Results 1,901-1,920 of 3,871 for speaker:Catherine Byrne

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Law Society of Ireland (10 May 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I thank the delegates for their presentations. I, too, wish to refer to medical applications, particularly when they come across the delegates' desks. Many of the applicants I come across are ineligible. One cannot even read some of the applications, to be honest. With the greatest of respect to general practitioners, I do not believe letters from general practitioners have any input into...

Appointment of Taoiseach and Nomination of Members of Government: Motion (6 May 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I thank the Minister for allowing me two minutes of his time, as I could not let the evening go by without saying a few brief words. First, I congratulate the Taoiseach and those who have been appointed as Ministers, including the women who now will be in the Cabinet. I welcome the nomination to their positions of Deputies Frances Fitzgerald, Katherine Zappone, Mary Mitchell O'Connor and...

Appointment of Taoiseach and Nomination of Members of Government: Motion (6 May 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I am sorry they are not present this evening. If I may, I also will mention what lies ahead of Members in the coming months in trying to hold the Government together. As I believe Deputy Katherine Zappone has already stated, the programme for Government is not perfect and no Member can fool him- or herself by stating otherwise. However, I believe that if we work together - as Fine Gael...

Appointment of Taoiseach and Nomination of Members of Government: Motion (6 May 2016)

Catherine Byrne: It comes from the founder of the Oblate Fathers, who have a parish in Inchicore, which Deputy Joan Collins knows well. The order was founded by Saint Eugène de Mazenod, who said, "What we dream alone will remain always just a dream, but what we dream with others can become reality." The reality is that Members have an opportunity not to dream any more but to make real what they do in...

Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (6 May 2016)

Catherine Byrne: It is my honour and privilege to second the nomination of Deputy Enda Kenny as Taoiseach in the Thirty-second Dáil. In the words of John F. Kennedy, "we must think and act not only for the moment but for our time". Deputy Enda Kenny, over the past number of weeks, has shown himself as a leader who acts and thinks not only for himself but for the good of the country and our citizens....

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Finance (5 May 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I have only two questions but a number of observations. My first question is about NAMA and the fact that, despite its having 6,600 units, only 2,000 have been delivered into social housing. What is happening to the other 4,600? The witnesses may not be able to answer but we might get an answer from NAMA.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Finance (5 May 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I want to raise two issues with the Minister. As he knows well, I was reared in the inner city surrounded by Dublin City Council housing developments and flat complexes in Ballyfermot, Inchicore, Crumlin and Drimnagh. It always astonished me that the city council was unable to continue the building system it operated in terms of local authority housing. If we are serious about supplying...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Finance (5 May 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I was agreeing with the Minister's analysis.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Construction Industry Federation (3 May 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I want to make observations rather than ask questions. I thank the witnesses for the presentation this morning. We are all here to put some kind of formula together so that people can have a home, whether social or private housing. Eugene Cummins of Roscommon County Council and Dick Brady of Dublin City Council were here last week. Mr. Brady said there are more than 22,000 sites available...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers (3 May 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I thank the witnesses for their presentation. I totally agree with the concern about the HAP because I do not believe that people really understand it enough and there is a responsibility to promote it more, especially on the part of the local authorities which do not seem to promote it very well. I was reared in a local authority council house, like most people around me, and at that time...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Interim Report of Committee (26 Apr 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I do not know what criteria the County and City Management Association was given for this afternoon's meeting. I do now know whether the representatives were asked to come with a blank canvas or to bring all the necessary information, which I think they would have at their fingertips in any event. We cannot expect that any of the people the Chairman has said are coming would not to be able...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Interim Report of Committee (26 Apr 2016)

Catherine Byrne: Alice Leahy would be somebody who knows exactly what is happening on the street.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Interim Report of Committee (26 Apr 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I agree with and support what Deputy Brendan Ryan said. We have all read books on social housing and people's-----

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Interim Report of Committee (26 Apr 2016)

Catherine Byrne: Sorry, through the Chair, I had not finished.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Interim Report of Committee (26 Apr 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I am speaking as a person who has read many of the academic books on homelessness, housing and social housing. To sit here and have somebody accuse me of not having read them is very offensive. I really believe, because we are dealing with social housing, that we need to speak to somebody within the social housing section of Dublin City Council and the local authorities as to why people...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: County and City Management Association (26 Apr 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I thank the County and City Management Association and their colleagues who are attending today. Their presentation was very informative. I have a few questions. With regard to the 2,542 houses still vacant, are these in the Dublin area and how long will it be before they can be put back into use? What would the cost be and do the councils have the money to do this?

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: County and City Management Association (26 Apr 2016)

Catherine Byrne: Okay.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: County and City Management Association (26 Apr 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I wish to pay tribute to the city council and the work it has done on the regeneration of St. Michael's estate, Fatima Mansions, St. Teresa's Gardens, Dolphin House and elsewhere in my area, in view of the amount of people the council has had to rehouse. People's homes were being taken away, so they were priority cases - I understand that very well. I compliment the council on its work....

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: County and City Management Association (26 Apr 2016)

Catherine Byrne: My next question is for Mr. Morgan and relates to the figure of 5,811 homeless people. How many of these are family units? Mr. Morgan referred to a certain number of adults and children, although I do not remember the exact figures. Mr. Morgan said there were 5,811 homeless and 1,800 of these were children. How many of them are family units?

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: County and City Management Association (26 Apr 2016)

Catherine Byrne: My next question relates to something Mr. Coman said. One thing the city council did very well in the past was to build really nice senior citizen complexes. Are there plans in the councils to start building more senior citizen complexes? There are many people living in houses that basically do not suit their needs anymore. These people would be willing to move into smaller accommodation,...