Results 1-20 of 4,698 for speaker:Dessie Ellis

GPO and Moore Street Regeneration as a 1916 Cultural Quarter: Motion [Private Members] (1 Jul 2025)

Dessie Ellis: Over the years, we have lost too much of our national heritage through disastrous developments such as the council offices on Wood Quay, built over a Viking village, or the destruction of the Georgian facades around St. Stephen's Green and Merrion Square because of dubious planning decisions. It was heartbreaking to see the conscious and deliberate destruction of the home of The O'Rahilly....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Departmental Funding (26 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: It seems there was no application whatsoever made on behalf of the Kilmore community centre, which is so disappointing. No attempt was made to get funding. However, there is funding in Dublin City Council, as well as from the Oscar Traynor development which has a €7 million fund which could be used to the tune of €150,000 in this case. It seems as though Kilmore has not been...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Departmental Funding (26 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: St. Luke's community centre was built decades ago. At the time, the community of Kilmore and surrounding areas fought tooth and nail to get this badly needed facility. For the best part of a year and a half, it has been closed by Dublin City Council. With little or no consultation with the community, the building was blocked up and closed and access refused. The building itself is in good...

Presidential Voting Rights: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: The President of Ireland is largely a ceremonial position which acts as the representative of the Irish State both at home and abroad. The President holds some limited legislative powers and is one part of the checks and balances on the Legislature. Our current President has not been afraid to expand the role of the President and has been outspoken on a number of issues, most recently the...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: I thank Mr. O'Sullivan for his presentation. The system by which local authorities access funding has changed. I am curious about how that is monitored. In the past, local authorities did not draw down funding allocated to them. Is adherence to the need to draw down funding being monitored? We are relying on the local authorities to draw down this funding but certain local authorities...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: I have another question.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: It relates to what Mr. O'Sullivan has said. Does the Department monitor every local authority? There are local authorities not applying for anything to do with Traveller accommodation.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: It is relevant to what Mr. O'Sullivan has been speaking about.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: On the number of homeless people in the Traveller community, I could rattle off seven, eight or nine names in my area alone. The figures do not seem to add up. I query how they came about. The capital funding is €23 million for this year. If we want to add to that, what is the process for looking for extra funding? Mr. O’Sullivan mentioned a figure of €7 million....

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: That is current funding. Can the local authorities seek more or are they limited to that figure? That is one thing on which I am not sure. We have a number of capital projects in my area of Dublin North-West. I have been waiting on them for the past six or seven years. I have seen plan after plan, which is quite frustrating. I wonder whether Dublin City Council has been following...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: Dublin City Council has clearly identified which people are Travellers. The council puts Travellers in band 1. Those figures are available in that local authority, although I do not know what way other counties work. Certainly, Travellers go on a Traveller priority list, as it is called. I do not know about the other councils.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. I have dealt with Mr. D'Arcy for many years over these issues. The big issue I see is resources. We are always working in arrears. For example, Dublin City Council, DCC, has so many schemes on hand. St. Margaret's, Avila Park and many other schemes were identified many years ago but have still not been advanced. It is quite frustrating. I...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: I wish to speak on a couple of points. There have been fire safety issues, mainly on halting sites. I have spoken to Mr. D'Arcy previously about some of the halting sites. I have also seen a lot of units down in Cork. This needs to be looked at more, along with the issue of the fire safety equipment that is on site. Sometimes, hoses are not available or not working. It is a major issue...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: We differ on that.

Emergency Action on Housing and Homelessness: Motion [Private Members] (17 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: I thank all those who took part in the cross-party Raise the Roof motion on the housing crisis. I also thank all those who took part in the Raise the Roof protest at the Dáil tonight. There will also be a Raise the Roof rally in Cork city on 21 June at 2 p.m. and CATU will have a national housing demonstration on 5 July in Dublin. We urge people to come out and support them. ...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: That is not true.

Nursing Homes and Care for Older Persons: Statements (12 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: We all want the best for our elderly relatives when it comes to their care in the latter part of their lives. They have paid their taxes and contributed to the growth and prosperity of the country. The least they deserve is to have a life without worry or stress in their twilight years. Some parents are cared for by family members in their own homes or in the homes of their adult children,...

Vacant Council Housing: Motion [Private Members] (10 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: We are in a housing crisis. Over 2,700 vacant council properties are boarded up and lying vacant across the State. Of those, more than 800 have been vacant for over a year. It is estimated that Dublin alone accounts for 27% of such vacant properties. Dublin has a growing senior population and along with it an increase in the demand for senior citizen accommodation. There are a number...

Housing: Statements (10 Jun 2025)

Dessie Ellis: This man-made housing crisis continues to spiral out of control. We have once again, to the shame of this and previous Governments Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been members of, reached record homeless figures. Over 15,500 people are now officially considered homeless, of whom over 4,600 are children. Bad as they are, these numbers do not take account of those affected by what is...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Business of Joint Committee (22 May 2025)

Dessie Ellis: I congratulate the Chair. I look forward to working with everyone. I am not sure whether we will be meeting every Thursday. Will that be the pattern from here on or has it been set? It is crucial to find out which days we will meet on, how often and what times we will be dealing with. Everyone has commitments and is trying to sort them out.