Results 1-20 of 46 for speaker:Maria McCormack

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Jun 2025)

Maria McCormack: I rise today furious about the "RTÉ Investigates" programme into Emeis nursing homes, one of which is in my hometown of Portlaoise. Since the broadcast aired, I have been contacted by many families of loved ones who are resident there at present and residents who have passed away. They have no answers. They are devastated and retraumatised. They are demanding answers, as they should....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Report of Housing Commission: Housing Commission (10 Jun 2025)

Maria McCormack: I am sorry; I missed a piece in the middle. Like Deputy Butterly, a lot of my questions have already been answered. Again like Deputy Butterly, I live in a small county, Laois, but our population is growing very significantly. Since the last census, we have grown by 8.5%. Being a commuter town causes serious problems. We have had a very significant influx of people coming into the town...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Report of Housing Commission: Housing Commission (10 Jun 2025)

Maria McCormack: I understand that but if we are looking at viability, there is land available to be zoned but we do not have developers who are willing to build in these areas. We have a growing population so the demand and need for housing are there but we just do not have the houses to meet it. It is not that we do not have valid areas for this; we have them but we just need investment in the area.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Report of Housing Commission: Housing Commission (10 Jun 2025)

Maria McCormack: That is definitely the case, and we have the missing middle because of the housing crisis. Being a commuter town, Portlaoise did not always have this problem but now there is such demand, we are not getting the houses built to keep up with it.

Seanad: Situation in Gaza: Statements (29 May 2025)

Maria McCormack: I acknowledge the Tánaiste’s opening speech on this. I find this a very difficult topic to talk about - 19 months of genocide, 55,000 dead, 50,000 children killed or injured, and if the bombs do not kill them, starvation will. They have no food, no water and no medicine. The word "horrific" does not even feel adequate as it is just so awful. We must play our part in doing what...

Seanad: Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2025: Second Stage (28 May 2025)

Maria McCormack: I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I am glad to speak to this Bill today. Having so many vacant or derelict homes rotting away in our towns, cities and villages while families are living out of tiny hotel rooms in homelessness is absolutely shameful. Definitely having boarded up homes at a time like this is like hoarding food in a famine. For far too long the Government has been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (27 May 2025)

Maria McCormack: It is great to get a grand overview of the issues from our guests. I thank them for coming in. It has been very informative and helpful. My question is about how macro-level data is used. It always just seems to focus on the big cities. It must be used to ensure rural towns and villages are not left behind in the wider plans to address the housing crisis. Laois is one of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (27 May 2025)

Maria McCormack: There is a need to note the difference in rural counties. There is an affordability gap. In counties like Laois, the average wage has not kept pace with housing prices. According to the latest CSO report, Laois is the second-poorest county next to Longford regarding disposable income. There is a real imbalance there. Is that taken into account? The national strategy does not seem to fit...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (27 May 2025)

Maria McCormack: I am conscious that we are taking a lot of the spillover as a commuter town to Dublin. A balance is needed with regard to house prices. The average three-bed house is €365,000 in County Laois, which is a small rural county. They are not affordable. It is pushing more and more homelessness. Rents are soaring as well. Demand most definitely exceeds supply. Do the Central Bank...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (27 May 2025)

Maria McCormack: Absolutely. How do we get more developers to move into these areas? We have land. We are a very rural county. We have zoned land ready to go but small builders cannot get the contracts. How can we look at this with a solution to the problem? How can we get these investors to come into County Laois and other counties like Laois?

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Crime Prevention (21 May 2025)

Maria McCormack: I am delighted the Minister is back in this House. I am deeply troubled by what I am witnessing in our community in Laois and surrounding counties. I am not alone in this concern. Over the past week, I have received numerous calls from frightened and frustrated residents who feel like prisoners in their own homes, living in fear of reckless behaviour and repeat offending. One constituent...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Crime Prevention (21 May 2025)

Maria McCormack: I thank the Minister and appreciate that he gives a thorough response every time he is here. I agree that we need to consider diversion and engage better with the youth diversion services but the issue of youth crime reached crisis point in Laois this week when there was no option and people felt that the youths got away free. There was no deterrent, leading to uproar in the community...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 May 2025)

Maria McCormack: I speak today about one of the most shameful ongoing failures of this Government, namely the persistent and unlawful delays in completing assessments of need for children with disabilities. I have just come from outside Leinster House where I talked with the father of Cara Darmody. They are all exhausted. This is a 14-year-old girl who has to sleep outside Leinster House to fight for...

Seanad: Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022: Motion (21 May 2025)

Maria McCormack: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022: Motion (21 May 2025)

Maria McCormack: The ARP scheme is actively distorting the rental sector and creating serious inequalities. Let us call it what it is: the ARP in its current form is deeply unfair. It was introduced in good faith to support people opening their homes to those fleeing war. Let me be clear. We commend every family and individual who did just that but the scheme has spiralled beyond its original purpose. ...

Seanad: Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Second Stage (21 May 2025)

Maria McCormack: I rise with pride to speak in support of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025, introduced by my colleague Chris Andrews. This is important legislation, simple in its construction, yet powerful in its intention. It seeks to do one vital thing, namely, to finally recognise socioeconomic disadvantage as a ground upon which discrimination can occur and outlaw it under equality law....

Seanad: National Biodiversity Week: Statements (14 May 2025)

Maria McCormack: I will share time with Senator Collins, if that is okay.

Seanad: National Biodiversity Week: Statements (14 May 2025)

Maria McCormack: Yes.

Seanad: National Biodiversity Week: Statements (14 May 2025)

Maria McCormack: On behalf of the Sinn Féin group, I extend my condolences to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, on the loss of his sister. I am happy to talk about biodiversity. In Laois, and nationally, we have a real opportunity to tackle biodiversity and the climate crisis in a meaningful way. We must follow on from the work our colleague, Senator Noonan, did when he held the brief. In...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 May 2025)

Maria McCormack: I am wearing a pair of shorts, not as a fashion statement but in solidarity with the camogie players of Ireland who are simply asking for a choice. I acknowledge the Laois camogie players who are in the Chamber. During their match with Kilkenny on Monday, they took a stand by wearing shorts in protest of the outdated skort rule, just like the Dublin and Kilkenny players the day before, who...