Results 141-160 of 1,203 for speaker:Mary Fitzpatrick

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Second Stage (25 Nov 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I am speaking as a former city councillor and I genuinely understand the enormous time and effort that councillors put into the making of development plans. It is two years' work and requires significant effort on their part. They engage with their constituents, lobby groups and so on. I am not going to repeat my request to the Government; everyone here knows what I want to say, including...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Second Stage (25 Nov 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Next Monday.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Nov 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Diego Maradona died yesterday but two men in our capital city also died. One of them was homeless and living on the streets of Dublin and the other had been homeless and was in sheltered accommodation. I have raised the issue of homelessness many times in this House and at the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I fully recognise the commitment from the Government in...

Seanad: Reopening Ireland (Department of Health): Statements (26 Nov 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House for this important debate. We appreciate his time as there are enormous demands on him and his Department. His Department is to be commended, along with NPHET and all of government, for the continuing efforts and outstanding commitment to helping our country tackle and survive this pandemic. Before I say anything else, it is important...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: It is Ní Ghiolla Phádraig. My Irish is not that great but I am catching up. I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House and for bringing this important legislation. As a former councillor, I share the view that engagement with the public on all matters for which local authorities are responsible is important. The development plan is made once every five years and this...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Standing room only on the north side.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I will be brief. We need to be responsible and constructive in this debate. The legislation that is being brought forward is with the objective of trying to enhance public participation rather than to stymie or restrict it. The narrow interpretation that is being put on the language, which states that the executive functions own the preparation of the pre-draft is not helpful because it is...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I did not-----

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: It was not part of the development plan.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Next Wednesday.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (1 Dec 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank the Cathaoirleach. I thank the Minister for coming into the House. This is an important issue to my constituents, his constituents and survivors all over the world. When the Minister came into the House in October of this year, he brought forward legislation to prevent the destruction of the records and the database from the commission of investigation. My colleague and I...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (1 Dec 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I will be brief if I only have 30 seconds. I thank the Minister for his reply. It is welcome that the free phone telephone numbers are there and that supports are being put in place. I am going to move briefly to the final part of the Minister's statement which related to the information and tracing legislation. He flagged that when he came before the committee in October. It is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Assessments of Needs for Children with Disabilities: Engagement with Ombudsman for Children (1 Dec 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I apologise for being late. I thank Dr. Muldoon for his report and the important work he does on behalf of children and their families. Being a parent is probably the scariest thing that most of us can do as it brings enormous responsibilities and none of us knows what visible or invisible challenges our children will have. The report confirms the sad reality for many parents and children,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Assessments of Needs for Children with Disabilities: Engagement with Ombudsman for Children (1 Dec 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: A quiet space.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Defects: Discussion with Construction Defects Alliance (1 Dec 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank the witnesses for their presentations and submissions. As the Chairman said, as new committee members, we were very keen to address this issue early in our work programme. It has to be every homeowner's worst nightmare to find, having finally bought a home, that the security of the property has been undermined, not knowing how badly it has been undermined or how much at risk it is....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Dec 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: The more some people tweet, the more the veil slips. I draw the House's attention to the 56 black balloons that hang outside the railings of Leinster House today. They have been placed there by Inner City Helping Homeless, a volunteer organisation dedicated to supporting homeless people in our capital city. The Deputy Leader and I both know that one of the first actions of the new Minister...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Report and Final Stages (2 Dec 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I look forward to the Minister of State's response. It is a legitimate issue that has been raised. As I am not a lawyer, I will defer to the legal eagles. However, I ask that we would not lose the context of what we are legislating for. This is the statutory public consultation process. We have more than 31 city and county councils with more than 940 elected representatives. They are...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Dec 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I also ask the House to recognise that today is a day we should all be mindful those with challenges and who battle disabilities daily, and also their families and friends and the communities that support them. It is really important. We all have our challenges, visible and invisible, but today is a day for those with specific disabilities. We should all be mindful of them. A related...

Seanad: Combating Sexual, Domestic and Gender-Based Violence: Statements (Resumed) (8 Dec 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I will do all I can to keep my contribution within the six minutes allocated. I welcome the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and thank him for coming before the House. This is a really important issue. All the issues we talk about in this House are important, but the issue of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and abuse is so insidious and corrosive. When I stop to think about the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Dec 2020)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank the witnesses for their presentations and for the information they provided us in previous briefings. There is quite a lot going on in this Bill at this point. Talk about project creep. It is racing away from us a little, but we have had the benefit in the Seanad of having had the Bill come through, so I appreciate the time and support that the Department officials have given us in...