Results 8,481-8,500 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Finance (5 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank the Minister for the frankness of his views. His opening comments were welcome and my questions take them on board. Many first-time buyers find it impossible to get into the market. One of the reasons is that they cannot come up with the 10% deposit. At the same time, there is much land in infill sites owned by local authorities and banks of land owned by State organisations. Is...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Master of the High Court (10 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: Mr. Honohan's points are very thought-provoking and worth examining in full. I live in a predominantly rural constituency in County Louth, although we have two large towns, Drogheda and Dundalk. There are very few vacant properties in the county. In fact, the biggest problem is that people cannot get a place anywhere, no matter what they are willing to pay. All of the properties are...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Master of the High Court (10 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: No, not at all.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Master of the High Court (10 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: Yes. The former Minister, Jim Tully, was a famous case-----

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Master of the High Court (10 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: Yes.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Master of the High Court (10 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I think the big problem with Ballymun, which has been mentioned by Mr. Honohan, was that it was entirely inappropriate for families and particularly for children to be living in high-rise accommodation with no proper recreational areas. Is the import of what Mr. Honohan is saying that there is no constitutional barrier preventing the Government and the Oireachtas from deciding to fast-track...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Professor P. J. Drudy, Trinity College Dublin (10 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: Professor Drudy is a different case.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Mercy Law Resource Centre (10 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I was at the launch last week and was very impressed. I think a constitutional right would be effective in an extreme case. For example, Travellers are to be evicted from a so-called illegal site in Dundalk today. It would provide grounds for a legal appeal or place new or extra obligations on local authorities to ensure that if and when it comes to that stage, they must have exhausted all...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: National Asset Management Agency (12 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I welcome the representatives from NAMA. I am very interested in the statistics and figures they have provided. It is a very clear indication of the work they have done as opposed to what people think they might be doing or not doing. I have two major questions. NAMA has identified €164 million worth of infrastructure development. The Minister for Finance said that €100...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: National Asset Management Agency (12 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: So NAMA offers the houses to the local authorities and they are saying they have too many.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: National Asset Management Agency (12 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: That is not acceptable. I appreciate Mr. McDonagh cannot comment on that matter. Could they not be used as affordable homes or starter homes? How in the name of God can local authorities turn down houses for families? That is what they are doing.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Dublin Homeless Network, Limerick and Clare Homeless Alliance, Cork Social Housing Forum (12 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I was very impressed by what the witnesses said. The Government policy is to have, I think, 75,000 families or individuals helped through housing assistance payments and so on by 2020. That is a huge challenge and, from what the witnesses have said, it is not being met in any respect. It is probably more an issue for the Government than for this committee. One answer might be to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (17 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: 412. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the funding requested and provided for Traveller accommodation facilities and the drawdown, by local authority, for each of the past three years; if all the funding provided was spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10453/16]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (17 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: 709. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the continued use of Lourdes laundry which is attached to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda in County Louth; the Health Service Executive's plans to keep it open; the re-assurances it will offer to the staff employed there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9754/16]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Diabetes Strategy (17 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: 924. To ask the Minister for Health if he will respond to representations from Diabetes Ireland (details supplied) regarding the recruitment of Health Service Executive posts for Louth Diabetes Community Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10563/16]

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Insolvency Service of Ireland (17 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I welcome the work being done by the insolvency service and the excellent results. Mr. O'Connor referred to some statistics on pages 12,13 and 14 of his document. If I am not reading these correctly, please tell me straight away. However, if I am reading the first statistics correctly, it seems that people with mortgage difficulties in certain counties have a higher chance of success than...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Insolvency Service of Ireland (17 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: That is what I thought.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Insolvency Service of Ireland (17 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: Mr. O'Connor is saying that regardless of who the lender is, there is a level playing field when one goes to court. It is a question of reluctance in that the lenders cannot not engage if the debtor goes through a PIP. Is that the point?

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Insolvency Service of Ireland (17 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: If I have a problem with my mortgage and I go through a PIP, the lender must engage with me even though it may not want to. Is that correct?

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Insolvency Service of Ireland (17 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: That is a very powerful tool.