Results 181-200 of 669 for speaker:Grace O'Sullivan

Seanad: Post Office Closures: Motion (19 Sep 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: What Ireland needs now are strong, sustainable communities. Any erosion of the post office service erodes communities, rural and urban. I see that the Minister is wearing the sustainable development pin. Goal 11 of the sustainable development goals is for sustainable cities and communities. I am a regular user of my post office in Tramore, which is well managed and run by its postmaster,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Oversight and Audit Commission: Chairperson Designate (19 Sep 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I welcome Mr. McCarthy and congratulate him on his appointment. What is his current analysis of the local authorities? I am interested in knowing, as he enters this new position, what his overview is. On his ambitions for the NOAC, what is his vision and set of priorities for it? In his presentation Mr. McCarthy talked about the different areas in which NOAC members were involved, one...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Advisory Body: Discussion (19 Sep 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I congratulate Dr. McGowan on his appointment. He has one of the most important tasks because water is such an important resource for so many services and users. It is of significant importance and we saw that in the large demonstrations with regard to the implementation of water metering. It has not gone away in people's minds. People still remember it. With regard to his ambition and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Advisory Body: Discussion (19 Sep 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: My question is probably pertinent to Mr. Page. I will provide an example of a problem in Tramore, County Waterford, the area I am from. We have a Blue Flag beach, which is affected by rogue pipes and grey water or sewage water enters the bay area and people get sick as a result. In one case, members of the RNLI became sick. It is an ongoing occurrence. What can be done to alleviate that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Advisory Body: Discussion (19 Sep 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: As the CEO of the Water Advisory Body, does Mr. McGowan advise the Minister, Irish Water, or both?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Climate Change Advisory Council (12 Sep 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: The first recommendation of the Citizens' Assembly was that, as a matter of urgency, a new or existing independent body should be resourced to look into this issue. It is apparent that Departments are not working interdependently or cross-sectorally on climate change. If an independent body was set up, as recommended by the assembly, it would have longevity unlike Governments, which change....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Climate Change Advisory Council (12 Sep 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I appreciate that. It is recommendation No. 1 so it is part of our remit. I have a few other questions. With regard to taxes, vulnerable members of the community may be on a lower income, so how would they be compensated? Have the witnesses done any analysis on the impact of taxation on the vulnerable in society? It is highly frustrating to be part of a committee like this; it is hard...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Environmental Pillar (12 Sep 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: It is lovely to hear Mr. St. Ledger talk about the circular economy and how things could be done properly. There is little of that sort of joined-up thinking in Ireland. We are here on foot of the recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly regarding how the State can make Ireland a leader in tackling climate change. It is a barometer of public opinion. In light of the repeal of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Environmental Pillar (12 Sep 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I agree that there is a task to communicate properly and that we are failing in this regard. We have failed in this in recent years and that is why we have the problems with which we are faced. Mr. Coghlan referred to retrofitting. A CSO infographic I have in my possession highlights the fact that between 2015 and this year the heating market in new builds has remained dominated by gas,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (5 Sep 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank Ms Justice Laffoy for being here today. We have just been talking about agriculture and food producers but I am interested in the producers of fossil fuels, namely, the exploration and exploitation companies. Did the assembly invite any representatives of the fossil fuel industry to present a paper from their perspective? Did the assembly discuss divestment? Was there any...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Role and Remuneration of Elected Members of Local Authorities: Discussion (12 Jul 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: It was great to hear about the Minister of State's experience as a councillor. However, was at a different time. We now have a new, growing demographic and we are living in a new and, it is to be hoped, progressive Ireland. In my two years as a Senator, I have seen the work done by councillors. I have engaged a lot with councillors. I see what a competent councillor with ambition can...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Committee. (12 Jul 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I echo Senator Boyhan's remarks. We need to expedite this. There is public interest in this matter. I would like to see it on our work programme for September. As soon as the message is received from the Minister we should move to progress this Bill, otherwise it will be put on the long finger and the public will get agitated.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Cost Rental Housing Model: Discussion (12 Jul 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank the delegates for their presentations. It is very interesting to hear the range of views of the three groups. I will begin with Dr. Tom Healy. His presentation was very succinct and he helped to explain the cost rental concept. It makes a lot of sense. He spoke about the housing market, the culture in Ireland of owning property and the changes we see happening because of...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jul 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: The 2018 sustainable development goals report, Global Responsibilities - Implementing the Goals, was issued just this week. This index is a measure of progress across all 17 sustainable development goals. Countries like Sweden, Denmark and Finland are top of the ranking in terms of their progress towards achieving their goals by 2030. It was no shock to see that, with regard to the...

Seanad: Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I wish to share time with Senator John Dolan.

Seanad: Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: Yes.

Seanad: Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I welcome the Minister and the members of the Traveller community and the settled community who are in the Gallery. This Bill is a no-brainer. I am delighted to have been invited to be a co-signatory of the Bill by Senator Kelleher, and I am very proud of that. The Bill advocates a simple and sensible change which will help not only to improve the level of knowledge of our future citizens...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (11 Jul 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I support Senator Humphreys. In fact, I received a letter here from Mr. Shane Cusack, a resident of one of the boats in the dock who is very concerned. He writes that he is a resident of the Grand Canal Dock marina in Dublin, that he has huge concerns over the Heritage Bill being passed tonight in the Seanad, that he, along with other residents, believes the Canals Act section of the Bill...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (11 Jul 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: This is the Heritage Bill 2016. This legislation demonstrates that the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, with responsibility for our natural heritage portfolio, has a lack of understanding-----

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (11 Jul 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: The point I want to make is that there is a lack of regard for biodiversity and nature conservation in Ireland. It is the portfolio of the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.