Results 2,541-2,560 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: I am not given all of the figures but I am satisfied with the process of how this is handled. There are four stages at which we assess the value to make sure that the taxpayer is getting value for money and that is how we judge this too. I will talk the Deputy through the process. The key criteria for assessing whether a PPP project represents value for money for the executive follow the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: We are a very open and transparent Department. When it is appropriate to do so, we will have no problem publishing that and explaining and defending it at the committee. I am familiar with the figures relating to these houses and what they cost on all the sites and in all the schemes. I am confident and happy to confirm to the Deputy that this is in line with where it should be.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: I have not seen the benchmark but I know the figures.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: It would not be appropriate for me to see the benchmark because it is not published yet. It is not information that I would have in my hands or head. A process has been put in place which involves many proper procedures to be gone through to make sure we are getting value for money. The Deputy, with respect, is probably comparing apples and oranges. This is a 25-year contract. They will...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Credit Unions (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: I will give the Deputy an update to the best of my ability because we have been through this on a number of occasions.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Credit Unions (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: Absolutely. The Department, the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, and I would be delighted to see the credit union money invested in social housing projects.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Credit Unions (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: We would be very happy to do it and, wherever we can, we have worked to that end, but we cannot and should not control or be involved in certain parts. Considerable work has been ongoing between the Irish Council for Social Housing, a number of larger tier 3 approved housing bodies, AHBs, and their financial advisers on the development of a vehicle for delivering private financing for...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Credit Unions (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: -----could be invested in housing and we would be delighted to see it.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Credit Unions (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: We cannot be any clearer that it is something that we want to do and have facilitated as a Department, working with the Department of Finance and the Central Bank. All the rules and changes have been made to facilitate this to happen. We committed to it in our programme for Government and it makes common sense. If there is money to be invested and we want to fund social housing projects,...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Credit Unions (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: With respect, I have not heard Deputy Darragh O'Brien come forward with solutions over the last six months in which he has asked the same question but good luck to him if he wants to bring forward a solution. To be clear, because the Deputy keeps wanting to mix up what I said, I confirm that one of the credit union bodies, the Credit Union Development Association, has indicated that it has...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Credit Unions (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: -----would not justify it until such a time as a clear investment opportunity is available. To be very clear-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: I am pleased to take the question to bring some clarity to this issue. The Deputy's question and some public commentary on this matter appear to be based on an assumption that the balance of the contract for bundle 1 of the social housing PPP programme after the pure construction cost is excluded is all attributable to management and maintenance of the homes to be delivered under the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: The issue of assessing someone's creditworthiness and ability to repay the loan is separate to the funding allocated. There are two procedures there, one local and one national. It is a very stringent process because of the history of loan systems through local authorities.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: They are separate. When I go into most cases that the Deputy raises here, there is more to the story.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: There are two separate issues here. It is not a mess. It is a significant success. I do not recall any Deputies welcoming it when we brought it out in the first place but it has been oversubscribed and has gone down very well. We are working through the system to see if we can extend the offer because it is a success. I remind the House that it is only one of a whole list of actions to...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: -----the social housing delivery system is now up and running and delivering well. The focus now is on affordability. It is one of a number of tools in the kit and we will get it straightened out.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Instruction to Committee (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: I move:That, pursuant to Standing Order 154, it shall be an instruction to the Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government, in relation to the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018, that the Committee has power to make amendments to the Bill which are outside the scope of the existing provisions of the Bill, in relation to amendments to the Planning and...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: I understand they will be published in the next couple of weeks. As the Deputy knows, they were held back in October due to changes at European level. The idea is that they will be the most up-to-date guidelines. It is hoped they will be published for an eight-week public consultation in the next two or three weeks. They have been slightly delayed because of legislation to do with Brexit,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: That is for decision this week or next week, so I cannot get involved in the decision. All issues raised on the planning side will be dealt with in the decisions.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: We are concentrating on our own Bill that went through Cabinet last week, with amendments, to help protect tenants in this situation. I believe the Bill the Deputy refers to is in the process of Committee Stage, which is to do with the committee. We will work through our legislation, which is promised and will be committed to in May, all going well.