Results 1,681-1,700 of 15,009 for speaker:Eoin Ó Broin

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electronic Commerce (14 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: 405. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to undertake a small controlled trial or pilot project to examine the viability of allowing documents such as deeds or transfer, family home declarations and other sworn declarations to be signed electronically rather than with a written signature in order to inform his Department of the merit of a wider...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: I thank Ms Ní Fhlanghaile for coming in and making her submission. As Deputy Ó Cuív said, the extension of the provisions to European and local elections is eminently sensible and nobody would oppose that. Being able to start opening some boxes while others are delayed would not materially affect the count and we would have no difficulty with that. It may delay the tally a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: I do not have the level of expertise that Ms Ní Fhlanghaile and Deputy Ó Cuív have but perhaps the focus could be less on differentiating between types of islands and more on setting out relevant conditions. For example, in general if a returning officer is satisfied that an earlier closing of the poll will not disenfranchise anyone, that could be done. The worry is that if...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: Counting should begin at 6 p.m., before the polls have even closed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: We do not need another meeting just to do with that. The issue is important, but there is no reason that we could not ask Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann for a written submission on it. Members could consider it in advance of Committee Stage. I appreciate what Ms Ní Fhlanghaile said regarding the returning officers' request for flexibility. I will ask my next question...

Topical Issue Debate: Traveller Accommodation Provision (15 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: The Minister of State is aware that two very important reports on the issue of Travellers and Traveller accommodation were published in the past four weeks. The first report was commissioned by the Housing Agency and the Minister of State's own Department was involved in it. It was conducted by independent researchers looking at the Traveller accommodation programmes since their inception....

Topical Issue Debate: Traveller Accommodation Provision (15 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: I thank the Minister of State for his reply and acknowledge, again, the commitment we have given to work with the Government on this to ensure we get the right result. I welcome the establishment of the expert group and look forward to the announcement the Minister will make following the receipt of correspondence from the national Traveller accommodation consultative committee. I welcome...

Housing (Homeless Families) Bill 2017: Second Stage [Private Members] (15 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: I thank Deputy Jan O'Sullivan for tabling this valuable legislation for our consideration. I am happy to hear it will be supported by the Government. This is not just a theoretical piece of legislation, it will have a real, practical impact. The Deputy outlined some of the families she has dealt with in her constituency and elsewhere who have been affected by the lack of protection, the...

Housing (Homeless Families) Bill 2017: Second Stage [Private Members] (15 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: For me, though, the most disturbing comments were those made by the Taoiseach at the weekend.

Housing (Homeless Families) Bill 2017: Second Stage [Private Members] (15 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: In response to questions he said: "By international standards, compared with our peers, we have a low level of homelessness. They are the stats and we can provide them for you. Of course it is a good thing that in Ireland we have a low level of homelessness compared with our peer countries." I have in my hand the statistics and the report from the Taoiseach's press office which we all have...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (15 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: 229. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 1358 of 7 November 2017, the reason for the discrepancy in the figures for local authority voids contained in the NOAC report 12 of May 2017, table F, pp 60/61, and the figures for long-term voids returned to stock funded by his Department; the way in which NOAC reported 4,202 voids of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: You will not need to be lenient with me, Chairman.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: I agree with the Minister of State, Deputy English, in that we need to deal with the facts. I have three questions but I want to make three observations first. The Taoiseach said over the weekend that our levels of homelessness are low when compared to our peers. That is a fact. When he was pressed by the journalist at the press event, he referenced the 2017 OECD report. The 2017 OECD...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: I am going to do that, and I will do it within my time. I have never said that we have a higher rate of homelessness than anywhere else. In fact, I no one in the committee has ever said that. However, we have an unacceptably high level. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that it is higher than our immediate peers, as Eoin O'Sullivan has written about recently. I want to put that on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: Of the 5,050 units, have many have been delivered so far this year? I am very glad the Minister is looking to Scotland. He is right that the child homelessness rate is higher there, but the children are in emergency accommodation for only a quarter of the time. The average period is 24 weeks. Here it is about two years. It would be more than welcome if the Minister learned from Scotland...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: Does the change to the funding model for Irish Water in any way affect its capital investment programme as outlined in the business plan for next year and the years leading up to 2021? Last year €140 million was earmarked for the completion of phase one and the start of phase two of the metering programme. I understand it has been re-profiled in the overall capital spend, but Irish...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: Does the Minister miss the Deputy?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: Is that €1 billion over a period of years?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (15 Nov 2017)

Eoin Ó Broin: So it will be a saving from 2018 or 2019 to 2021.