Results 1,121-1,140 of 4,706 for speaker:Dessie Ellis

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Quarterly Progress Report Strategy for Rented Sector: Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Resumed) (30 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: I have some concerns about the public private partnerships, PPPs. My party has done a fair amount of research on this and Deputy Ó Broin alluded to some of the problems. On the long-term value for money, it is debatable whether that is a good road to take. I have to be a little parochial in this case. I support social housing but 71 units are planned for Scribblestown, which is an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Quarterly Progress Report Strategy for Rented Sector: Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Resumed) (30 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: Mr. McCarthy is getting me wrong. I am not against social housing. I very much defend it. What I am struggling with is the fact that senior citizens who were on the Scribblestown site next door have left because there are no facilities in the area. I am questioning the selection of the site and that process, in respect of which there was no input from local politicians or otherwise. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Quarterly Progress Report Strategy for Rented Sector: Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Resumed) (30 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: Yes, they are of a very high standard.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Quarterly Progress Report Strategy for Rented Sector: Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Resumed) (30 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: It was disappointing to see the recent increase in the homeless figures, although I accept that the numbers vary from month to month. I am not convinced that everyone will be out of hostels and bed and breakfast accommodation by July. The Minister must be told that that is a very ambitious target. I attended the launch by Respond on Grace Park Road and was very impressed. If the project...

Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: The Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, promised he would bring forward a report on vacant houses. There are almost 200,000 vacant housing units across the country. Recent statistics have shown that there has been no let-up in the housing crisis and that there has been an increase in the number of people who are homeless. It is urgent that we...

Leaders' Questions (30 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: Who started it?

Leaders' Questions (30 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: It is the Government's privatisation that is doing it, and Fianna Fáil's before it.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Courses Availability (28 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: 184. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide the full list of degree courses relevant to the area of counselling and psychotherapy available through the public colleges and university system here (details supplied). [15366/17]

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (22 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: In the course of the local area plan consultation, people were asked to identify the problems in the area and everyone pointed to the lack of a community centre and education facilities, among other issues which I outlined. The situation is not good enough. This is a vast area and people are being told there is capacity at the other end of Finglas to deal with the population needs. The...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (22 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: We should do that.

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (22 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: I thank the Minister for taking this matter. I am unsure as to whether he is familiar with the Meakstown area. It has grown considerably to over 3,000 units, with more on the way. It covers Charlestown, Lanesborough, Seagrave, Mayeston, Creston and Melville in the Fingal area and Hampton Wood in the Dublin City Council area. According to recent statistics, its population has increased by...

Mother and Baby Homes: Motion [Private Members] (21 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: As the full, shocking story about the home in Tuam slowly emerges, the horrors of what happened in mother and baby homes, county homes, Magdalen laundries and other institutions, including the Bethany and Westbank homes, are beyond comprehension. Sinn Féin believes we need to extend investigations beyond the current commission, which is why it was necessary to draft this Private...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (7 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: 307. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will give consideration to removing the year 2000 rule to community employment schemes, which is proving to be a barrier to recruitment. [11447/17]

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Revised) (1 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: No.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Revised) (1 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: Is any provision being made for affordable housing? This has been requested by many people. The Minister will be aware of Ó Cualann in Ballymun, which is co-operative housing, and it is working off a site that was fully serviced. As the Minister said in respect of plans to service different sites, money has been set aside for the local authorities. Is there any way to use...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Revised) (1 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: I do not generally have a problem with affordable rental. However, I am aiming for the affordable housing that was delivered in the past in different estates. Substituting affordable housing for affordable rental housing, as the Minister is doing, is not what many people are looking for in certain areas. We need an affordable housing scheme where people have mortgages.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Revised) (1 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: That is what happened with shared ownership.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Revised) (1 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: I mentioned Ó Cualann, the co-operative model operating in Ballymun. The Department has provided a good deal of money for underground services. The council could get the sites ready. Could we not look at models like Ó Cualann, which is going to deliver the houses for less than €200,000? We could expand it as an affordable housing model. Ó Cualann is looking to...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Revised) (1 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: If the Minister could respond to the question on PPPs.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Revised) (1 Mar 2017)

Dessie Ellis: I have been running into this issue and have spoken to the officials in Dublin City Council, many of whom are convinced that this is not going to work. They are even talking about a lot of these public private partnerships going to co-operative or voluntary housing and perhaps the councils themselves buying some of the units within these PPPs. Is it acceptable to the Minister that the...