Results 1-20 of 2,737 for speaker:Christopher O'Sullivan

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (16 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: I thank Senator Cosgrove for bringing this up. She is a fellow west Cork person. People are proud of her in west Cork. It is an honour to take this Commencement matter as we fly the flag for west Cork in the Houses of the Oireachtas. I sincerely thank her for raising this. I know she has been to visit those affected and has seen how the houses are crumbling and the psychological impact...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (16 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: I thank the Senator again. Her raising and highlighting the matter broadens awareness of the impacts it is having. We were chatting earlier and talking about the technical element in that if you are only partially rebuilding there is a risk of the pyrite seeping into the new blocks, which would have an impact. That is why we have to keep the scheme under review, which is exactly what we...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Renewable Energy Generation (16 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: It is really refreshing and encouraging to hear the agreement that we need to push for clean, renewable energy. I totally take the Senator's point on the need for guidelines to be brought forward as quickly as possible. The Programme for Government 2025 - Securing Ireland’s Future reaffirms Ireland’s ambitious targets of 8 GW of solar capacity connected to the grid by 2030...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Renewable Energy Generation (16 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: I appreciate the Senator's approach. He is clearly indicating that we need more renewables and is simply asking that there are guidelines in order that we can avoid a lot of the stress and strain that has been caused in different communities. That is still happening to an extent. These developments can be quite daunting for many smaller communities. It is such an alien concept to have...

Housing Finance Agency (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (14 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: I thank all the Deputies who have made contributions in the House over the last while. A lot of them summarised some of the challenges we face, including the need to urgently ramp up supply, quite well. There is clearly a common theme among Deputies' contributions, that is, a desire to make housing affordable, to increase supply and to reduce and eventually end homelessness. That has come...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (14 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Significant work has been undertaken over the last six months to develop a robust draft land use planning framework to strategically manage the conservation of Light Bellied Brent Geese in the four Dublin local authority areas. Dublin City Council has coordinated inputs from the Dublin local authorities and the OPW in these efforts, with the additional support of the National Parks and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Sites (14 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: The Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 (the Act) was passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas, and enacted on 13 October 2023. While the Act is now law, its provisions are being brought into force on a phased basis, by way of a series of Commencement Orders. When fully commenced, the Act will introduce a range of measures designed to bolster the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Animal Welfare (14 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department does not fund Dublin Zoo. The NPWS has responsibility for the implementation of the European Communities (Licensing and Inspection of Zoos) Regulations 2003 (S.I. No. 440/2003) which deal with the inspection, licensing and regulation of zoos and aquaria. These Regulations transpose the EU Zoos Directive, giving effect in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (14 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Under my Department's Multi-annual Rural Water Programme, approval in principle of approximately €45 million in funding has been provided for a number of projects to address the wastewater collection and treatment needs of villages without access to public wastewater services. This includes the Cooraclare and Broadford projects referenced in the Question. The delivery of these...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Policy (14 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Sectoral Climate Change Adaptation Plans are required under Ireland’s Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 and the provisions of the 2024 National Adaptation Framework (NAF). Ireland’s second Sectoral Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the Biodiversity Sector (BSAP 2025), was developed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department, in accordance with...

Financial Resolutions 2025 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (8 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: I get to speak today on investment in our nature and built heritage. The exciting news is that, for the first time ever, funding for nature and heritage exceeds a quarter of a billion. That is extraordinary and something we could not have thought possible a number of years ago. Now, for the first time, we exceed that figure. To put it into context, that represents a 15% increase for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Cork City Council has a target to deliver 592 new build social homes in 2025. The social housing construction status report, CSR, shows that there were 1,084 homes on site at various stages of design and procurement in Cork city at the end of Q1 of 2025. Cork county has a target of 683 new-build social homes this year. The CSR shows that there are 1,203 homes on site at various stages of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: If all local authorities were able to match the rate of delivery of Cork county then the rate of delivery of social housing and affordable housing right across the board would be much stronger. I commend the work of the councillors and the local authority there, of which the Deputy was recently a member. There are some specifics in relation to Cork North-West, if the Deputy is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Fair play to Deputy O'Shea for taking this opportunity to raise the issue. We cannot rest on our laurels. There is a lot more work to be done. There are still plenty of people in Cork county who need social homes. There is a huge demand for affordable homes so we absolutely need to accelerate that delivery. The Deputy is right in saying that when Cork County Council got the go ahead to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (8 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Three new fire stations at Kanturk, Macroom and Clonakilty were prioritised for inclusion in the 2021 – 2025 fire services Capital programme. New Kanturk and Macroom fire stations were officially opened in May and September of 2022, respectively. The third new fire station at Clonakilty has now been completed and I understand planning has begun for an official opening ceremony to take...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Sites (8 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: I am pleased to confirm that Glenveagh National Park remains open to visitors seven days a week all year around and, as with all National Parks managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), entry is free. In addition to amenities such as walks, trails, viewing points and toilets, the Visitor/Exhibition Centre, Castle Gardens and shuttle bus remain available to the public almost...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (8 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: My Department’s Multi-annual Rural Water Programme is the principal funding stream supporting investment in the rural water sector. The Programme provides capital funding to address priority challenges in areas such as water quality, resilience, and infrastructure for group water schemes and for locations not currently served by Uisce Éireann. To date under the current cycle,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (8 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: The details sought on the pilot projects approved for funding in principle under my Department's initiative are set out in the table below: Location Local authority Number of existing houses Ballygawley Sligo 53 Broadford Clare 90 Cooraclare Clare 64 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Ireland (8 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: The restoration of the Ulster Canal is a major cross-border project principally funded by the Shared Island Fund and my Department. The project is being delivered by Waterways Ireland, in three phases: Phase 1 from Upper Lough Erne to Castle Saunderson (completed in 2019)Phase 2 from Clones to Clonfad (completed June 2024), andPhase 3 Castle Saunderson to Clonfad (underway).Phase 3 is the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Schemes (8 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: 139. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the SEAI Solar PV grants can be extended to properties build and occupied after 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53967/25]