Results 181-200 of 6,147 for in 'Committee meetings' speaker:Catherine Murphy

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Heads of Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Jul 2013)

Catherine Murphy: Yes, I know. Professor Convery was saying we could assist in advancing the policy agenda in Europe. In giving ourselves the best prospect of taking things from that perspective, would we not have to show an element of leadership in meeting our own targets? How we do this is a key issue. Professor Convery highlighted the expert advisory group and the various agencies involved and I agree...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Heads of Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Jul 2013)

Catherine Murphy: Electricity will play a much bigger part in all of our lives and energy efficiency and retrofitting are major issues. Dr. Motherway has stated 250,000 homes have already been retrofitted. From parliamentary questions I have asked the Minister and exchanges on the floor of the House, I believe we have reached a plateau because of a policy gap. The pay-as-you-save concept has not kicked in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Heads of Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Jul 2013)

Catherine Murphy: Before Dr. Doran replies, I wish to add my tuppence worth because of the tight time schedule. I was intrigued when he said a clearly defined relationship in terms of the expert body was just as important as targets. We have a very poor history of designing good institutional architecture. That may well be because we inherited architecture that we had not moulded ourselves. In that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Heads of Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Jul 2013)

Catherine Murphy: We are working to a very tight time schedule.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Heads of Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Jul 2013)

Catherine Murphy: We have inherited the same courts system.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Heads of Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Jul 2013)

Catherine Murphy: Apologies for the delay. This is the sixth and final delegate to come before the committee today. I welcome Dr. Roderick O'Gorman from the School of Law and Government on behalf of Dublin City University. Before we begin, please note that witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence. However, if they are directed by the joint committee to cease giving...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Heritage Council: Discussion (16 Jul 2013)

Catherine Murphy: I welcome Mr. Newman, who has a very impressive CV. It is quite difficult to pin down one aspect because the remit is so wide, so I will just ask some questions to tease out the issues. Mr. Newman referred to the Heritage Council's sectoral role and the heritage network. I am very interested in this because, clearly, some aspects are very fragmented. Mr. Newman would obviously have a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Management and Operation of Housing Associations: Discussion (1 Oct 2013)

Catherine Murphy: We would all agree that regulation is necessary not just from the point of view of securing private funding, but from the point of view of tenant rights. I have encountered informal arrangements that worked for neither side. It is important that there be certainty. This is what regulation would bring. We have a crisis on our hands, given the extent of the housing waiting list. It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Location of Wind Turbines: Discussion (8 Oct 2013)

Catherine Murphy: I am pleased members of the panel have highlighted the fact that they are in favour of the development of wind energy projects. We all accept their importance, but the key issue is how it is done. Has the panel considered whether the approach taken contravenes the principles of the Aarhus Convention, given that people have been signed up in advance? What can be done about this? When a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Outline Heads of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Discussion (8 Oct 2013)

Catherine Murphy: It has been a very good process in that it was very useful to have received the expert opinions from right across the spectrum. Had I been writing it, I probably would have been more hardline on a number of issues. I would have wanted targets, etc. It is important that we can live with the report going to the Minister. Circumstances would be different had we written it ourselves. Deputy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Nuclear Power Plants: Discussion with Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (5 Nov 2013)

Catherine Murphy: I welcome the delegates. People are becoming more aware that certain environmental factors may pose a potential health risk, from telecommunications masts right through to the issue we are discussing today. The delegates spoke about how they have mapped the various facilities. The proposed reprocessing plants, as well as the Sellafield site, are all on the west coast of Britain and thus in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Nuclear Power Plants: Discussion with Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (5 Nov 2013)

Catherine Murphy: What were the scenarios that Dr. McGarry tested? Would the location for the Fukushima plant have been tested for its proximity to a fault line? It certainly was the one that had an impact not just locally, but across most of the globe.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Environmental Pillar (7 Nov 2013)

Catherine Murphy: I am concerned some measures have started to work and that we might be going backwards with some of what is included in the legislation. I am not an enthusiast for the institutional arrangements which have been devised. There continues to be too close a relationship between the Custom House, the Minister and local authorities and I would rather see a greater disconnect. I do not doubt...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Ibec (7 Nov 2013)

Catherine Murphy: I shall follow up on one of the points I raised on Second Stage. If others do not table an amendment on the rebate, as I expect they will, I certainly intend to do so. I cannot see how the 100% difference can be carried, particularly in the retail area. In towns and villages around the country vacant premises are much more noticeable than the vacant houses in housing estates.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Ibec (7 Nov 2013)

Catherine Murphy: That will be a serious problem. It might have been possible to sustain it in a city environment but I do not think one size fits all in that case. I certainly agree with the witness on that issue. In respect of the elimination of town councils, I am surprised that a group such as IBEC did not seek a change in the county council system, as opposed to the town council system. Please do not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Ibec (7 Nov 2013)

Catherine Murphy: If Mr. McCabe says that the bigger ratepayers are disproportionately impacted and the same take must come from the business sector, presumably, he is talking about a redistribution between the large, medium and small. Has IBEC done any calculations on the impact on the smaller ones? In fact, proportionately, the SME sector would probably be the largest employer. I presume that would impact...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Ibec (7 Nov 2013)

Catherine Murphy: For example, the Tesco store in Naas, one of the biggest Tesco stores in Ireland, is built on the periphery of the town. One can see that it had a major impact on the main street. In fact, it did not create new jobs but relocated them, and the profits are repatriated.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Ibec (7 Nov 2013)

Catherine Murphy: We will question that, but it is neither here nor there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Ibec (7 Nov 2013)

Catherine Murphy: My point is that if one puts a cap on its rates, one gives Tesco or a big company such as that the advantage as against the myriad smaller retail stores that produce not only rates but a vibrant town centre.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2013)

Catherine Murphy: The records held by the General Register Office are public records and we must maintain that important principle. In the absence of any other good substitute for census data, these records are extremely important. Many professional genealogists are concerned that freedom of information provisions may be used to obstruct access to genealogical records. Such records should be excluded from...