Results 31,841-31,860 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: I acknowledge that the Government inherited an unprecedented situation where among other sectors the housing construction sector had collapsed completely. I acknowledge that the Government has put in place a clear plan and strategy and put money on the table to deal with that. I have given Deputy Adams’s colleague in opposition the figures that apply to the last period. In terms...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: I will send them to him, whether he reads them or not.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: We have also worked with the representative bodies for the approved housing body sector, that is the Irish Council for Social Housing and the National Association of Building Co-Operatives, and both are members of the oversight group. The 18 local authority areas supported 6,000 families in the housing assistance programme, HAP. A site selection process is under way for the first bundle of...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: I thank Deputy Adams for that. Obviously, given the mess that the Government inherited the question of taxpayers’ money going into banks was of critical importance. Over €30 billion was lost and wasted by the previous Administration. The remaining €30 billion will be recovered by the taxpayer in full over the next period of time. That crowd there did all of that,...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: Deputy Adams legitimately asked on many occasions was this Government going to continue to pay €3 billion in interest rates every year for Anglo Irish Bank.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: He asked the question for months. That was not part of the programme this Government implemented because we did a different deal with the European Central Bank. However, we were told only recently that this was a follow on, implementing the previous administration's catastrophic position.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: Yes, I will answer the question.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: I am telling the Deputy that of the €64 billion, half that is gone forever. The other half put in by this Government in restructured banks will be recovered by the taxpayer in full over the period of time ahead. The target for 2016 is to deliver 17,000 units of social housing, which is double what was going on before. That is in addition to a return to use of voided units, places...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: However, because of the increase in employment and the fact that our economy is growing, we have been able to put €3 billion on the table between now and 2020 specifically for social housing. In addition, the Minister has given instructions and directions to the local authorities in respect of the money, the target and the housing programme to be delivered and has asked them to get on...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: Having served on a local authority for years, I would be the first to say to Deputy Adams that people deserve an opportunity to have a house.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: We cannot do it unless we deal with the supply of housing. That supply requires a facility and environment that will make it possible. One cannot do it unless one has an economy that drives that.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: We now have a programme, a strategy and a clear plan to catch up given the neglect and collapse caused by the crowd that were in before. We will do it over the period ahead.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: Quite a number of local authorities actually refused houses that were offered to them by NAMA for whatever reasons.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: I am only making the point. The strategy that is laid out here, with money on the table provided by the Government, is to build 110,000 new social housing units through current and capital funding streams.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: The programme contains €3 billion. As Deputy Wallace is well aware, local authorities have been instructed to get on with achieving their targets and objectives in order to meet this demand. In 2015, 13,000 social housing units were provided. That was an 86% increase on the 7,000 built back in 2014.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: The target for this year is 17,000. As I told the Deputy, 2,000 were taken off the housing list last year. Some 6,000 were helped through the housing assistance programme and another 5,800 were helped through the increase in rent supplement under the tenancy agreement. Therefore, local authorities, which used to build lots of houses, have been given clear instructions and money to build...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: I am not sure if Deputy Wallace has ever engaged with people who are looking for social housing but they want it close to where they are now. I did not comment on the suitability or otherwise of the NAMA offerings that were made to local authorities. I know from engagement that when people look for a social house, they want it to be close to where they are now, given their family connections...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: The people are entitled-----

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: The people are entitled to look for houses close to them.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jan 2016)

Enda Kenny: Each council has been given its objectives and targets and money. They have been told to get on with building social housing.