Results 161-180 of 1,129,535 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Peadar Tóibín OR speaker:Jennifer Whitmore OR speaker:John Brady OR speaker:Simon Coveney OR speaker:Brian Stanley OR speaker:Catherine Murphy OR speaker:Norma Foley OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:Michael Ring OR speaker:James O'Connor OR speaker:David Stanton OR speaker:Réada Cronin OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Matt Carthy OR speaker:Ivana Bacik OR speaker:Aindrias Moynihan OR speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire OR speaker:Mairead Farrell OR speaker:Simon Harris OR speaker:Michael Creed OR speaker:Steven Matthews OR speaker:Danny Healy-Rae OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Malcolm Noonan OR speaker:Niamh Smyth OR speaker:Noel Grealish OR speaker:Chris Andrews OR speaker:Martin Kenny OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Mick Barry)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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...