Results 5,921-5,940 of 5,964 for speaker:Thomas Gould

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: Go raibh maith agat. The new guidelines in relation to the design and size of apartments refer to 32 sq. m. A new prison cell has 12 sq. m. We are going to be charging people approximately €2,000 and €2,500 now, and maybe even more, for one of these apartments when these new ones are built. Where is the fairness in this for people who are out working, trying to build a life...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: Yes. Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: When the Minister talks about delivery, I have a list of properties from the last construction-in-progress status report. More than 11,000 of these properties have not moved in a year, nearly 8,000 have not moved in two years and 5,000 have not moved an inch in the past three years. We have 20 homes in Limerick that have been waiting on capital appraisal since 2015. We have 17 homes in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: There are 11,000 under construction, according to the latest construction status report. I have seen pages listing them all in various locations. Should the Minister and the Department not be getting these 11,000 houses delivered first?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: It would be a good start.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: That is not the question I asked. Will the Minister get those 11,000 delivered?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: All of these have funding. There are 11,000 that have not progressed for over a year. There are 5,000 houses and units that have been three years in stoppage. There is a blockage. I raised this previously with the Minister's predecessor, Deputy O'Brien. I was told that a special group would be set up to look at these cases to find out where the blockages were and get them delivered. To...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: I thank the Minister and apologise for rushing. The Minister said earlier that more money has gone into the tenant in situ scheme since he became Minister. The tenant in situ scheme stopped in Cork on 4 April. That was confirmed by Cork City Council. A number of families - some have been evicted at this stage - have had to leave the properties. Will the Minister provide the funding to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: That is not what I asked.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: I was here with the Minister's predecessor, Deputy O'Brien-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: I am asking the Minister questions and he is not answering them. I asked the Minister's predecessor, Deputy O'Brien-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: I want answers to the questions I asked. I am not looking for the Minister to run down the clock.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: I asked a question of the Minister's predecessor, Deputy O'Brien. He told me that the local authorities needed to be ambitious in taking up the tenant in situ scheme. Local authorities did so, but when Deputy Browne came in as Minister he did not stand over a commitment given by a previous Minister. I am asking the Minister a straight question. Will he provide funding to complete all...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: So they will all stay closed. The Cork city tenant in situ scheme is closed at the moment. I have it in writing from the council. It will not reopen tenant in situ because the Minister will not give them the money. It is a yes-no answer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: That is not what I asked. I am asking questions, Chair, but I have not gotten one straight answer in five minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: It is closed. I have it in writing. I am asking the Minister if he will give the funding to reopen it. It is a yes-no answer. This is not confined to Cork. Across the State - in Dublin and Kildare, etc. - the tenant in situ scheme is closed. I am only asking if the Minister will provide funding to reopen it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: You are the Minister now. When I am the Minister for housing, I will answer the questions you ask me. You are the Minister today.