Results 3,241-3,260 of 5,906 for speaker:Thomas Gould

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

Thomas Gould: Why is that the case? Call me old fashioned but there is the issue of regeneration. My dad still lives in Knocknaheeny and I live down the road. We are putting millions, if not hundreds of millions, of euro into regenerating areas. We know what the solutions are. One of the issues is that, as we build housing, we must put the infrastructure in at the same time, if not before. Is it the...

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

Thomas Gould: I know developments that are going on in Cork at the moment such as one on the Middle Glanmire Road, which I think will have 26 social and 26 affordable units. Other examples are Hawkes Road and Togher. There are developments coming in now with cost rental. The one in Glanmire, which was mentioned earlier, has 32 properties and 1,300 people applying for them. People were ringing me asking...

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

Thomas Gould: May I come in again? I am sorry but I will be leaving.

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

Thomas Gould: I have pages of questions for the witnesses and I was listening to the debates earlier. Something came up earlier about 59 days waiting for nominations from local authorities and the seven-week turnover of voids. We have had local authorities here, namely, the four Dublin ones, Waterford, Limerick, Cork and Galway, and Cork is the worst at nearly 95 or 96 weeks, which is a crazy length...

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

Thomas Gould: Could I get in one more question?

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

Thomas Gould: Go on, for luck.

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

Thomas Gould: They want to build private houses on public lands.

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

Thomas Gould: I thank everyone for their answers. I want to go back to one point that was raised earlier. I get what Ms Cormican said about having mixed tenure. One of my issues is that too much social housing will only create problems. A mixed tenure is needed across social, affordable and cost-rental homes and homes for older people and those with disabilities. That feeds into my last comment for...

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)

Thomas Gould: I thank the witnesses for coming in. The work they do is important in terms of scrutiny and putting together these reports. Mr. McCarthy made the point about trying to encourage best practice and, where there is good practice getting, 31 local authorities to come on board. I certainly welcome that. Last Friday, I posted on Facebook about people who have contacted me about dampness, leaks...

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)

Thomas Gould: I hear what Mr. McCarthy is saying, which is that NOAC is looking at it from a financial point of view.

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)

Thomas Gould: I want to look at how many complaints came in and how many were completed and, if they were not completed, when will they be completed. I would ask NOAC to look at adding to the report. If people are contacting the local authority with complaints, whether these are about mould, leaks, having no heating or whatever, just by looking at the money we are not getting a true reflection on...

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)

Thomas Gould: I got information through a parliamentary question, and the Minister said this, is that they are now thinking of moving away from this. They are looking at a situation whereby they will not need to do the voids or to put money towards vacant houses because the local authorities will get to a stage of doing preventative maintenance. The housing stock will be so good that the big money that...

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)

Thomas Gould: I have been critical of Cork City Council here but one thing I can be very positive about is what it has done in the area of affordable and cost-rental accommodation. It is really leading the way in that regard. We have met representatives of a number of local authorities at this committee and some have not even started on that. Cork City Council is a frontrunner in terms of affordable and...

Climate Action Plan 2023: Statements (18 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: It is like the housing crisis.

Climate Action Plan 2023: Statements (18 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: There are 166,000 vacant homes. Many are homes that people could live in and where they could raise families. Instead, this Government is leaving them idle, empty and rotting. When the Government tells us it is serious about tackling climate change, I ask how serious it is. It is serious enough about making ordinary people struggle to pay prices, taxes and unfair carbon taxes but it is...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (19 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: 88. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to traffic concerns in Cork city due to a number of changes to road layout recently; and if he will engage with the local authorities to resolve these. [2356/23]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (19 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: 92. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the provision of refreshments on trains. [2357/23]

Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Bill 2022: Second Stage (24 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: This Bill is long overdue. The consequences of the delay have been significant for many families. I commend the proposed soft opt-out for organ donation. It is positive and could be hugely beneficial, provided we see enough resourcing. Often good policies fail because of poor implementation or support. I do not want to see that happen here because this Bill can make a significant...

Forestry Sector: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: Hear, hear.

Forestry Sector: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: Once again, Fine Gael has shown its true colours. It is the party of privatisation, its political allies are rich investment funds and the only reason it cares about the environment relates to whether it can make a euro out of it. I am deeply concerned, as are many of my constituents. I recently dealt with Coillte in regard to a forest near Watergrasshill that has been sold to a private...