical treatments accepted under circular number 0063/2015 critical illness...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (4 May 2017)

Pat Casey: 195. To ask the Minister for Health to outline his plans to introduce specific measures to resolve the crisis in paediatric plastic surgery at Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21276/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Reports (3 May 2017)

Pat Casey: 80. To ask the Minister for Health if he and the HSE have satisfied themselves that the terms of reference for the assurance review conducted into a service (details supplied) was sufficient to cover all complaints and allegations, including all protected disclosures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20197/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Reports (3 May 2017)

Pat Casey: 86. To ask the Minister for Health the timeline for the implementation of all recommendations contained in a report (details supplied), in tabular form; the date for full publication of this report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20196/17]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Review of Building Regulations, Building Controls and Consumer Protection: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Apr 2017)

Pat Casey: I thank the witnesses. Deputy Ó Broin covered most of the issues. Ms Hegarty spoke of the difference between regulation and control, and the desktop and paper submissions on energy standards as compared to the administration of the building control regulations, which involve going on site visits to give approvals. The witnesses spoke of a pre-1990 period, before the local authorities...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Review of Building Regulations, Building Controls and Consumer Protection: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Apr 2017)

Pat Casey: And they are then forwarded on to somebody else.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Review of Building Regulations, Building Controls and Consumer Protection: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Apr 2017)

Pat Casey: We are using BCAR now but if I have a problem with a property ten years on, I can look at the building owner, the assigned certifier, the design certifier, the auxiliary certifier and sub-certification. Where would I go with that claim, where would I start and how complicated will that claim be in ten years if we have all these different layers of certification and signing off? Would I be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Review of Building Regulations, Building Controls and Consumer Protection: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Apr 2017)

Pat Casey: My contribution is targeted at the process rather than any individual. I want to put on record my thanks for the offer to me to have an in-depth look at the BCMS system. I will take it up in due time. I am focused on trying to create significantly more independent oversight of building controls. Currently, there are not sufficient resources at local authority level to do much more. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Review of Building Regulations, Building Controls and Consumer Protection: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Apr 2017)

Pat Casey: That was my point. Ms Neary said that Dublin City Council had reached a level of 75% but those inspections might have only involved one visit.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Review of Building Regulations, Building Controls and Consumer Protection: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Apr 2017)

Pat Casey: In fairness, the exposure to risk can happen at any stage in a building development. If there is not an independent inspection of a foundation, identification of such risk is lost. While Ms Neary said that Dublin City Council has achieved an inspection level of 75%, that might have involved only one visit to a site while some sites would require multiple visits.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Review of Building Regulations, Building Controls and Consumer Protection: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Apr 2017)

Pat Casey: I appreciate that but I am looking at this from an independent point of view. The assigned certifier constitutes self-regulation from the local authority side. Does Ms Neary understand the point I am making? I am differentiating there. I believe the assigned certifier constitutes self-regulation. Third party regulation is what the Department is doing. Ms Neary said that there are seven...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Review of Building Regulations, Building Controls and Consumer Protection: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Apr 2017)

Pat Casey: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Review of Building Regulations, Building Controls and Consumer Protection: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Apr 2017)

Pat Casey: I will be brief. One thing Ms Hegarty mentioned in the previous session was the fact that the assigned certifier cannot stop something happening on-site. That is a worrying thing of which I was not quite aware. I wonder if anything can be done with that down the line. Perhaps it is not true.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Review of Building Regulations, Building Controls and Consumer Protection: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Apr 2017)

Pat Casey: Unless it is replaced.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Review of Building Regulations, Building Controls and Consumer Protection: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Apr 2017)

Pat Casey: The point comes back to the fact that prevention is better than a cure. When the red flag is raised, the damage has been done.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Review of Building Regulations, Building Controls and Consumer Protection: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Apr 2017)

Pat Casey: The witness mentioned well-organised builders there. The fear is that the larger the scale of development, the more oversight there is. However, down in the middle ground where there are small-scale developments of two or three houses, the same level of oversight by the assigned assessor might not be there. I have a concern in that regard.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Review of Building Regulations, Building Controls and Consumer Protection: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Apr 2017)

Pat Casey: I know.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Review of Building Regulations, Building Controls and Consumer Protection: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Apr 2017)

Pat Casey: I have a quick question for Mr. Wickham. He mentioned a geologist in his presentation. Is the geologist involved in the certification of quarries?