Results 5,961-5,980 of 6,045 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: The Minister is saying-----

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 every local authority is wrong. There are thousands of houses and units in the local authorities. These are figures I received through freedom of information requests from all the local authorities. They have given us the information. The Minister mentioned earlier on that he will write to all local authorities. When he writes to them, will he ask whether they will supply a...

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 will finish with this. Cork City Council alone is owed €5 million from last year. Nationally, the figure owed is more than €20 million. The Minister has to deal with 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: I would have gone with the left.

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: 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...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: The Taoiseach blames that for everything.

Commission of Investigation (Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools) Order 2025: Motion (15 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: A couple of days ago, I got a phone call from a guy I knew. He saw the Minister talk about the commission of investigation. His voice was very low when I was talking to him. A member of his family was in the house and he did not want them to hear what he was talking to me about because of the shame and stigma that are still there. He did nothing wrong; he is a victim and a survivor....

Endometriosis Care in Ireland: Motion [Private Members] (15 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: There were women in the Public Gallery tonight. I spoke with some of them earlier and listened to their stories. A few weeks ago, I attended a meeting in Cork where people told their horrific stories. Here I am a 6 ft 5 in. man talking about women's health and women's period pains. I have no idea. I believe the Minister is a decent person so I ask her not to let the bureaucracy, the...

Endometriosis Care in Ireland: Motion [Private Members] (15 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: These people want her to lead the way. As a woman and as Minister for Health, she has the ability to do that. I implore her to do it. There are girls who have given up sport and who cannot go to school. Education is needed here. There are girls and women who every month cannot go to work or are out of work for long periods. They have lost their jobs and lost their friends, because they...

Endometriosis Care in Ireland: Motion [Private Members] (15 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: In politics, we politically disagree on many issues. Can we not come together on this issue? Can we not park the politics and for once let the women of Ireland be listened to? For far too long, they were sent home to suffer in silence, but no longer.

Dental Treatment Services: Motion [Private Members] (16 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: I will just give the Minister of State some figures. Before Covid-19, in the first quarter of 2019, 5,175 children got dental screenings in Cork city. In the first quarter of this year, it was 4,938. There were fewer children seen in the first quarter of 2025 than there were in the first quarter of 2019. We must factor in that during the Covid years, screening went below 2,500. There...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: Child poverty has doubled in a year.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: Child poverty has doubled in 12 months.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: Hear, hear.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: Come on now. Fair is fair.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (16 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: There are 121 people in the HR department in the south west. The Minister talks about progressing this Bill, but I believe it is bluff and smoke and mirrors. It is trying to pretend that there will be proper accountability and value for money in the HSE. Even though 121 people are working in the HR department in the south west, €250,000 was paid to private consultants in 2023. Who...

Pride: Statements (16 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: As the Minister of State knows, Pride is a protest. In recent years, we have seen companies and large multinationals join Pride. In many ways, that has been welcome and positive for those who work in those companies. It sends out a positive message that they are accepted and recognised as a part of these companies, and that their workplaces are safe. That is a good thing for those people....

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025: From the Seanad (16 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: When people look back at the decisions taken by the Minister and the Government on this legislation, academics and the people who end up living in these tiny apartments will ask what was going through their minds. Who made this decision? I will give an example of how governments get it wrong. I come from Knocknaheeny. When Knocknaheeny was built 50 years ago, perhaps because of the...

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025: From the Seanad (16 Jul 2025)

Thomas Gould: The Minister made a comment earlier that this is the size of the apartments in Austria. Will people pay the same rents? The Minister might check that out for us because I can tell him they will not. If he is making a comparison he should make the whole comparison. My big worry is there is a major development going in Cork's docklands. We are looking at maybe 10,000 units. The Minister...