Results 1,181-1,200 of 2,414 for speaker:Fintan Warfield

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2021)

Fintan Warfield: I reiterate the point we made last week and Senator Moynihan has made, namely, public private partnerships are inherently bad value for money. Successive Governments have seemed wedded to the policy but in schemes where we are trying to keep costs as low as possible, we need to avoid such partnerships. I will be pushing this amendment.

Seanad: Civil Legal Aid (Exclusion of Value of Free or Partly Free Board) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (31 May 2021)

Fintan Warfield: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I commend Senator Lynn Boylan on bringing forward this important Bill. She has been a constant champion for social justice and equality, whether through her lifelong activism, her contribution on behalf of Dubliners in the European Parliament - where she led the negotiations in respect of the right to water report - relentlessly campaigning...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: I thank all Senators who facilitated the passing of Senator Boylan's Bill on Second Stage last night. The Bill seeks to remove the discriminatory policy of treating housing assistance payment, HAP, as income for people applying for civil legal aid. The Bill forced the hand of the Government and I commend Senator Boylan on introducing it. It will ensure that survivors of domestic abuse will...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: I oppose section 8. I want the Minister of State to clarify if, in this section, "open market dwelling" means turnkey dwellings. I am happy to withdraw my opposition if the answer to that question is "Yes". However, if this section is about giving the site services fund to private developers, I will not support the section. Does "open market dwelling" refer to turnkeys in this section?...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: I do not think I could be clearer.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: Does this section allow the serviced sites fund to be used by private developers?

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: I am referring to section 8.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: I have opposed the section. This is not an amendment.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: I move amendment No. 40: In page 12, line 42, after “may” to insert the following: “, following consultation with the relevant Oireachtas Committee, local authority managers and local authority elected members,”. Although we might disagree on ideological grounds during this debate, this is one issue on which all present can agree. I heard Senator Higgins...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: It is really positive that such an amount of time has been provided for this debate. For the first time in any debate during this term, we have had the chance to engage in a to-and-fro on an amendment such as this, which may not seem that important. In the past, we may have rushed on to later sections which we opposed ideologically. I welcome the fact that we have more time for discussion...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: I move amendment No. 51: In page 15, to delete lines 5 to 7. The "long stop date" goes against the fundamental principles of affordable purchase or rent. If the initial equity is not recouped in 30 or 50 years, it effectively remains there as a charge for whenever the house is sold on. I would like to get the Minister of State's view on that. Is this amendment grouped with amendment No. 52?

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: I will leave it there.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: As there are no other speakers, I propose to withdraw and resubmit on Report Stage.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: I move amendment No. 52: In page 15, to delete lines 27 to 30. The Bill provides that the Minister may prescribe additional matters in the dwelling purchase agreement, including, but not limited to "prohibiting any structural alterations or additions to the affordable dwelling without the prior written consent of the housing authority, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, and subject...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: I do not see why a person would be prohibited from adapting or extending a house. I do not understand. Does it imply the person does not own the home, by any chance? I fundamentally disagree that a person should not be allowed to adapt or extend a house.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: You are never prohibited from extending or adapting your house because you have a mortgage from the bank. The fact that you do not own your care does not prohibit you from souping it up, for want of a better term.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: May I now move amendment No. 59?

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: It is in the group on which we have been speaking.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: I will only briefly go over what has been said. To be clear, for the record, what Sinn Féin wants is a statement of the proposed initial maximum rent to be calculated in such a manner that it would be spread over 50 years. The key point that has been mentioned is security of tenure. The longer the repayment period, the lower the rent. We see that in cost-rental models like the Vienna...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Fintan Warfield: I welcome the acceptance of the amendment. Obviously we were keen to see the more ambitious 50 years being accepted but this is really welcome. I commend my Labour Party colleague and the Minister of State.