Results 1,161-1,180 of 2,967 for speaker:Séamus Healy

Order of Business (30 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: In June, some weeks after the local elections, the Taoiseach came to the House and agreed that his Government would restore medical cards to people who had lost them. These were people who had held them on discretionary medical grounds. The process was to take three weeks. It is now four months later and there are still thousands of people who have not had their cards restored. When will...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (30 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: 569. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 5 of 17 September 2014, in which he states that he expects some 6,000 social housing units to be delivered across the range of programmes in the calendar year 2014, if he will provide a breakdown of this delivery by number, in each category; if the 6,000 contains the number of...

Water Services (Exempt Charges) Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (18 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: Water is a right and this water tax is an outrageous attack on families who will be unable to pay it. The MABS report issued today states that families have a disposable income of €9 per week after bills are paid. Even at this late stage the Government should reverse this charge which will be opposed tooth and nail right across the country. I support the Bill and it is outrageous...

Other Questions: Unfinished Housing Developments (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: 6. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government whether he is satisfied with the taking in charge process; if he intends to change the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34317/14]

Other Questions: Unfinished Housing Developments (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: This question relates to the taking in charge process. Every Member will know of the difficulties that have arisen in respect of the process. There are situations involving families in estates that have not been taken in charge for long periods, periods of years, in fact. As a result they are not entitled to the services of the local authority. Is the Minister aware of these situations?...

Other Questions: Unfinished Housing Developments (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: I certainly welcome the fact that the Department and the Minister are reviewing the situation. Can the Minister give us any timeline in respect of the review? Has it started? When will it finish? What outcome does the Minister anticipate from it? There are situations whereby builders have become insolvent, where they are not on-site, cannot be contacted or perhaps are not in the country....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: The figures provided by the Minister are truly horrendous and confirm the views expressed by many advocacy groups such as the Irish Council for Social Housing, Focus Ireland, Threshold, Barnardos and Social Justice Ireland, as well as Uachtarán na hÉireann, Michael D. Higgins, to the effect that there is a social housing crisis. The President addressed this matter on two occasions...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: The most important action the Minister and the Government can take is to oversee the construction of social housing by local authorities and approved housing bodies. The President has stated there is a need for a "huge increase in public rental accommodation." The Irish Council for Social Housing is on record as stating, "The over-reliance on the private market to meet social housing demand...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: 5. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide the number of households on social housing waiting lists by county; his plans for the construction of social houses to provide for this waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34562/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: There is widespread agreement that we have a full-blown social housing crisis in this country. In my county of Tipperary there are 2,546 families on the local authority housing waiting list while the national figure is huge. This Government and the previous Fianna Fáil and Green Party Government have depended on privatisation and the market to deal with the issue and this policy has...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: While I thank the Minister of State for the information, the figures he provided show that the number of approvals under the scheme is unacceptably low. Anything that could be done to improve the number would be very welcome. The level of mortgage arrears continues to be very high, and unfortunately the insolvency legislation brought forward by the Government is now known to be seriously...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: I agree and hope the Minister of State is right that mortgage holders in arrears can recover the situation and find employment. However, there are many thousands of mortgage holders out there in serious arrears with no prospect of being able to deal with them. This is an ideal scheme. Unfortunately, we have seen that the personal insolvency and bankruptcy processes are flawed. In many...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: 3. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of mortgage to rent transactions completed in each calendar year since the inception of the scheme; his plans to increase these numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34561/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: I congratulate my now constituency colleague, Deputy Alan Kelly, on his appointment as Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, as well as the Minister of State, Deputy Paudie Coffey.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: I wish both of them well into the future. The mortgage to rent scheme should be an important and invaluable tool in dealing with the issue of mortgage arrears. It is a very good concept which allows approved housing bodies to purchase houses and a mortgage holder to remain in the family home with the option of repurchasing should financial circumstances improve. However, because the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage Arrears Rate (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: 14. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of local authority mortgage arrears, including the number in arrears of more than 90 days, more than 180 days and more than 365 days; if a process is in place for dealing with such arrears; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34313/14]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Rates (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: 21. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will reduce the penal additional charges paid by motor tax customers who, due to financial constraints, may only tax their vehicles for three and six month periods; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34315/14]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: 25. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when he proposes to introduce a new local authority house purchase scheme; if he will give an outline of the main features of the scheme; if he will include approved housing bodies (voluntary housing agencies) in the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34314/14]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters Installation (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: 33. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of water meters due to be installed on a county basis; the total number installed to date by county; the total number of houses that will not have a water meter installed at the end of the process; the way it is intended to deal with apartments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34316/14]

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: 12. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the roll out of high speed broadband to rural areas of County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31290/14]