Results 1-20 of 323 for at speaker:Mary Fitzpatrick

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 May 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: That is correct, Máire Nic Giolla Phádraig anseo. I will start by recalling that this week is the 50th anniversary of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. The bombings which took place, without any prior notice, in Dublin and Monaghan killed 34 people and injured more than 300 people. The bombings on Parnell Street, Talbot Street and South Leinster Street in Dublin city and in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: We agree that it should be a requirement, there should be criteria and it should be in primary legislation. Moving on from that, I think we all agree that we should decouple social housing from the emergency accommodation situation. The emergency accommodation response should not be dependent on a person qualifying for permanent long-term social housing. I acknowledge that my experience is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Yes, please. As we continue our work as a committee, it might be useful for us to have a separate briefing on the emergency accommodation legislation in order to complete this picture. We all share a general concern regarding the need to ensure that whatever we do with this legislation will not have the unintended consequence of a negative impact on the people who are trying to seek and...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Apr 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: ...to the House and I really look forward to working with him. I will be very proud to serve in the Seanad with him. I also welcome his family, who have just departed. Like most family members, they have gotten sense at this point of his career. They will be there at the times he needs them. I welcome the opening of the world premier of The Pull of the Stars at the Gate Theatre in...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: National Monuments (7 Mar 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I welcome the Minister of State. This will be the sixth occasion I have raised the issue of the national monument on Moore Street. The national monument is the birthplace of our Republic. It is where the last surrender took place in 1916. It is an incredibly important location, historically, socially and culturally to us all and to our Republic. I hope the Minister of State is coming to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: National Monuments (7 Mar 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank the Minister of State for his interest in Moore Street, his response and his presence in the House. The reply is very disappointing and concerning because it indicates the State continues to wait for private owners and developers to determine what they are going to do, if they are going to do it. I appreciate those private owners are at the mercy of An Bord Pleanála and those...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Mar 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: No. 1, the European Arrest Warrant (Amendment) Bill 2022 - Message from the Dáil, is to be taken at 11.45 a.m.; and No. 2, Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023 - Committee Stage (resumed), is to be taken on the conclusion of No. 1 and adjourn no later than 2 p.m., if not previously concluded.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Mar 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank all the Senators for their contributions to the debate on the Order of Business and their agreement to it. I will begin by offering my condolences to the friends and family of Saoírse Ruane. It is very sad news for us to hear this morning. That little girl had more bravery in her body than any of us will ever have. I am sure their hearts are broken. We are thinking of them...

Seanad: Private Rental Sector: Motion (6 Mar 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That Seanad Éireann:" and substitute the following: “notes that: - Housing for All is providing record levels of funding to support the delivery of social and affordable homes by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and the Land Development Agency; - over €5 billion in capital investment is available in 2024...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Homelessness: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank the witnesses for attending today. The number of 13, 531 people in emergency accommodation is one that haunts us all and I thank the witnesses, their staff and everybody who works in their organisations for the work they do every day to try to prevent homelessness and to help people exit homelessness. At the outset, I acknowledge the significant progress they have been able to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Homelessness: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: -----or homeless housing assistance payment. In fact, they have no route out of the emergency accommodation at that point in time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Homelessness: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I will give Senator Cummins a moment to take his place. I ask Mr. Kelly to return to the issue of the over-concentration in Dublin Central for a moment. I appreciate that local authorities are independent bodies, having been a member myself and fully respecting of their authority. It is really important that the Government at a national level does not interfere with the operation of the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: This morning, this House should recognise that there are renewed attempts to try to establish talks aimed at achieving a ceasefire in the Middle East. As a House, we are all very conscious and have talked many times since 7 October, now four months on, about the inhumanity that has been perpetrated there. We should call on all parties to engage in those talks constructively to seek to find...

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (24 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: ...of a joint policing committee in Dublin Central and a founding director of the Cabra Community Policing Forum. I understand the importance of having good structures in place to deal with issues that arise in our communities around policing. I know the Minister shares the ambition we all have for safer communities. I believe safer communities can be delivered where there are proper...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: Like other speakers, I am deeply disappointed that the Peter McVerry Trust, the DRHE and the Department have made themselves unavailable and have declined our constructive invitation for them to appear at a public session of the Oireachtas joint committee on housing. They would not have been appearing for our entertainment or solely for our information. This is a public forum where they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I thank the witnesses for coming here today. I was with the Cathaoirleach on the visit to the site in Shanganagh and I congratulate everybody at the LDA. It is great to see the progress. The quality of the build and the development is really impressive and hugely encouraging. It is exactly what we all imagined the LDA would be delivering when we passed the legislation. In terms of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Fitzpatrick: I wonder if any of those stakeholders and those landowners have an appreciation of the pressures under which the Land Development Agency is trying to operate. The reality it that the agency has a plan here from 2024 to 2028. All the Opposition parties opposed the Land Development Agency legislation and if they are in power in 14 months after an election, they are likely to scrap the Land...