Results 541-560 of 696 for speaker:Albert Dolan

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: I thank everyone from the Department for housing and all the representatives for being with us here today. I have a few questions I will run through. I will appreciate their support in answering and getting through them quickly because the time goes quickly. First, and it is something that was raised earlier, Galway County Council is incredibly underfunded, similar to what Deputy Neville...

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: I appreciate that. While I know there was an increase in baseline funding for local authorities across the board in recent years, which was welcomed, as the Secretary General might know, it just did not go the full distance. A lot of local authorities are carrying out workforce plans. I see this across other State agencies as well. Does he think the carrying out of workforce plans and...

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: I appreciate that. The next thing I want to move on to is something I have been pursuing over the last few months across all Departments around public procurement. Essentially, I have been trying to establish whether every single Ministry can tell me right now how many contracts they have and are they on, under or over budget. Unfortunately, the Department of housing was not able to answer...

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: No, and it is important for me to add context as well. The response did go on to tell me to contact the individual agencies under the aegis of the Department but, as Mr. Doyle can imagine, I might not have the resources in my office to do that whereas the Custom House might. However, I was able to get this information from other Departments. This can be done and it is probably a fruitful...

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: Is it not tracked centrally?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: I thank Mr. Doyle. What is the average per unit cost of delivering social housing in 2023 compared to 2020 and what does Mr. Doyle feels are the primary cost drivers behind the increases? I understand there is obviously inflation in materials and labour, etc. but what is really driving this? Are regulations getting in the way of housing delivery?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: Okay, thanks. Does Mr. Benson have figures?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: Galway would be different from Dublin.

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: Is there a particular appetite among AHBs to take apartments?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: Thank you. I have one last question on modular units. There is a huge opportunity for the country to deliver rapid-build modular units at scale. We have the companies, the capacity and the ability to build homes in factories and land them on-site with services on public land. Why did modular-unit costings jump from €200,000 to €442,000? The witnesses can correct me if my...

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: Is the Department overspecing them?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: I thank the witnesses for their time.

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: I do not think anyone here was trying to blame anybody in the Peter McVerry Trust or any other organisation. The Peter McVerry Trust will have to look in the mirror and be accountable for the decisions made in the organisation. On the wider piece around responsibility and accountability, it was rightly suggested that responsibility does not just lie with the Minister. He is not approving...

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: I do not want to be provided with it but if a contracts register is maintained, it might facilitate answering the parliamentary questions I mentioned earlier and might be the first port of call.

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: Does the Comptroller and Auditor General believe the contracts register maintained by the Department of housing is adequate?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: That is something I did not know and now I do, so that is beneficial. Is it possible for the Department to have a contracts register that captures-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: I appreciate that. I move to my second question. I know Deputy Connolly is gone now but in Galway we have not wanted for resources behind the Galway city ring road. The only thing holding it up has been objectors. I want to highlight that point. Millions have been spent on planning, design and consultation. More planners will not get the ring road built. It will take a decision by An...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Industrial Relations (24 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: 8. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the plenary meeting of the Labour Employer Economic Forum which he recently chaired. [33562/25]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Industrial Relations (24 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: I appreciate the update on the Labour Employer Economic Forum. I wish to ask about a separate matter regarding multiple schools in my constituency which have been in contact with me in the past week. In Castlehackett, Esker, Annagh Hill, St. Oliver's special education school and Peterswell, national schools spread right across Galway East have raised significant concerns with me around SNA...

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman (24 Jun 2025)

Albert Dolan: I thank the witnesses for attending and for going through the 2023 and 2024 reports. Since 2019, there has been a significant increase in complaints - almost 30% - to the Ombudsman. What are the underlying drivers of that trend? Does Mr. Deering feel that is more because people's awareness is growing regarding the role of the Ombudsman and what he can do or there is a weakening of our...