Results 3,981-4,000 of 7,961 for speaker:Imelda Munster

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: -----in place this year. Am I correct that between HAP, RAS and similar supports, the cost will exceed €1 billion this year?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: Mr. Doyle can confirm those supports account for more than €1 billion.

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: They account for more than €1 billion. Is that more than €1 billion of private subsidies out of a budget of €3.3 billion?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: But they are private subsidies primarily.

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: HAP will possibly amount to €558 million this year.

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: The bulk of it is spent on private subsidies. Regarding how much HAP is spent each year, we invested an additional €42 million in 2016 to deliver 12,000 new places, amounting to €3,482 per person. An additional €78 million has been invested this year to provide 15,000 new places, amounting to an average of €5,200 per person. Does Mr. Doyle agree that HAP is...

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: Yes or no? I am sorry, but my time is limited. Does Mr. Doyle agree that HAP is getting more expensive?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: Has the Department conducted any analysis of whether HAP is contributing to rising rents?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: I am sorry. What was Mr. Doyle's last sentence?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: It was found that HAP did not contribute to rising rents.

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: Who conducted that study?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: Does Mr. Doyle agree that rising rents contribute to even more people requiring support?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: Does Mr. Doyle accept that HAP is a poor substitute for social housing?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: I believe I am correct in saying that HAP was introduced in 2014 as a temporary measure. Seven years on, does Mr. Doyle consider it to still be a temporary measure?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: Mr. Doyle stated that HAP was housing 60,000 people and that he would much prefer the Department to be providing public homes or affordable homes. What has prevented it from doing that?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: The lack of capital funding allocated to the Department has prevented it from rolling out public homes.

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: I am sorry, but if there was that extent of capital, 60,000 people would not be in private rented accommodation and the Department would not be paying in excess of €1 billion of the €3.3 billion in private subsidies.

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: A public home is for life. HAP provides no security of tenure whatsoever. It is money given to a landlord, developer or, at this stage, cuckoo fund. Does Mr. Doyle not agree that it is money down the drain?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: We have nothing to show for it in the end.

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (resumed) (3 Jun 2021)

Imelda Munster: Yes. It relates to the Department's spending on Traveller accommodation. Department officials were before us in February 2019 when I think we were reviewing the 2017 accounts. At that meeting, queries and concerns were raised about the underspend on Traveller accommodation. The same recommendation was made, almost word for word, when Department officials appeared before the committee...