Results 8,601-8,620 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: To get back to the point, the representatives of NAMA stated very clearly that whereas some of those houses were in unfinished estates, they were being offered in a finished state. In other words, the agency would finish them. I am concerned that local authorities do not have the commitment to build what they need to. I acknowledge that the county managers or chief executive officers will...
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: I do too because, like yourself, I have sat here. I am the first Government party speaker and I am not going to be rushed in the final part of my question. I spoke about the build-to-lease programme, NAMA homes and landbanks and now I want to mention the planning review. That is key. We need to look again at fast-track planning. I do not know whether it makes sense. Somebody spoke about...
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: Excuse me-----
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: I accept that.
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: The point I was making, in response to other points about NAMA being the big bad wolf, was that the agency in fact offered thousands of houses that were not taken up.
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: I hope so.
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: That is around commuter-----
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: The figure in one constituency was 50%.
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: The figure in Waterford was 50% as well.
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: I can.
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the County and City Management Association (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: Part of the problem has been a lack of a local authority building programme, possibly over a nine or ten-year period when housing ceased to be built. I live in Drogheda and was a member of Drogheda Borough Council for more years than I care to remember. We were always building houses and then we moved away from Department-sanctioned funding by the local authority to housing associations. I...
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the County and City Management Association (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: It is people who are not treated properly and are not respected. That is what I mean.
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the County and City Management Association (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: The National Building Agency, NBA, used to deal with that for local councils. I sat on the NBA, which handled design, building and the whole lot - it was a one-stop shop. It got the contract and it delivered. Why does the Department not do that? Why have all this other stuff going on?
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the County and City Management Association (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: I accept that, but what is wrong with the NBA doing all that? It did it very efficiently, quickly and professionally. A local authority essentially rubber-stamped it - it got the land and that was it.
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the County and City Management Association (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: Why does the Housing Agency not do this?
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the County and City Management Association (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: I wish to make one point whenever the Chairman can call me.
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the County and City Management Association (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: I agree.
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the County and City Management Association (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: The National Building Agency, now the Housing Agency, to my absolute knowledge and experience was very efficient when it was building houses. It did a fantastic job and we never had a complaint. That is my personal view. I am not trying to trap him into an answer but would Mr. Cummins agree that a one-stop-shop could work? All the experts from the Department, the Housing Agency, the local...
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the County and City Management Association (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: I think Mr. Coman is referring to Deputy Durkan.
- Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the County and City Management Association (2 Jun 2016)
Fergus O'Dowd: I favour them, although I accept that I might look like Deputy Durkan.