Results 6,021-6,040 of 25,799 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: That is in place. More than 40,000 homes have that condition in place. There are legacy issues with planning permission granted before this. I do not like to see the sale of family homes to vulture funds either. This is what I said in response to Deputy Doherty and I have already said to Deputy Cairns that the rate will be reviewed. I intend to have discussions with the Minister for...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: With regard to the 54,000 figure, our target last year was 29,000 new homes. We will exceed that and Deputy Cairns will see this later this month or in early February. We will exceed it substantially. For the second year of Housing for All, we will exceed our targets and we will deliver more than 100,000 new homes. We know we need to do a lot more and we are determined to do it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We have a rules-based system and those rules need to be enforced. There is no question about that. I have seen the reports on those arriving at Dublin Airport without travel documents. We must remember that many people who are arriving and seeking protection are fleeing persecution. I know Deputy McNamara would agree that as a country we have been welcoming and we should continue to be...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: It is certainly something I can raise with the Minister for Justice. This has been discussed at Cabinet and Government level and among our parties to make sure we have a fair system for people who come to the country. We issue approximately 60,000 work permits a year for people who choose this country as a place to live. One would not believe this is the case from listening to the previous...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I am responding to Deputy McNamara, if the Deputy does not mind. Regarding the number of prosecutions, Deputy McNamara said there have been zero. This is something I will raise with the Minister for Justice. We have ensured that airline and immigration staff are properly and appropriately trained to deal with people coming in who are trying to get around the laws that are in place. The...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand the question. All of us know Dublin Airport well. Deputy McNamara knows with regard to anyone who comes in without travel documents that there are GNIB officers and immigration officers who interview each of these individuals. Nobody walks straight into the country. They are interviewed. There can be valid reasons, as Deputy McNamara has also said, as to why people would not...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I am simply giving the facts-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Relax, Thomas, for a second. I have given the facts. No one wants to see family homes being bulk purchased and that is why I made the planning changes. Whether the Deputy likes it or not those planning changes are working because 40,000 planning permissions are granted now with an owner-occupier guarantee on them, which means they cannot be sold on a bulk basis. That is working. Why are...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The State is investing €5 billion in housing this year. Every single measure we brought forward on housing Sinn Féin has opposed. It opposed the Land Development Agency. It opposed it right the way through.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We have actually. Whether Sinn Féin likes it or not commencements are up as are completions. We will exceed our target for 2023 as we did in 2022. There are still issues but this Government backs first-time buyers. All that Sinn Féin would do for first-time buyers is abolish every measure there to support them.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Then the Sinn Féin party leader comes up with this great plan of dropping every house price to €300,000. Deputy Louise O'Reilly was asked-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: -----on TV last week how would that be done. She huffed and puffed through that. No one has actually told me. The Deputy might use his time when he comes back in afterwards to explain to the House the Sinn Féin plan to drop house prices to €300,000, how it would work and how long it would take. The Deputy might explain that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I must first reject the Deputy's assertion that in any way, shape or form we deal with housing in a flippant way. We certainly do not. We are very serious about it. This Government is investing more than any previous Government has in housing. We brought forward measures to help in housing. I would also say to the Deputy that while people do travel perhaps the Deputy has read about the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: -----and private homes as well.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Then the Social Democrats also say they want us to build on State land. We are building on State land.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: When we brought forward the Land Development Agency Act what did the Social Democrats do? They voted against that as well. They voted against the Affordable Housing Act. They voted against the Land Development Agency Act. Consider the first-time buyers that the Social Democrats purport to want to represent. They opposed the help-to-buy grant, they opposed the first home scheme-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We are bringing forward measures that are actually working and it takes time to turn housing around. Consider where we are with completions. Since we have taken over and since this coalition has come into government, by the end of 2023 we had built more than 100,000 new homes in this country. There are still stresses and demands there, unquestionably, and that is why we need to increase...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The voting record speaks for itself. I still await the Social Democrats' housing policy or housing plan as to what they would do differently.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The reality is that we back first-time buyers and we back renters. We brought in the renters' tax credit as well to help defray the costs there. The rental market is far from perfect. I know that. On bulk purchase the Deputies will also know - as I have explained to Deputy Doherty earlier - that we have changed the planning law from May 2021. More than 40,000 homes now have the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht na ceiste. Ar an gcéad dul síos, tá sé tábhachtach a rá go ndearna mé athrú ar dhlí pleanála i mí na Bealtaine 2021. Tá a fhios ag an Teachta faoi sin. Cosnaíonn an t-athrú sin tithe teaghlaigh do dhaoine aonair agus do theaghlaigh. Tá an t-athrú sin ag obair....