Results 81-100 of 1,095,175 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Holly Cairns OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Michael McNamara OR speaker:Peter Fitzpatrick OR speaker:Ciarán Cannon OR speaker:John Brady OR speaker:Niall Collins OR speaker:Eoin Ó Broin OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Dessie Ellis OR speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Richard O'Donoghue OR speaker:Fergus O'Dowd OR speaker:Seán Canney OR speaker:Steven Matthews OR speaker:Micheál Martin OR speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett OR speaker:Robert Troy OR speaker:Emer Higgins OR speaker:Willie O'Dea OR speaker:Bríd Smith OR speaker:Heather Humphreys OR speaker:Claire Kerrane OR speaker:Réada Cronin OR speaker:Roderic O'Gorman OR speaker:Thomas Pringle OR speaker:Michael Collins) in 'Committee meetings'

World Mental Health Day: Statements (10 Oct 2024)

Mark Ward: I do not know how many more engagements we will have from one side of the House to the other. On this World Mental Health Day I wish the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and her staff all the very best. I know we have had political differences over the years but I wish you all the best on World Mental Health Day. I want to thank everybody working in mental health services on World...

South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy: Motion (10 Oct 2024)

Matt Shanahan: I ask the Minister of State to put on the record the size of the turbines he referenced in Denmark, which are closer to shore than he suggested.

South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy: Motion (10 Oct 2024)

Question put and agreed to.

World Mental Health Day: Statements (10 Oct 2024)

World Mental Health Day: Statements (10 Oct 2024)

Mary Butler: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to mark World Mental Health Day 2024. It is a day that allows us to reflect on the importance of mental health as a vital element in the overall good health of every individual – there is no health without mental health. It is also an appropriate day to reflect on the huge progress that has been made in mental health policy and...

South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy: Motion (10 Oct 2024)

Dara Calleary: Go raibh maith ag an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach agus táim buíoch de gach Teachta as páirt a ghlacadh sa díospóireacht thábhachtach seo. I have remarks generally framed from my Department's point of view, which leads out on Powering Prosperity. I will try to refer to some of the more constructive comments. If I do not get to a Deputy's point, I will...

South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy: Motion (10 Oct 2024)

Catherine Connolly: I welcome the opportunity. As previous speakers have said, it is not my area but the concerns belong to all of us. I have serious concerns that this is developer driven. I will come back to that in relation to Sceirde off the coast of Connemara. It has to be welcomed that we have a plan. However, that plan is being done in a vacuum where only 9% of our marine areas are protected. I...

South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy: Motion (10 Oct 2024)

Ruairi Ó Murchú: As many of my colleagues have said, we support DMAPs. A number of people have spoken to the fact that a period of time was lost in bringing them about. We know the potential in offshore wind. If we are serious about decarbonisation and renewables, we know, given our geography - I am also not from the south coast - and certain other advantages we have, the benefits that exist and what we...

South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy: Motion (10 Oct 2024)

Matt Shanahan: I thank the Minister of State for attending. I am somebody who obviously has an interest in this area. I come from Waterford, which along with Wexford is one of the counties that will be most impacted by this proposed wind development. I say at the start that I sold renewable energy. I am a fan of wind. We need it, and we certainly need offshore wind development. I was in Germany two...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: The witnesses are welcome to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage. We meet today to discuss the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024. I am delighted to welcome the following witnesses from the Irish Council for Social Housing: Dr. Donal McManus, chief executive officer; Ms Ailbhe McLoughlin, director of policy; and Ms Lyndsey Anderson,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: Perfect. That is great. There is one hour and a quarter set aside for this meeting. I invite Ms McLoughlin to make the opening statement. We will then turn to members for questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: I thank Ms McLoughlin. For the witnesses' information, we waived pre-legislative scrutiny because we are fully aware of the time sensitivity of this legislation, as they outlined. However, we held a briefing with the Department, so we are familiar with aspects of it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: Like Deputy Gould, I have learned more about AHBs at meetings of this committee in the past four or five years than I ever knew before. Therefore, it is really helpful that the guests come here and share their expertise with us. Could someone explain deemed-to-be-registered status to me. It is from the 2019 Act. Why have we reached a point that involves the possibility of losing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: The description indicated the sole purpose of AHBs was the delivery or provision of housing, whereas many AHBs have ancillary activities. The ancillary activities were pushing AHBs out of deemed-to-be-registered status because their sole purpose was not purely to provide housing. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: Yes. That verbatim description was set out in the 2019 Act. What change has there been? Has somebody suddenly noticed that some AHBs have activities other than the provision of housing and now fall foul of the Act? Is that generally where we are at?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: It sounds like a sensible amendment to make to overcome the obstacle. I just wanted to be clear that that was Dr. McManus’s take as well. It is what we had in our briefing from the Department. We have been very much behind regarding cost-rental housing for many years. It has been central to Green Party housing policy for many years. We met our Austrian colleagues prior to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: I agree with that. I have roughly totted up the figures and noted there are to be around 4,000 cost-rental homes produced in the next three years by the AHB sector. I am aware that the LDA also has set a target. The more we see, the more people will become aware that the option is available to them. The 40-year timeline is in the legislation, the Affordable Housing Act. Is the period...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: Is 40 years a term in lending that cannot be gone beyond, even with mortgages for private property? If the period were extended to 45 years or 50 years, it would reduce the monthly rent, but would an extension of this kind add to the cost overall?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: Cost-rental eligibility is within an income bracket here. When I was talking to the Austrian Greens, they said it was a much wider income bracket, so there is a much greater mix of different occupations and people at different stages in their lives. Again, it is new and in the development stage. Obviously we can aspire to broader and greater production of cost rental. My time is up. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: I thank the witnesses for being here at short notice and for the opening statement. Part of the reason a number of committee members wanted to do this session is that, while we accepted there was a need for Part 2 to be introduced before the break for Christmas, some of us were surprised at the cost-rental elements coming in. It is not that we are against them in principle but some of these...