Results 41-60 of 1,203 for speaker:Mary Fitzpatrick

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Taking the significance of a referendum on housing, I wonder if it should have its own section. The Minister will come in and talk to us about the house building programme, retrofitting, water, planning and all of those areas but with this we are talking about constitutional change. It is a significant undertaking and one for which I believe there will be broad support. Should we be taking...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank the Chairman.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I also made that submission so we are in agreement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I agree with the suggestion and I am happy to support it. If we are going to look at Covid-19 and housing, I would like it to be a broad look and not just ventilation, building standards and space. In my constituency, domestic violence is up by 100% and housing inadequacy and poverty is a real contributor to that. I would like us to look at the social aspects, not just built housing, when...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: A lot of people have been trapped in really inadequate-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Are we not looking into the rest?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Deputy McAuliffe's items are actually next on the list.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Would it not be covered under No. 19: building design, universal design for disability and elderly, to include changing places, Covid learnings and safety building regulations, disability and elderly? We got a really good report at Dublin City Council last year and there is an increasing need because we are all living longer and living to be older but living fitter is another matter. There...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: It is a big issue in the city.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: That is a huge issue in the city as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: We were just starting it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: The first one, on including the housing referendum under No. 20, is accepted and I think we have agreed we will respond to the request from Home for Good and invite that organisation to appear. I am happy to have the matter dealt with in that way.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: The second was the Living City initiative, which was introduced in 2015. In Dublin city, only 56 applications to avail of the scheme have been processed. There is a large number of vacant over-shop properties and old properties in the city. We have a housing crisis and we are spending millions on temporary homeless accommodation. I have written to the Minister separately on this issue. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I do not mind. We can leave it under No. 24, while keeping in mind that we will have to get more deeply involved in it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: No. 24 is quite crowded. I agree with Senator Moynihan on that. The living city initiative is a particular programme in and of itself. Urban regeneration is a general objective and there is also the issue of town centres. We could make it No. 27. I do not mind. There may be a need for us to further review what has been agreed when we have concluded all of the categories.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I am happy with that proposal.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: That is an issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: The funding of voids and public housing is an issue that could be captured alongside the issues we discussed earlier. When public housing projects are being funded, what typically happens is funding is provided for the housing but the funding for the community facilities such as the crèche and other social-type infrastructure and resource comes from a separate fund.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Committee Work Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Oct 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Those are matters for local governments managing their own finances, although I agree with the Senator that they are important issues.