Results 1,041-1,060 of 4,899 for speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I wish to speak about the child benefit scheme. This week, a man contacted my office to say he will lose a child benefit payment because his child, who attends a secondary school, will reach his 18th birthday before undertaking his leaving certificate examination. He is not working and has no income. In the UK, once a child remains in secondary education, the parent is entitled to receive...

Seanad: Short-term Lettings Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Fianna Fáil supports the Bill. It is similar to a Bill we introduced in the Dáil. People like to enjoy a nice place to stay when they go on holiday. For both Irish staycation guests and foreign vacation guests, Airbnb has filled a requirement when hotel and bed and breakfast accommodation is unavailable. That is important. The growth of short-term lettings such as Airbnb across...

Seanad: Short-term Lettings Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: The Minister of State will understand. The Bill is important.

Seanad: Short-term Lettings Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I have just attended a meeting of the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government at which we discussed homelessness with the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. The issue is crucial. This plays a massive part in it because we have so many homeless people. We are talking about hubs and bed and breakfast accommodation and we are talking about finding houses. This is just part of...

Seanad: Short-term Lettings Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I thank the Minister of State.

Seanad: Short-term Lettings Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Absolutely. I welcome that.

Seanad: Short-term Lettings Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: He was speaking to Senator Coffey so I raised it. I was being polite.

Seanad: Short-term Lettings Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I thank the Minister of State. What we are doing must protect communities and ensure homes are not lost from the long-term rental market and enable a genuine collaborative economy and home-sharing. The latest daft.iereport on rental availability illustrates the need for the Government to progress regulation of Airbnb and other short-term letting platforms. As the figures show, one in two...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Future of Mental Health Care: Deficiencies in Mental Health Services: Discussion (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I compliment Ms Margaret Brennan too. I feel that parents are forgotten in this. The biggest role in a child's life is the parent's. Ms Brennan has fought for all these services and awareness. I see that in the different reports. That is unacceptable because the first port of call is the parent. The parent will notice signs. If one is not trained to notice these signs, it is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Homeless Figures: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I thank the Chairman. The Short-term Lettings Bill is due to be debated in the Seanad from 6 p.m. onwards and both myself and Senator Boyhan are scheduled to speak on what is important legislation. I wish to raise the HAP scheme with the Minister because it affects so many people, particularly in rural areas. Unless major changes are made to the HAP scheme, we will end up with more...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Homeless Figures: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I asked about the hub and the B&Bs and the Minister said families in hubs would be housed more quickly than those in hotels or B&Bs. That is a concern. The Minister said the quicker timeframe applies to those residing in a family hub rather than a hotel or a B&B. In my area we are lucky because for hotels and B&Bs it is not a massive issue. I am bringing this report to my...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Homeless Figures: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Okay. I will return to the HAP, the lack of information on it and the fact that the rent pressure zones are causing massive homelessness. I believe this will be a bigger problem for the local authorities that do not qualify. The Minister is telling us there is funding available yet I know of houses for sale within the price but the local authority tells me it does not have the funding. Is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Homeless Figures: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I am not going to mention it. I am not criticising the local authority. The Minister must clarify what areas the funding is going to, what qualifies for the funding and under what scheme it is being provided. They are the biggest issues. I will bring that information back with me tomorrow. If the authority says it cannot buy a house, which will result in somebody being homeless, I will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Homeless Figures: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: It is becoming bigger now with the rent pressure zone.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Homeless Figures: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: How far can it go if I went to my local authority tomorrow with a couple seeking it? The local authority says it can give them 20%. By how much is the Minister saying it can it increase it? It has discretion and the local authority tells me it is 20%.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Homeless Figures: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Can it go further?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Homeless Figures: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: They are now. The local authorities that are not in the rent pressure zones are being affected and they will need an increase in the HAP.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Homeless Figures: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: My figure is a lot less than that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Homeless Figures: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: They will be coming to me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Homeless Figures: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (20 Jun 2018)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I ask Mary Hurley to refer back to me.