Results 541-560 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Nov 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: I would like to come back to the Minister's remarks. After I became a member of a local authority, I became a member of several committees. Whenever I fundamentally disagreed with the consensus view within a committee, it used to be explained to me that the committee had always worked on the basis of consensus. I used to be told that the members of the committee did not want to vote on...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Rental Sector (18 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: I welcome the pupils from St. Vincent's school in Marino, who are in the Visitors Gallery. We are talking about an issue that affects every family in the city, if not the country, the housing crisis.I have addressed the Minister of State, Deputy English, on this matter on several occasions. When the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, had responsibility...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Rental Sector (18 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. We have moved now from "tomorrow" to "next week". On 28 September, the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, told Ms Marie O'Halloran that he would publish proposals the following week. In the interim, the situation has worsened. In one apartment block off Mount Street in Dublin 2, more than 50% of the apartments are available for short-term letting....

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Rental Sector (18 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: Sorry, Acting Chairman-----

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Rental Sector (18 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: -----that has been the constant statement since 14 November 2017. It never happens. The Minister of State mentioned that a legal issue has arisen. I do not understand why the Department did not foresee that issue. I have published legislation in this area, which the Minister of State, Deputy English, said is flawed. I am open to amendments being made to that Bill to progress it. The...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Rental Sector (18 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: As I have outlined a number of times, action has been promised tomorrow, next week and next months.

Seanad: Update on Rebuilding Ireland: Statements (18 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: I welcome the Minister of State. I agree with him on a few issues. He is quite correct that there is no silver bullet or quick fix. Our response must be planned and there needs to be attention to detail. I ask him to have a close look at one site in Sandymount and Ringsend. The site in question comprises 85 acres and could accommodate 3,500 units for 8,000 residents. However, there have...

Seanad: Update on Rebuilding Ireland: Statements (18 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: The Acting Chairman was not so generous to me.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: I also want to mention College Green. It is certainly disappointing that a pedestrian plaza will not be developed at that location. I would have liked the plans to have gone much further, including for the Bank of Ireland building there, which has a long history, to be taken into State ownership.. I have always believed that part of the dividend of the bank bailout should have been Bank of...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: I certainly would not like to see any political interference-----

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: -----regarding An Bord Pleanála. The terms of reference of An Bord Pleanála include that it must uphold the development plans signed off by local councillors and take into consideration Government policy. Any move to interfere with this would be to go back to the dark ages when it was normal that the largest parties in the State constantly interfered with planning decisions. I...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: On many occasions we have listened to debates in this House about the importance of broadband in rural Ireland. I have deep concerns about what has happened in recent weeks, which caused the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to resign, and the Minister of State, Deputy Breen, organised a dinner. He is the Minister of State with special responsibility for trade. It...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: There are very few gentlemen in Fine Gael.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: I wish to echo the comments made by a previous Senator about public transport and certainly in terms of Irish Rail. We do need reliable rail transport. When a person boards a train he or she should have a reasonable expectation to arrive on time no matter whether that is on the northside or southside of the city. Above all what we need is investment in public transport. We need reliable...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: Above all we need a Minister who will concentrate on his brief and provide a proper public transport service for this country. I call on my colleagues in the Government and in Fine Gael to try and ensure that we get Ministers who care about their portfolios and not about everything else. What is happening across this country in areas ranging from carbon tax to public transport to fodder...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: I just did.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: Yesterday, more with anger than any other feeling, I raised the issue of climate change and how the budget ignored it. The Leader's response was to claim that I was for taxation. I am for taxation, and we have to bring in a carbon tax. The Citizens' Assembly said it-----

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: -----and yes, Mary Robinson said it. Our own climate change advisory council has also recommended a carbon tax. John FitzGerald of the ESRI came out again yesterday evening to say there was a need for a carbon tax. The Leader it very good at criticising Fianna Fáil for the disaster they left us with our economy but this issue is all on Fine Gael. Fine Gael talks the talk but is not...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: The previous Government had to be dragged into having a climate change advisory council and the then Minister, Phil Hogan, resisted it at every turn, something the people on the committee will be able to tell the Leader. We need action and not words and we do not need the Taoiseach to tell us we are laggards. The action that was expected from the Citizens' Assembly and the climate change...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Kevin Humphreys: That is down to Fine Gael. I will not stand idly by. The Government will have to step up to the mark. No longer can it talk the talk. It must walk the walk. However, it has refused to do that for the past two years.