Results 3,781-3,800 of 4,773 for speaker:Paudie Coffey

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: These are technical amendments to correct minor omissions to Committee Stage amendments Nos. 83, 87 and 91.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: As I indicated on Committee Stage, amendments Nos. 10 to 12, inclusive, provide that a landlord may update or give additional particulars in respect of the Private Residential Tenancies Board, PRTB, tenancy, at any time and the board will update the register to reflect the additional or updated particulars.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The purpose of this group of amendments is to clarify for the avoidance of doubt that the PRTB may withdraw interest accrued on a tenancy deposit account.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I thank Senators for their contributions on this important Bill which represents another important step in the development of the residential landlord-tenant regulatory environment. We all agree a well-balanced housing sector requires a strong, vibrant and well-regulated rented sector. This Bill represents a significant further evolutionary step in the development of the rented sector and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: For the HAP scheme, it is important that I clarify that we have a target of approximately 8,000 units to be delivered this year. We expect the the figure to be slightly lower this year, but we will reach the target in the first six or seven weeks of 2016. We are putting HAP scheme funds into the voids programme, as the Minister outlined. We have far exceeded the targets set, for which...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I will give some further information on HAP which will be of interest to the committee members. Of the 31 local authorities, 18 are now administering the housing assistance payment scheme. We are extending that by taking three or four local authorities at a time. Obviously, training and resourcing are needed. At the current rate, between 150 and 200 housing applicants are transferring...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I will be brief. To return to the €30,000 cap question on voids on which the Deputy seeks clarification-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: We can get the figures for the Deputy. There is a variance in cost per unit of turning around vacant houses right across the various local authorities ranging from €15,000 per unit to €40,000. We have to be very careful not to reward local authorities who are neglecting to maintain stock. If the cap of €30,000 is lifted the danger is that we will reward those local...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I agree with Deputy Helen McEntee, as I think we all do, that we need to have a strong and robust building control and regulatory system to guard against past mistakes in terms of shoddy building practice, an issue which has been examined and debated by the committee. We have all seen people who have been affected by the matter. A sum of €10 million was allocated to the pyrite...

Leaders' Questions (25 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Go easy, Mattie.

Leaders' Questions (25 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Deputy Martin was there for 15 years and he did nothing only prevent divorce.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (25 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: This amendment seeks to replace the phrase “have regard to” with the phrase “comply with” in section 3(2), which deals with matters that must be considered when the Government approves a national mitigation plan or national adaptation framework. I appreciate the sentiment behind the proposed amendment. However, as the list of items to be considered in section...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (25 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Let me reassure Senator Barrett that there is clear case law on what "having regard to" means, for example in planning and other legislation. It is standard terminology in the Planning and Development Act and there is case law to substantiate that already. Further, we are already bound under EU legislation, so there is no need to duplicate it in this Bill. The safety measures are there to...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (25 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: To be clear, there is no intention on the part of anybody in the Government to ignore the Seanad on any matter. Indeed, I greatly value the views of Senators, as do all my ministerial colleagues. I listened carefully to what they had to say on Committee Stage and we had a very interesting debate. We have tabled Government amendments which will address the concerns expressed by Senators...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (25 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I thank the Senators for their contributions on these amendments. The national mitigation plans will, by their nature, contain our emission targets and we will note how we are doing in respect of them. There is no need to cite this specifically in legislation. It is important to remember that there are quantified legally binding targets under EU legislation already. I do not agree with...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (25 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: These proposed amendments serve a number of functions as follows. They provide for each national mitigation plan to be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas rather than just Dáil Éireann. They also provide for each national adaptation framework to be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas rather than just Dáil Éireann. They also provide for the annual transition...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (25 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: It is important to note that even the make-up of the Seanad panels brings a valuable insight and expertise to the climate change debate. We have the agricultural panel, the industrial and commercial panel, the labour panel, the culture and educational panel and the universities. It is a unique Chamber that can bring valuable oversight and insight to all of these plans when they are laid...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (25 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The proposed amendment seeks to shorten the timeframe for the production of the first statutory national adaptation framework from 24 months after enactment of the Bill to just 12 months following the enactment. As with the national mitigation plan, I appreciate the motivation behind the amendment. However, as I have already outlined in regard to the national plan, the national adaptation...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (25 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: This proposed amendment seeks to insert the word "written", as Senators have outlined, before the phrase "scientific or technical advice". Advice is one item that must be considered when the Government and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government perform their functions in respect of the national adaptation frameworks and sectorial adaptation plans. I appreciate that...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (25 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The Senators have outlined their concerns well but it is important that there is a realistic approach to this legislation. There will be deep engagement at many levels in society for the development of the various plans and adaptation frameworks. These engagements will happen at different levels of the sectors, people, industry and agriculture. The advice can be presented or discussed at...