Results 9,021-9,040 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I am referring to Airbnb.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I know that the overall number on Airbnb is higher nationally and in Dublin, but I am referring to the ones in Dublin that are not owner-occupied. Those statistics are provided on a website. I believe they are accurate, although I hope to be corrected. It is wrong that landlords can make an excessive profit off people. In particular, many young people cannot live in Dublin anymore....

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: We need to stand up to these people and ensure that homes are for families.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Message to Dáil (13 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I echo that and I also thank the staff working behind the scenes all night as it has not been easy on them. It is a great tribute to the staff that some people will be working throughout the night to get the Bill ready for tomorrow.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Services for People with Disabilities (14 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: 154. To ask the Minister for Health if he will review the issues in the case of a person (details supplied) with regard to a place in residential accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40230/16]

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: This is a very important debate. I welcome Minister's comments when he introduced the measures and the additional measures he announced. The Opposition is wrong in saying that the Minister is not listening. He is listening to everybody.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I did not interrupt Deputy Cullinane. He might have the manners to stay quiet if it is possible for him to do that. I would appreciate that. The reason we have this problem is that the demand for housing exceeds the supply. I agree with Deputy Catherine Murphy that rents have increased exponentially in the areas we represent. Indeed, in some cases they are not rent but extortion being...

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I did not interrupt Deputy Smith. I would ask her not to interrupt me, no matter how difficult it may be for her to remain silent for another minute. I hope that does not stress her too much.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: That is what I thought. If she were in my class at school, I would send her home to her mammy with a note about her behaviour.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: Yes. I would have to send Deputy Barry Cowen for her mother.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: She is after disturbing my train of thought. That is disastrous as it was my final and most important point. No doubt I will have to return to it later.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: We need a comprehensive analysis of how we will deal with this issue. A significant and important part of this analysis should be of these actions which are being proposed in this legislation. Whatever else we can say about this Government, and we can all say different things, regardless of where we sit, the housing issues are being tackled, but we need to release all those empty homes.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I did not sit in Cabinet regrettably.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I was not.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: No, it is the first. An chéad uair atá ann.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: Apologies. I did not hear what the Ceann Comhairle said.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: Yes. That was one of my interventions. I would like to repeat my impression in that case. I want to make it very clear that it was anticipated last night that rent in one home in Drogheda, County Louth, will increase by 65%. In Dublin, the figure is a 35% increase. It is absolutely unacceptable. This legislation is solving the problem in Dublin inasmuch as that increase will not happen...

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I will repeat the point I made earlier. A solution to this problem is staring us in the face but we are not tackling it in this context. Vacant houses do not require JCBs or builders. They only require a key in the hands of the tenant so they can go up to the house and turn it. In this city alone, there are 36,000 such homes. We do not know how long they have been vacant. I acknowledge...

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: It is an appalling statement which they have made. They do not represent the majority of landlords like the ones I know personally. I would have to use unparliamentary language to describe them. They are full of-----

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: It is more than anger. We need more radical solutions, if that is what people call them. I think they are practical, realistic and will put families in a home. It can be done quickly and we do not even have to build a house to do it. The houses are there already.