Results 23,381-23,400 of 26,178 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (9 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Where is Sancta Maria College based?

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (9 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: That school is incomplete. There are outstanding works.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (9 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I will bring these to the attention of the Minister and ask that the Department gives the Deputy an update on those schools. I will also bring to the Minister's attention the Deputy's request that she visit St. Aidan's Community School. I have no doubt she would be delighted to do so.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (9 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Deputy Nash. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Education, who in unable be here. I can understand the frustration of the principal of Ardee Educate Together National School. I know the great work Educate Together schools do nationally. I thank Deputy Nash for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the current position as...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (9 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I will respond to the two main points raised by Deputy Nash. The Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, and her Department are fully committed to the provision of the new school building for Ardee Educate Together National School. In the wider context, I assure the Deputy that the Department is very conscious of the need to continue to support the operation of the school system and intends...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services Staff (9 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Deputies Colm Burke and Tully for affording me the opportunity to address the House on this important issue, which is of great concern to the parents involved and has a big impact on their children. CORU was established under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 to protect the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct, education and training among...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services Staff (9 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Establishing a register for the psychology profession is a strategic priority to which the Minister for Health is fully committed. He has asked his officials, along with the PSRB and CORU, to progress this work as soon as possible to deliver regulation of this important profession. His Department and the two organisations are actively engaging on the matter. On the issue of the public...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (9 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am familiar with Carrigaholt. I spent two years in Irish college in Carrigaholt and I know it well. Many of my constituents holiday there on a regular basis. It is a lovely part of Clare. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue and providing me with the opportunity to address the matter. The programme for Government supports the uptake of Uisce Éireann's Small...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (9 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I will make a couple of points, the first of which is that I have no doubt the Deputy has engaged with Clare County Council on this particular matter. I suggest that he sends a proposal into the Minister to get a formal response on the particular issue of Carrigaholt. That is his prerogative as a Deputy representing the constituency. I will take the matters he highlighted back to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People Grant, each of which are 80% funded by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (9 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Housing for All strategy is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. The annual targets include the delivery of 88,400 new social homes and 53,800 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Further Revised)
Vote 23 - Electoral Commission (Further Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (23 Feb 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: As the Chair is probably aware, the CCMA, which was before the committee, has identified a need to have 541 planners across all the local authorities. A working group has been established in the Department to look at that. It is not just about recruitment; we must ensure we have a pipeline of planners. There is a worry that many of the planners who have been recruited by one authority have...

Eviction Ban: Motion [Private Members] (21 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank everybody who has contributed to the debate. In the limited time I have, I want to deal with facts and to address a number of points that have been raised by individual Deputies. Deputy Ó Broin led off the debate. The tenant in situ scheme has been expanded and it has been in place since last April. We would like to have seen a greater take-up. The senior Minister has...

Eviction Ban: Motion [Private Members] (21 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: It does, while at the same time, this also comes down to that balance between tenants’ rights and so forth. With regard to Deputy Verona Murphy's contribution, we agreed to the amendment tabled by the Regional Group. She spoke about the density guidelines, which are currently being finalised and will go out to public consultation. This is something we are very strong on. Deputy...

Eviction Ban: Motion [Private Members] (21 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: My apologies to Deputy Connolly as she is in the Chair.

Eviction Ban: Motion [Private Members] (21 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The help-to-buy scheme provides a deposit on a home and that is totally overlooked. Yes, people are paying high rents but the scheme provides a deposit on a house and, furthermore, the mortgage-to-rent scheme allows people to stay in their homes and everything should be about keeping people in their homes. That is of great importance. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae spoke about nothing happening...

Eviction Ban: Motion [Private Members] (21 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Furthermore, there are at the moment 6,300 emergency beds through all the local authorities for single people and beds are available for 1,500 families. We would like to see more. There are 2,000 coming onstream across all local authority areas which is something we very much want to bring onstream. Over the past year, more than 5,700 people were either taken out of homelessness or...

Eviction Ban: Motion [Private Members] (21 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am talking about the numbers being taken out of homelessness. We accept that homelessness went up but I believe it is overlooked that during that period, of 5,700 people, some 3,700 of whom were prevented from going into homelessness and some 2,000 were taken out of it.

Eviction Ban: Motion [Private Members] (21 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The ban was always going to be temporary and we wanted to ensure that we had further policies to bring landlords back into the market and have them stay in the market. With due respect to Deputy McDonald, her party is seeking a three-year ban on rent increases. What will that do to the landlord market? Furthermore, her party is looking to levy €400 on a second home, so that cost...

Eviction Ban: Motion [Private Members] (21 Mar 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: There were 30,000 units built overall last year, which was a record. What might also be missed is that since this Government has come into being, 10,900 people have been taken off the social housing list. That has to be positive.