Results 7,341-7,360 of 10,577 for speaker:Barry Cowen

Project Ireland 2040: Statements (20 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: It will not be statutory then.

Project Ireland 2040: Statements (20 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: The process to initiate a national planning framework began three years ago, we are told, and culminated last Friday. It was wrong of the Government to combine its publication with that of the national development plan and doubly wrong to term the combination Ireland 2040. Such a decision seeks to create, and to some extent has succeeded in creating, some confusion among the electorate and...

Project Ireland 2040: Statements (20 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: For Fine Gael to say that any objection to the national planning framework or to what is contained in it in some way deflects or stands in the way of the development plan is a lie. That lie has been repeated by An Taoiseach, and by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, on "Morning Ireland" the other day. It was repeated by the Minister himself on the "Today with Sean O'Rourke"...

Project Ireland 2040: Statements (20 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: -----because the Government could get away with it if that was the case. The Dáil has been disregarded again, and it is not the first time, I am afraid. The only regard the Government is showing for the public in this area is through the prism of the special communications unit. Last Thursday, sectoral interests, including the Construction Industry Federation, CIF, the Irish...

Project Ireland 2040: Statements (20 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: Is it on Netflix?

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (20 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: 332. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive a hospital appointment. [8249/18]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (21 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: 130. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive a hospital appointment. [8875/18]

Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: We can all go to Sligo.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Irish Water: Discussion (22 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: I welcome our guests, particularly Mr. Quinn, and I congratulate him on his appointment. I wish him every success and I worked closely with him when he was with Bord na Móna. I hope we can continue that relationship. A long and arduous process, as the witnesses know all too well, was put in place to deal with the unfortunate period that saw the setting up of Irish Water and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Irish Water: Discussion (22 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: I dislike such acronyms.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Irish Water: Discussion (22 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: I acknowledge and appreciate that but, as Ms Graham said, I hope that the Minister might reflect on her position that it might be helpful to the entire process and its successful conclusion if there was a role for public representatives in the real negotiations.

Priority Questions: Housing Issues (27 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: 31. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the proposed powers and resources of the new national regeneration and development agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9729/18]

Priority Questions: Housing Issues (27 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: This time last week, the Government was talking about its commitments in Project Ireland 2040 to build 500,000 homes. Unfortunately, it rings hollow when we study the figures released today which again surpass previous records on homelessness. There are 9,104 people in homelessness, of which 3,267 are children. There are 1,517 families in emergency accommodation. Announcements, rhetoric...

Priority Questions: Housing Issues (27 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: I thank the Minister for his response.

Priority Questions: Housing Issues (27 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: The clock is frozen. We might get the leader of the agency responding to the weather situation here to fix the clock.

Priority Questions: Housing Issues (27 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: They are like Batman and Robin going around the past few days. Will the Minister elaborate further? I am sure a lot of preparation went into the decision to put this agency on such a footing. Various powers associated with it would have been agreed by Government for implementation as soon as is practically possible. The Minister said it may have powers in addition to those local...

Priority Questions: Housing Issues (27 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: On 27 February 2018, there are record numbers of people in homelessness. It is almost two years since the Government took office and Rebuilding Ireland came into being. The public has not seen the return on that investment to date. I hope that changes quickly. An example of how it could be done would be a quicker turnaround between announcements and the putting into place of various...

Priority Questions: Rental Sector (27 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: 33. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps he will to take to regulate short-term lettings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9730/18]

Priority Questions: Rental Sector (27 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: Last year my colleague, Deputy Pat Casey, initiated a proposal for the housing committee to undertake a study and make recommendations on the regulation of short-term lettings. Airbnb has encouraged this type of letting which can impact further on the availability of conventional units in the rental market and contribute to the unfortunate and ridiculous rent increases we have seen, with the...

Priority Questions: Rental Sector (27 Feb 2018)

Barry Cowen: The short answer is the Minister is not yet ready to make recommendations apart from those that went to local authorities as to how they might be classified. Will the Minister tell me when he expects this task force to make proposals? When can this Dáil expect a debate on recommendations the Minister makes? When can this Dáil scrutinise and subsequently approve those...