Results 3,281-3,300 of 5,906 for speaker:Thomas Gould

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

Thomas Gould: Before Longford County Council responds, would the councils consider taking on additional staff to establish their own teams to tackle voids? I have spoken to other local authorities about having a designated team whose job would be to turn around voids. Waiting nine or 12 months to have a void made ready is a problem in the middle of a housing crisis when every day counts. I encourage...

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

Thomas Gould: I would say we do not get value for money because we have to calculate the loss of rental income that arises when a property is left idle for 69 weeks. That applies to every void, not just one property. That is a rolled loss. In addition, those vacant properties are magnets for antisocial behaviour and dumping and they bring down the environment of the whole estate. In regard to...

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

Thomas Gould: I am disappointed with both responses. Given the amount collected from the levy, Mayo and Longford are not the only local authorities where that applies. I will be monitoring all the local authorities to see how many sites are on the derelict sites register and how much is collected from the levy. This is national legislation that was passed 32 years ago. In the middle of a housing crisis...

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

Thomas Gould: I thank Mr. Brannigan. Has Mayo County Council experienced much of an increase in homelessness? What are the figures and how challenging is it to find emergency accommodation for those people?

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

Thomas Gould: The Minister encouraged local authorities to buy HAP properties where a landlord sells a property with a tenant in place. How many of those has Mayo County Council bought or is it in the process of buying?

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

Thomas Gould: What about in Longford?

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

Thomas Gould: I thank the witnesses for their answers. If they have any issues with the CPO process or anything relating to housing, we are here to try to help and support local authorities put together plans that we can discuss with the Department and the Minister. Restoring vacant and derelict properties is the quickest way to get houses back onstream for families who desperately need them. If the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: When?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: When?

Interim Report on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Statements (26 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: We warned the Government that child and adolescent mental health services suffered during the Covid pandemic. We were given repeated commitments that efforts were being made, plans were being drafted, funds were being allocated and that the issue would be sorted. Things are now worse than ever before. There are 276 children in CH04 who have been waiting for more than 12 months. This is by...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Citizens' Assembly (25 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: 16. To ask the Taoiseach the proposed running order of citizens' assemblies. [60892/22]

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Sports Organisations (26 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: 49. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has engaged with the GAA regarding the cost to the viewer of streaming club matches. [3615/23]

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Gaeltacht Policy (26 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: 68. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of new Gaeltachts since 2000; and the location of same. [3614/23]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (26 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: 137. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding given to local authorities to remedy mould and damp in 2022. [3600/23]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (26 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: 223. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the proof that is required under the Croí Cónaithe towns fund to show that a property is the applicant's principle primary residence. [3817/23]

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

Thomas Gould: Homelessness in Longford has almost doubled in two years. In 2020, there were 78 homeless people and, in 2022, there were 151, which is a staggering increase. I will come to Mayo next but how much of a challenge is Longford County Council finding it to house homeless people and to find emergency accommodation for them?

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

Thomas Gould: How many properties were the subject of a compulsory purchase order last year and how many derelict sites do the witnesses expect to CPO this year?

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

Thomas Gould: What about in Mayo?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (26 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: I apologise but I have to leave. I have another meeting. Like Deputy O'Callaghan, and others, I had many questions. I hope we will catch up at a later stage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023: Discussion (26 Jan 2023)

Thomas Gould: I thank the Chair.