Results 3,561-3,580 of 26,021 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank the representatives from Limerick City and County Council and Waterford City and County Council for being here. The witnesses will appreciate that, since I am a Deputy from Limerick city, my questions will probably be more directed towards the officials from Limerick. I acknowledge the great work being done in Waterford. I know about the work the council has done, especially on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: In essence how many voids is the total amount for?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: That means that €6.4 million-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is that from the State?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: So €5 million is being put aside.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: How much is the State providing in total? What will be the total cost of refurbishment? Does Ms Curley have that figure?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: The State is providing roughly €13 million with €5 million coming from the council's own resources.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is that from the Troy Studios loan?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I commend Ms Curley on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am not asking for that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: When does Ms Curley anticipate that the full 178 units will be back in use?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Are there many voids coming back?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Obviously a remedial job is being done here. The funding that has come from the repayment of the Troy Studios loan is giving the facility to do that. In terms of the voids scheme and the funding, from the time a house become empty and is a void, what is the process for getting that back into action? Are there bottlenecks in that process?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: What is the process in getting the funding from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to do the works on the voids?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is it fair to say that a house on average might cost about €20,000 or €25,000 which in modern day terms is not a huge amount of money? Of that the State is providing about €11,000 so the council itself funds at least a half of the capital cost, is that fair to say?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I do not think the public understands that. That provides a challenge to the local authorities. Is that a challenge?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: The point I am trying to make is so that the committee can look at whether there is a way to catch up with the long-term voids. We have a housing problem. We need to get houses back into stock as quickly as possible. The last thing that should be an impediment at the moment is funding. I would ask the committee to take that up. The next point I want to take up is on the derelict houses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank the Chair. I have two very quick questions. Of the 388 houses, 145 have been sold. Am I wrong? Am I roughly correct in saying that about half of the derelict housing was put up for private sale? Would that be a fair approximation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: So that is roughly half. Would they go to first-time buyers on the open market?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Nov 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: In regard to the affordable housing schemes, 25 affordable houses went up in Castletroy. That was well received where I live. How have those schemes been going? Is there a buy-in from builders in regard to going for these type of schemes? Is there something on the funding side that we are missing to ensure that they will come more towards the affordable housing purchase scheme? That is a...