Results 141-160 of 1,103,838 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (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:Noel Grealish OR speaker:Peter Burke OR speaker:Jackie Cahill OR speaker:Marian Harkin OR speaker:Martin Heydon OR speaker:Róisín Shortall)

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.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: That is perfect. I thank the Chair.

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

Steven Matthews: When AHBs engage with local authorities and partner up with them, sometimes a local authority will provide the land and an AHB will do the construction. Where is the decision made on to day these 46 units, for example, will be AHB or cost-rental properties? Does the housing need and demand assessment team negotiate that with the local authorities by indicating what the demand is and the...

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

Steven Matthews: There was a recent Government-produced report on the total costs in construction. We have also had good engagement with the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland which has been doing a series on costs in construction every couple of years. The costs in the two most recent reports seemed to align quite closely. Is the Housing Alliance in agreement that that is generally the cost of...

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

Eoin Ó Broin: The average cost per unit is €345,000?

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

Steven Matthews: That is depending on the site. It could be much higher, as different sites incur different costs for preparation development, etc.

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

Steven Matthews: The figure we were seeing in those SCSI reports was approximately €400,000 and something for total cost of construction.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: It was. The other report is on the unit-cost ceilings from the Department, which are not average costs. That is the upper limit to which one can go. It was poorly reported. It gave the impression that everything is costing at the upper end, whereas Mr. O’Gorman’s figures are similar to those of the local authorities. There is a range depending on delivery type, location and...

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

Steven Matthews: This is a discussion for another day and I do not expect Mr. O'Gorman to be able to crack this nut today but most of us across the political spectrum are more or less in agreement on the number of housing units that need to be produced over the next number of years, whether new builds or refurbishments. How do we make something affordable that costs a lot of money to make? That is the crux...

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

Steven Matthews: Explain that to me. Both the gearing and changing the funding mix.

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

Steven Matthews: To go back to cost rentals, that is having an impact on the level at which the witnesses must set rent. Is the point that this is a more expensive model for the bodies?

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

Steven Matthews: I will leave the final slot to Deputy Ó Broin and we will finish in nine minutes.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: To go back to the Bill, the next thing I want to talk about is the allocations. My understanding of the Bill is that the Minister, by way of regulations, will set down the criteria against which allocations can be made. Individual cost-rental landlords will be able to apply either for the scheme or more generally, as to which of those they apply to that particular scheme. While the...