Results 321-340 of 4,773 for speaker:Paudie Coffey

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: The time for listening has passed, it is now time for action.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: I ask the Minister of State to clarify paragraph (a) of Government amendment No. 35. Is this amendment intended to avoid any duplication of tenancies? Does it exclude or deprive anybody from seeking a transfer to adjacent local authorities? For example, if somebody is in a tenancy in a city housing authority and they wish to apply for a house in the adjacent county council housing...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: Will the Minister of State clarify if the Government's amendment to section 20(5)(a) will have an impact on the transfer of existing tenants from one housing authority to another?

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 47: In page 19, subsection (4), line 31, to delete "may" and substitute "shall".

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 49: In page 19, subsection (4), between lines 43 and 44, to insert the following: "(d) measures to prevent and reduce homelessness.". The amendment is intended to ensure homelessness is identified in the Bill. The section covers housing allocation, which is probably the most important function of a housing authority. Its housing allocation must be seen as fair and...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: I agree to withdraw the amendment but I reserve the right to reintroduce it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 50: In page 19, subsection (4), between lines 43 and 44, to insert the following: "(e) The Minister shall lay the draft regulations before the relevant Oireachtas Committee for debate. The Minister shall consider the recommendations of the Oireachtas Committee before signing final regulations.". The reason I tabled the amendment is the regulations laid down by the...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: I concur with Senator Norris. In my short time in the House, I have often encountered situations where regulations are brought before the House without debate and we do not get the opportunity to further consult on and debate the various issues. We in Fine Gael believe it would be appropriate that any draft regulations should go before the joint committee. This would enhance its role in...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: I move amendment No. 53: In page 20, subsection (5), between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: "(d) allocation on the basis of need.". This amendment proposes that allocations be made on the basis of need. This requirement must be enshrined in law so that all housing authorities are clear in this regard.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: I thank the Minister of State for his explanation. I withdraw the amendment on the basis that it may be resubmitted on Report Stage.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: Can I discuss section 34?

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: I understood the amendment No. 72 was included in the discussion, and that I may not be allowed speak on that amendment at a later stage.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: My party is not opposing these amendments. However, I have a number of queries for the Minister of State. Given that market prices have fallen sharply recently, how does that effect housing authorities' responsibilities in terms of shared ownership arrangements? House prices have fallen dramatically and many people are locked into shared ownership schemes at what would now seem to be...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: To follow on from what Senator Hannigan said, I have a question about extreme hardship cases. If a tenant of the local authority dies, where does the rest of the family stand with regard to any charge that might be on that dwelling? It could be a sibling, a son or a daughter. Does the local authority have discretion in law? I would appreciate if the Minister would clarify that for me.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: To add to my earlier contribution, this is a very important section of the Bill and has been awaited for a long time by local authorities and elected representatives around the country who have been dealing with anti-social issues at the coalface. I am glad that consultation with the joint policing committees is recommended in the Bill. Some pilot projects of joint policing committees were...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: Much reference is made to estates and estate management. Does this section also apply to individual sites owned by local authorities and halting sites for the travelling community that are run by local authorities as well as local authority estates?

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: I want to comment on the sale of the apartments. I welcome the Minister of State's comments that he intends to work on that aspect because it is disappointing that citizens in local authority apartments do not have the same rights as those in dwellings. That is an issue that should be addressed in the interest of equality across all tenancies run by housing authorities. It should be...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: I accept the Minister of State's comments but I remind him they are financed by taxpayers' money, with the approval of the relevant local authority and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I raise the issue because tenants in these houses do not understand why they do not have the same rights to purchase when the voluntary housing associations have received their...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: We welcome this amendment because the experience of many local authorities that have paid adaptation grants in the past is that when the resident died, they could not recoup the money, despite a great deal of investment in the houses. This is a good provision, which I welcome.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2008)

Paudie Coffey: I wish to follow up on some of the sentiments offered by my colleague, Senator Joe O'Reilly, with regard to apprentices. Thousands of young apprentices half way through their various apprenticeship courses are being let off and left stranded and abandoned. I support the call for FÁS, or whatever agencies, to engage with those apprentices to try to find a way for them to finish their...