Results 801-820 of 6,937 for speaker:Cian O'Callaghan

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Policies (21 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: 14. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of the well-being framework launched by his Department. [21761/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I appreciate that very much. I thank everyone who has come in. I wish to ask the Department about the use of highly combustible materials. Is it the case that developers can still use highly combustible materials in residential buildings?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Mr. O’Dowd is saying that for lower buildings, highly combustible materials can be used, and for higher buildings, a developer can only use highly combustible materials if it has been tested as part of a system that prevents the spread of fire. Is that the situation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: One of the difficulties in Grenfell, for example, was systems failure. It was not just highly combustible cladding; it was systems failure. There were many issues with it. One of the issues that came up in Grenfell was the smoke toxicity. As I think most people would know, it is generally smoke that kills people, not usually fire. Smoke toxicity levels in the building materials is one of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Returning to my question, are smoke toxicity levels in building materials regulated or not? With Grenfell, unfortunately, as with many disasters, multiple things went wrong. The "stay put" policy was obviously one of the issues, but there were multiple failures. Unfortunately, when there is loss of human life, it is often when several things have failed. If the answer is that it is not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I appreciate those commitments but given that smoke toxicity levels in building materials are regulated throughout Europe – we are an outlier on this – given there is the 2004 report from the UK’s Building Research Establishment that noted this problem, and given that 72 people lost their lives in Grenfell Tower where one of the many issues was smoke toxicity levels,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: The concern relates to when these things fail. If all the early detection systems, compartmentalisation and everything else works, there will not be an issue. The problem is that tragic loss of life occurs when different systems fail. When something is missing, for example, the compartmentalisation, it becomes a matter of life and death.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Every other European country has regulated smoke toxicity levels in the building materials in residential construction since at least 2004. Saying that we cannot do it because of European regulations when regulation is in place in every other European Union country seems to be a bizarre answer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I understand harmonisation, but every other country is regulating this and has done for decades.

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Tourism Industry (21 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: 332. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if traditional bed and breakfasts operating since the 1980s will be affected by the registration of short-term tourist letting Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22385/24]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (21 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: 336. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of units delivered under the buy and renew scheme in each year since 2016; the total cost in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22339/24]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (21 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: 338. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of planners currently employed in each local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22386/24]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (21 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: 339. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of planners currently employed in An Bord Pleanála; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22387/24]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (21 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: 525. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will engage with an accommodation provider (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22725/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (21 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: 651. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason SUSI will only reassess an applicant moving applicant class dependent to independent student after there is a three year break in studies, where that student is a mature student and living independently from their parents or guardians; does this policy discourage movement from level 8 to masters study; if this policy will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (21 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: 652. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if SUSI has altered their independent living criteria to account for people availing of the rent-a-room scheme where they cannot provide the current necessary proof of residence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22382/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank all of our contributors. My first question is for the Department. A commitment was given that a senior counsel would be appointed to pursue accountability from the suppliers of defective concrete blocks. This has not happened yet. Will the Department give us a timeline on when a senior counsel will be appointed to carry out this important work?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: The commitment was given more than a year ago.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: It is hard to understand, given the seriousness of the issues involved, that it has not happened yet. The accountability aspect is very important. The opening statement from Engineers Ireland is very strong on the NSAI review of IS 465. It calls on the Government to divert all necessary resources to the NSAI to ensure that the revision is completed by the end of this year. I want to ask...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Defective Concrete Blocks: Discussion (Resumed) (14 May 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank Ms Larkin. I have another question I want to ask but before I do I would like to know whether Engineers Ireland has a view on this. Is it proceeding quickly enough?