Results 121-140 of 1,145,518 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Catherine Murphy OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Maurice Quinlivan OR speaker:Denis Naughten OR speaker:James O'Connor OR speaker:Johnny Mythen OR speaker:Holly Cairns OR speaker:Martin Kenny OR speaker:Helen McEntee OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Barry Cowen OR speaker:Leo Varadkar OR speaker:Catherine Connolly OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:Steven Matthews OR speaker:Malcolm Noonan OR speaker:Micheál Martin OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Gino Kenny OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire OR speaker:Matt Carthy OR speaker:Alan Farrell OR speaker:Richard O'Donoghue OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:David Cullinane OR speaker:Robert Troy OR speaker:Fergus O'Dowd OR speaker:Eoin Ó Broin OR speaker:Gary Gannon) in 'Committee meetings'
- 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...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: I get that. My question is, since most AHBs have not amended their constitution, does it make any material difference that they do not have that wording in their constitution? Obviously, when the folks in the Department drafted the legislation, they had a reason for putting that in.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: The wording was too restrictive. It would have excluded non-housing-related activities and therefore not having it in means they can continue doing those non-housing activities.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: I am asking for the benefit of clarity. What would non-housing activities include?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: Anything beyond the bricks and mortar.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: Perfect. One of the other changes in Part 2 is the deletion of the alleviation of housing need. It is not that I have a problem with that but I think it is important there is public clarity. From Dr. McManus's point of view, what is the purpose or consequence of removing the alleviation of housing need from those sections of the existing legislation? What does that do or allow the AHBs to...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: That makes sense.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: I have a number of questions on Part 3. With respect to the change to the definition of household, did the AHB sector ask for this? I know there are different organisations here. What was the rationale for asking for this, from the witnesses' point of view? What from their experience of cost rental so far led them to think this was a good proposition?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: Is it Ms Cleary's understanding from reading the Bill that these separate households would solely be single-person households or could they be two-person households? Does she have a view as to whether it should only be a single-person household or a two-person household sharing? If there was a two-bedroom unit, for example, could it only be two singles, or could it or should it be possibly...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: I have a concern with this, although again I am not opposed to the principle and understand the logic. One reason that single people may want to share is that they cannot afford the one-bedroom units because the rent would be more than a third of their take-home pay. While not necessarily a desired option but as a practical solution to their housing needs, two single people will come...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: I have two final questions on the household definitions. Do the witnesses have a view on what the income threshold should be? We asked the Minister and he said it has not been decided yet, but I think they have a ballpark figure. Do the witnesses have a view? How do we guard against a couple whose combined income might be above the threshold but whose separate incomes will be below the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: I have a supplementary question on that. I have many other questions, but I am over time. One of the concerns I have is, given where the rents are, I suspect that a significant number of people are applying but are being refused on the basis that the rent will be more than a third of their take-home pay. Are the AHBs monitoring the position in that regard? Could they share figures on it?...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: That would be useful. We should write to the LDA and say that the AHBs are able to provide that, even if it is on a total stock rather than scheme-by-scheme basis. If we had the LDA’s data, that would be very useful too.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Steven Matthews: I wish to make one point and then I will bring in Deputy Gould. It was kind of in my line of questioning previously and it was mentioned in the opening statements. We are moving to ultra-efficient buildings, like the passive house standard almost or like how Shanganagh Castle Estate was constructed. Conventionally, you would have looked at one third of the income as being pitched around...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: They get more money than the local authorities.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Steven Matthews: We will have to allow representatives from the local authorities to come in to answer that question. It is unfair to-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Steven Matthews: I thank Deputy Gould.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: On that point - it is important that we are all very clear - Dr. McManus is right about the AHB homes that were funded through the old capital loan and subsidy scheme, CLSS, and are currently funded through the capital assistance scheme, CAS. It must be said, though, that the capital advanced loan facility, CALF, and the availability agreement is the most advantageous of all. It is not just...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)
Steven Matthews: I thank the Deputy. I have just one question and then I will go back to him.