Results 18,921-18,940 of 26,350 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Let us deal with some of the facts now. The Deputy knows numerous initiatives are under way. I might disappoint him and colleagues opposite to know we will exceed targets. We will deliver more social homes this year than we did last year and significantly more affordable home than we did last year.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: A Cheann Comhairle, I am trying to-----

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Thank you, Ceann Comhairle. I will turn to the area of vacancy, which is very important. I will come back to housing delivery as well. We are seeing significant measures being taken to bring vacant stock back into use both through our local authorities, AHBs and allowing individuals and families to be able to take vacant stock and get it back into use, turn it around and own those homes....

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: It is 100% correct.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Sinn Féin's alternative budget made no provision for the continuation -----

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: It is not too difficult to read the party's alternative budget. In its 52 pages, its apparent priority area of housing has three pages. It states it is a fully costed, detailed plan.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: If that is a detailed plan and an alternative to Housing for All, I would hate to see if the Deputy was doing something on a cursory basis. Three pages out of 52. I think people deserve a little more. They will ask a lot more of Sinn Féin on its alternatives.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: It is very difficult sometimes for the Deputies opposite to hear the truth and even to listen to contrary voices or a different opinion and maybe they would respect that. I know they do not respect that in their own party-----

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: -----but I expect that if I am given an opportunity-----

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Every single time the Deputy tables a motion here and if I go to respond, all he can do and the choir behind him is continue to interrupt and stop me from speaking but the figures do not lie. Many challenges remain but there has been progress and by the end of this year, we will have delivered more than 100,000 new homes since we came into government. There has been a step-change in...

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: -----actually wants to abolish the help-to-buy grant.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Again, in their constituency clinics, wherever they are held-----

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: -----they should let their constituents know that the tax they have earned that has been given back to them to help with their deposits would be abolished by their party, even though that support that has helped 42,500 people. I was only in Skerries on Monday, in her own home town, where she was able to buy a home pretty handily.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: This is a bit of a farce here now.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Let us deal with first-time buyers supports. The help-to-buy grant is provided for next year as well. There is an extension to 2025. The first home scheme, which the party opposite has opposed, has nearly 7,000 registrations. A total of 2,800 families and households who are eligible and are buying their homes through the scheme. It is a real intervention that is supporting homeownership....

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Ah, stop now. Behave yourself for once, will you?

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Sinn Féin spokesperson on finance comes in here and makes a two-minute contribution to say Sinn Féin supports homeownership. Sinn Féin is opposing the help-to-buy grant, vacancy grants to bring vacant stock back into use so people can buy and own houses and do them up and the first home scheme. All three of those schemes are working well and all three would be removed by...

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Perhaps the Deputy misspoke.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Perhaps the Deputy wants to use the opportunity of this debate to tell the House and his colleagues when he will publish a housing plan at all. Perhaps the housing plan itself-----

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Is that the 2016 document?