Results 3,241-3,260 of 5,040 for speaker:Victor Boyhan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the AHBs. We have read the submissions and I thank the organisations for those. I am very much a supporter of the AHBs. I know some local authorities have some serious concerns about the AHBs but when you start asking why that is the case, you suddenly realise that many of their arguments do not stand up. As someone who has been involved with local government for many years and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Victor Boyhan: Will the witnesses call out their organisations as I want to mark the figures against them?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Victor Boyhan: As we are tight for time, I suggest that Mr. O'Connor provide some detail on that in writing to the committee. That would be helpful.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Victor Boyhan: I thank Mr. O'Connor. I do not mean to be rude, but I am conscious that the clock is ticking. I only have one minute and 22 seconds and I wish to get around to the other groups on the numbers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Victor Boyhan: Can I hear from the other two organisations on their numbers?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Victor Boyhan: That is okay. I was trying to ascertain what we have today.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Victor Boyhan: We have more than 16,000 homes today we have heard of. The other two groups are going to indicate how many they have.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Victor Boyhan: That is approximately 30,000 homes today in AHBs. I had no real sense of that until now and it is an interesting figure. The ones being planned are more interesting. Those are the numbers we need to keep tracking. I will wrap up by saying that many talk about too many AHBs and clearly the top-brass AHBs are with us today. That is a matter for another day, however. Those figures in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Performance Indicators and Public Spending Code: National Oversight and Audit Commission (17 Jan 2023)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome Mr. McCarthy and the team from NOAC and congratulate them on the quality of the material they presented to the committee and on their impressive website. Earlier today, the committee had a private meeting and had Wexford, Leitrim and Galway county councillors quoting reports as part of the correspondence and they are very impressive. With such quality, are we getting enough...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Performance Indicators and Public Spending Code: National Oversight and Audit Commission (17 Jan 2023)

Victor Boyhan: That is interesting and a reminder to us as parliamentary representatives and Oireachtas Members that we could, if we had a concern, write to an appropriate Minister and ask him if he would consider that prerogative. I accept it is ultimately a matter for the Minister. We could tell more people about that option, particularly in the parliamentary community. We have had some scary concerns...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Performance Indicators and Public Spending Code: National Oversight and Audit Commission (17 Jan 2023)

Victor Boyhan: Mr. McCarthy is saying NOAC is not looking for any sanction or additional powers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Performance Indicators and Public Spending Code: National Oversight and Audit Commission (17 Jan 2023)

Victor Boyhan: That is grand. Concerning NOAC's annual performance indicator report, are there any issues the witnesses want to raise or alarm bells ringing which would they like to bring to the committee’s attention?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Performance Indicators and Public Spending Code: National Oversight and Audit Commission (17 Jan 2023)

Victor Boyhan: I suggest that NOAC would be familiar with pre-legislative scrutiny and we have a red, amber and green light mechanism. I suggest that in future reports, NOAC might consider an alarm system for indicators that are way above norms or for unusual sets of circumstances. NOAC might also consider our red, amber and green light system. It is a traffic light warning system and it is a good system...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Performance Indicators and Public Spending Code: National Oversight and Audit Commission (17 Jan 2023)

Victor Boyhan: The next thing I want to talk about is the importance of timely reports. It is important that reports come in a timely manner. Mr. McCarthy will be familiar with how local government chief executives move on after seven to ten-year cycles. It is difficult to deal with reports when a lot of the relevant people are gone. On NOAC’s report, it is important that we have timely reports....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Work Permits (24 Jan 2023)

Victor Boyhan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Work Permits (24 Jan 2023)

Victor Boyhan: I thank Senator McGahon. Before the Minister of State replies, I would like to be very much associated with the words of congratulations to him. We all knew his capabilities and abilities when he served in this House and he chaired the Brexit committee. His portfolio is very suited to his skill set and we wish him well.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jan 2023)

Victor Boyhan: I wish the Cathaoirleach well as he takes up office. I also wish the Leader, Senator Chambers, well. We have already had her as Leader for parts of the last while. I wish them both well. They will be a formidable team and we are lucky and privileged in the Seanad to have people of their calibre. I genuinely say that and I genuinely mean that. I want to raise the issue of thalidomide....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Jan 2023)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome Mr. Mahon, Mr. Brannigan and the chief executive of Mayo County Council and the director of housing to the meeting. I will stick to pretty short concise questions based on their submissions before us today. Rather than having a load of questions and answers, I will be concise and I hope the witnesses will be able to be concise in their replies. I will touch on Longford first. In...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Jan 2023)

Victor Boyhan: The 50 units. We are talking about an affordable housing scheme, the market not having the capacity to deliver and applications being granted permission with the potential for 50 Part V houses. They have all stalled and the knock-on effect is a negative one. I thank Mr. Mahon for sharing that with us. He went on to say that Longford County Council expects to appoint a town regeneration...