Results 18,441-18,460 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: I will give way.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Financing of Social Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: It will be available from January. I assume they will plan for that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Financing of Social Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: Déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall. Cuirim fáilte go dtí an choiste inniu. I thank each of the witnesses and their housing teams for the work they are doing. The homelessness crisis is acute throughout the country and I am aware from visiting local authorities and my own local authority in Fingal of the volume of work and emergency work that takes place. The response has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Financing of Social Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: I am sorry, it is Mr. Murray. Are the criteria for financial underwriting for the Rebuilding Ireland loans uniform among local authorities? I have evidence they are not. I raised it with the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, and he said there is a review taking place to ensure that is happening. Can Mr. Murray advise the committee on the interaction with the Housing Agency vis-à-visthe...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Financing of Social Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: That is true but Mr. McGrath mentioned that there were 500 vacant units in the city. Are they the ones the council is targeting?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Financing of Social Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: A low cost loan is great. I thank Mr. Murray for his answer. Is every application going to the Housing Agency in all the local authorities?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Financing of Social Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: Does it go for final decision or recommendation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Financing of Social Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: Oversight is important. On average by how much does that lengthen the term of the processing of the mortgage application? How long does it sit in the Housing Agency?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Financing of Social Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: That would be my question. I appreciate the answers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Financing of Social Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: How long does it stay in the Housing Agency?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Financing of Social Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: I asked about that to get clarification on the use of CPOs and other measures within the local authorities' armoury that could be used. I welcome that the representatives of each of the local authorities have been able to clarify what they are doing. I take it that any vacant house within their areas is on their radar. That has come across in their responses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Financing of Social Housing: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: That is all the praise the representatives are going to get.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee Stage (5 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: We also live by the rules.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee Stage (5 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: We have an independent boundary commission.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee Stage (5 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: Deputy Ó Broin mentioned many of the matters I wished to raise and I will not repeat them. I have a concern about the timing of something as fundamental as this being included at a late stage in the Bill. I recognise that the Minister of State and his officials briefed members earlier. I recall the proposal of a previous Minister for a directly elected mayor in Dublin when my local...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee Stage (5 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: Will the Minister report back anyway? The reference is to "a report specifying proposals for the enactment of a law providing for a directly elected mayor". For argument's sake, if one of the four cities, for example, Limerick, decided by plebiscite that it did not want a directly elected mayor would the report still be made?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee Stage (5 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes, but it goes a little further than that. The reference is to "a report specifying proposals for the enactment of a law providing for a directly elected mayor for such administrative area". So it does not say what the Minister of State said, it-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee Stage (5 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: It is to "a report specifying the reasons for his or her not preparing and submitting a report". I put it to the Minister of State that it is slightly different and that he needs to look at the wording prior to Report Stage. My reading of it is that even if a plebiscite is passed, it would give a reason not to prepare a report and to submit it within the two years.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee Stage (5 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: Will the Minister of State examine the wording and come back on Report Stage? The reference is to "a report specifying the reasons for his or her not preparing and submitting a report". It does not state not preparing and submitting a law providing for a directly elected mayor. The issue needs to be clarified. In the main, we are supportive of the proposal. We want to make sure that...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee Stage (5 Dec 2018)

Darragh O'Brien: I agree with much of what Deputy Cullinane said. These changes are very significant and in many respects could be very positive. I see the objective, particularly in areas that cross council boundaries. It is a question I had. I thank the Minister of State's officials for the list of the eight urban area committees. How were they selected? Is it restricted to those eight? I could give...