Results 7,021-7,040 of 10,577 for speaker:Barry Cowen

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: I thank the Acting Chairman for allowing this question now. While we are all aware of the Government's failure in recent years to meet its social housing targets with 135,000 people languishing on waiting lists, this week we learned that the European Committee of Social Rights has indicated that the Government has violated its charter and that local authorities had failed to "ensure the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: I would have thought the violation was plain and obvious. That being the case, what timeframe has the Government put in place to address this issue? For example, is the Minister considering establishing an independent complaints commission whereby local authority tenants will have access to independent assessment of their complaint regarding violation? Many local authorities are placed in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: The voids programme and the retrofit programme, commendable as they both were, are separate from this issue. The final part of the Minister's answer paints a clearer picture in so far as he said there is an ongoing survey or audit of existing stock. When will that be with the Minister? That having been identified, has he increased the allocation to local authorities for ongoing maintenance...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Homelessness Strategy (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: 3. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the allocation of additional funding to homelessness services announced in budget 2018; if he has revised targets for reducing the number of homeless families and children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45568/17]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Homelessness Strategy (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: In light of the extra €18 million made available in the budget for homeless provision and funding for the homeless to assist in finding solutions to this issue, will the Minister now revise the targets he had set, and can he made them public?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Homelessness Strategy (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: To be more specific, has the Government adjusted its targets for eradicating homelessness arising from the allocations made in the budget and, if so, what are they? Are all families removed from hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation in keeping with 1 July target? Where do we stand on that, or what revision of that target has been set based on the improvements that will accrue based on...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Homelessness Strategy (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: Again, I will try to be specific to ensure that people can plainly understand where we are at or what progress is being made or likely to be made. The Minister said more homeless families are exiting homelessness and I do not doubt that, but as Deputy Ó Broin alluded to, unfortunately, the figures are up. Based on the increase towards addressing this issue made in the budget, has the...

Other Questions: Housing Provision (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: The question is self-explanatory. Like many others, Deputy Browne is concerned about the housing crisis in County Wexford. There are statistics emanating from Wexford which suggest it has the third highest number of 18 to 24 year olds in receipt of rent supplement. House prices and rents there are soaring. Deputy Browne tabled this question in the hope that the Minister might outline some...

Other Questions: Housing Provision (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: The figures provided by the Minister of State on what is happening or under construction in Wexford are that 75 homes have been delivered in two years and 375 houses are at the planning and design stage and will be coming on stream in the near future. There is another issue that has not necessarily been dealt with in spite of the best intentions of all concerned and Deputy Ó Broin and...

Other Questions: Housing Provision (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: The Minister of State said the Government is trying to correct these issues and improve delivery. I thought it had been trying to do that for the past number of years but, unfortunately, it has had no success in that regard. While the Minister of State says there are 11,000 projects in the pipeline and it is great to have so many, only 24% of them are on site and, therefore, a maximum of...

Other Questions: Housing Provision (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: Unfortunately, the houses have still not been built.

Other Questions: Private Rented Accommodation (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: 8. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to regulate short-term lettings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45250/17]

Other Questions: Private Rented Accommodation (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: What plans are in place to regulate short-term lettings and will the Minister make a statement on the matter? I raise this matter in the context of Airbnb and a circular recently issued to local authorities that seems to contradict recommendations made by the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government in respect of, for example, 90 days being a target for short-term lettings...

Other Questions: Private Rented Accommodation (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: The Minister has seen the recommendations and report of the committee. Will he comment on them? Based on the consensus arrived at by the committee and the significant amount of work and effort that went into talking to the various stakeholders before agreeing on the set of proposals, and in conjunction with the working group the Minister has had in place, what does he see as a realistic...

Other Questions: Urban Renewal Schemes (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: 14. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the annual housing unit targets for the urban renewal fund announced in budget 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45249/17]

Other Questions: Urban Renewal Schemes (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: The recent budget announced an urban renewal fund whereby funds would be set aside to work with other State organisations, local communities and the private sector to address dilapidation, to provide rebuilding programmes and to help incentivise regeneration in towns and villages. Will the Minister of State indicate how much funding was put in to that fund and what targets are associated...

Other Questions: Urban Renewal Schemes (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: That means the funds have been allocated but there is no scheme to match them. The Government is continuing to deliberate on devising a scheme which might meet what it wants to do but one is not yet in place. No target is known as to how many houses will be delivered. The Minister of State mentioned the repair and leasing scheme, to which another €32 million is being allocated on...

Other Questions: Urban Renewal Schemes (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: It is a total and abject failure. While there were 500 applicants, only seven were approved because the criteria associated with the scheme do not meet the market demand. There is no harm putting one's hands up and saying it did not work out and will be changed to encourage the market to get involved in the scheme. I have told the Minister of State that there is universal approval of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: 42. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the income limits for households to access affordable housing in his Department's plans such as the local infrastructure housing activation fund, the second LIHAF and local authority support as set out in budget 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45247/17]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (26 Oct 2017)

Barry Cowen: 45. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the social housing targets for 2018, 2019 and 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45251/17]