Results 321-340 of 5,655 for speaker:Thomas Gould

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: We know that there is definitely a need. A cost-rental scheme in Glanmire in Cork ran out of houses. I am not 100% sure about the figures, but I believe there were 1,200 applications for 36 properties.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: Ms Anderson touched on the standard of cost-rental accommodation. In Cork, it is of a very high quality and being managed properly. It is a place people want to live. I spoke to two young women who were sharing a property on Lancaster Quay. One worked in the hospital and the other worked in the city council. They were really positive about the accommodation. They spoke about a community...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: I apologise, I am going to have to leave after this. Something struck me when Ms Cleary was speaking about older people and pensioners. We see pensioners who are homeless, which was probably something we never saw previously in the lifetime of this State. There are 224 now, and the number is creeping up slowly. I imagine that the vast majority of people who avail of cost-rental properties...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: I appreciate that. What happens to that lady I mentioned who is on €42,000 who does not qualify for HAP because she is over the threshold? Many people have to pay a lot of extra money over the HAP amount in order to get rental properties. Will HAP be sufficient in order that there will not be pensioners who are struggling? Will it be enough for pensioners to still be able to afford...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: I had not thought of what Ms Hennigan said about people who lose their incomes for different reasons, namely losing their jobs or on foot of health issues. It is important that work is being done, so that is good to hear. We are looking at cost rental long term. People are saying we need to develop the Irish mentality to cost rental, and all those things need to be considered. One of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: I wanted the witnesses to say that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: Even if we were to take the human side out of it, Mr. O'Gorman has made the point about the consequences of having cold and damp houses with mould in them. I have people now whose clothes in their wardrobes are mouldy. The ends of their beds are getting damp because they are up against the wall. The human cost of this is great, but so is the financial cost. When there is a chance to do...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: I always that the concept whereby an AHB or a local authority would step in when a family was in trouble rather than that family losing its house was a good one. There seems to be a reluctance, however, to get involved in this undertaking. I would like to see more of it being done. I say this because my big worry now is that people are paying so much for overvalued homes that some of them...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: I thank Ms Cleary.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: What I am taking from that is that we are saying local authorities cannot plan in the long-term.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: I will say that local authorities, to be fair to them, are not being funded long-term. This would be the way to look at it. I must run, so I thank the witnesses very much. Go raibh maith agat.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: The Minister of State spoke about capacity and funding being in place. I represent an area in Cork called Ballyvolane. It is now a massive area with a lot of privately built houses but also social housing. There is a mixture. There is no community centre. Right now, there is a plan to build 1,000 more houses, and in the wider Ballyvolane area there is the possibility of 2,000 houses and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: Fair Hill is another area in my constituency. The current group of volunteers, because that is what they are, have been doing unbelievable work there for the past ten years. Cork City Council gave them a council house. They have hundreds of children between community groups, youth groups, art groups and counselling. The Minister of State would want to see the work they are doing out of a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: There are loads of schools, but how do you get them all the equipment? Where do they put all their equipment?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: 78. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the supports in place to assist community organisations that do not have the capacity to apply for funding. [40575/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: Will the Minister of State outline the supports in place to assist community organisations that do not have the capacity to apply for funding? In my experience, in many cases, community associations in more affluent areas with professional people have more capacity. On the opposite side, in working-class areas where great people are doing unbelievable work on the ground, many of them do not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: France is, Germany is and Italy is. They all are.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: Yes.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: 8. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on the recent emergency meeting of European Union foreign affairs ministers. [40573/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Middle East (10 Oct 2024)

Thomas Gould: Will the Tánaiste provide an update on the recent emergency meeting of European Union foreign affairs ministers regarding the Israeli Government and army attacking the sovereign country of Lebanon, their attacks on Syria and Yemen and their continued attacks on the West Bank and Gaza? What action will the European Union be taking to ensure an immediate ceasefire and the protection of...