Results 21,101-21,120 of 26,350 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: I reject completely the charge that we have stuck our heads in the sand. Let us deal with the issue itself, however. Deputy Doherty is aware that in June of last year, I commenced the enhanced scheme through the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022. I remind him that he and his party voted against that enhanced scheme, which would have left...
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: Deputy Doherty knows very well that his constituency colleague - the Minister, Deputy McConalogue - was on European business that evening. The Minister engages with me on a daily basis and advocates in a positive and constructive way for changes to the scheme. He actually made an input into the new scheme, unlike what Deputy Doherty did. I will remind the Deputy that I wrote to him, his...
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: -----proposed, which is for one property and one additional property. I know there was also much discussion around holiday homes and otherwise that evening. I want to make sure that the Deputy did not commit to it that evening either. The reality of it is that it is our job to make this scheme work. It is working for households. It needs to improve-----
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: As I said-----
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: I am sorry-----
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: Excuse me for a second. I have said every scheme evolves and this scheme-----
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: -----will be reviewed after the 12 months.
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: We have upped the cap from €247,000 to €420,000. Sinn Féin opposed that. Let us be straight about that.
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: We have a number of staged payments through this scheme. What I was saying was that every scheme evolves, and we have evolved this scheme as it moves through on implementation.
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: The figures show we have 1,970 applications to the new scheme. I have given the Deputy the figures with regard to homes under remediation. I want to see those figures increase. The proposal from the banks about 0% interest finance is with the Department of Finance. By the way, what has also been sought by the banks is a State guarantee on those loans. There can be ways to expedite the...
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: Sorry, we will absolutely-----
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: A Leas-Cheann Comhairle-----
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: We will absolutely continue to look at that. The work being done through the Housing Agency is very important in helping homeowners, first, apply to the scheme and, second, make sure the scheme works for them. When I inherited the scheme, it was a 90-10 model, with a grant amount of €247,000. It has been changed completely and we are seeing homeowners engage with it. Are there...
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: You opposed it, Pearse.
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Reports (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: That is not true.
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Reports (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: Unquestionably, the Croí Cónaithe grant scheme is working extremely well. The Deputy would also know that, because it is Exchequer funding, there have to be checks and balances on the payments of grants. I know Sinn Féin might play fast and loose with money from time to time but, in fairness, it is Exchequer funding and we have to be careful with it. The scheme has taken...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Reports (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy has rightly mentioned there are two reports on this. There is the majority report and the minority report, both of which have to be considered together. I welcome that. It shows that the commission has done good work and there are different views on it. It is complex. We have seen with regard to Bunreacht na hÉireann that one must be extremely careful and respectful of...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Reports (11 Apr 2024)
Darragh O'Brien: No. I will do that when I come back in.