Results 181-200 of 1,203 for speaker:Mary Fitzpatrick

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Treatment (Abstractions) Bill 2020 and Electoral Reform Bill 2020: Discussion (22 Jan 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank the Minister of State and the officials. This is very important, as other speakers have said. Democracy is fragile and without a fully functioning electoral process, it is impossible to have fair and free elections, which are essential. The idea of the independent electoral commission is very welcome and long overdue. I am interested to know whether there is any estimate of what...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Homelessness: Discussion (29 Jan 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank all the witnesses for coming to our meeting and for sharing with us their knowledge and experience, which is invaluable. I thank the witnesses, their staff and their volunteers for the work they do every day supporting people who are unfortunate and who become homeless. The four witnesses have made a great combination of contributions because they bring different perspectives, and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Homelessness: Discussion (29 Jan 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I will follow up in emails. I thank all the witnesses. Their contributions have been valuable and I thank them for helping us with our work. I hope we can revisit this subject again in the not too distant future as a committee.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Beannachtaí na Féile Bríde. It is the first day of spring and hope, but there is not much spring and hope for Josh Dunne's family. The House should send its condolences. He was a talented young man with his whole life ahead him. Unfortunately, he is not the only young person to have died in Dublin. Indeed, there is an issue with knife crime around the country. We should...

Seanad: Response to Covid-19 (Housing, Local Government and Heritage): Statements (1 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I welcome the Minister. I apologise for not sitting beside him but for talking to the back of his head instead. As we have Covid restrictions in place here, I do not expect him to turn around. Like the Minister, I thank all of the front-line workers in local authorities, housing charities, trusts and emergency accommodation, in Threshold, the Residential Tenancies Board and Intreo offices....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of Electoral Reform Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank the witnesses. I am here in LH 2000 as well. I have a couple of questions for the witnesses. While the Bill is very welcome, I get their point that it is too limited and not ambitious enough. I wonder if it is trying to be all things to all men. I am thinking in particular about the points we have raised with the witnesses on the veracity of communication and the messaging....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of Electoral Reform Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: It was to do with the strategic direction of an electoral commission and whether it should not be responsible for the regulation of political messaging. The electoral commission will be restricted to referendums and elections. Should those issues be dealt with outside of this legislation and an electoral commission?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank the Minister and the Government for the €18 million in funding provided for central Dublin to improve walking and cycling infrastructure. More than ten years ago, when I was first elected as a city councillor, I looked for a greenway on the Royal Canal and I am really glad to see it has progressed. With this funding we will be able to have a high-quality greenway all the way...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: State Examinations (15 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank the Minister of State for attending. Anybody watching will be disappointed that the Minister for Education is not here but I understand this is because she is participating in the talks to try to finalise arrangements for the leaving certificate examinations. From the start of the pandemic, which was almost a year ago, until now, 15 February, the Government has prioritised...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: State Examinations (15 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank the Minister of State for his reply and for coming into the Chamber. A flexible and agile approach that puts the welfare of students as a priority is obviously welcome and we all support it. I must say, though, it is disappointing that the Department did not provide more information to this House and that the Sunday newspapers seem to carry more detail than this House is being...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes: Engagement with the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth (16 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Would the Minister like to use my first minute to answer that question because we all want to hear an answer?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes: Engagement with the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth (16 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank the Minister for that, for coming before the committee and for the work that he and his Department are doing. The report from the commission was always destined to disappoint and has caused more upset and hurt than anybody would ever have wanted or intended. It has also caused a lot of anger. Its failure in tone, as the Minister has articulated, and failure to recognise basic human...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I am participating in the meeting from Leinster House. I thank the witnesses for their contributions. We all accept that the crisis of supply and affordability in terms of housing is our single most immediate challenge. I appreciate the work the witnesses are doing to help us address that challenge. I will ask a couple of specific questions, the first of which is meant to clarify...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Actually, just before Dr. O'Toole does, I want to get to my point because I only have five minutes. Does that mean that the ESRI did not take into account local authorities' shared equity, the AHBs' supply side or the co-operatives? If so, will Dr. O'Toole confirm that the statement does not assume that this will be a time-based measure and will only be available to first-time buyers who...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Is it then excluding all the supply side measures and all the restrictions to be applied to it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Does Dr. O'Toole agree that would be achieved if it is limited to people who cannot borrow from commercial banks?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Why? I would have thought it is very easy for someone to demonstrate that they went to a bank and were refused. How is it difficult to demonstrate that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: May I just ask-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I will come back in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Feb 2021)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank Dr. O'Toole. What the Chairman suggested would be useful. Twenty of 23 of the Bill's heads deal with the local authority affordable purchase scheme. We would welcome the ESRI's comments on that element. Deputy Gould mentioned that he had been proposing affordable housing for ten years. I suggest that, if he voted for Fianna Fáil, he would start to see that being delivered....