Results 3,521-3,540 of 6,728 for speaker:John Curran

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: The Minister's original intention -----

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: That is the question. Why has the Minister removed it?

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: My point is a little bit technical, but I will not delay the Minister. The Minister's amendment in subsection (4) seeks to delete all words from and including “and the equation” down to and including paragraph (b). Should that read paragraph (a)? Would that resolve the problem?

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: I do not fully agree with the Minister when he says it was a drafting error or a technical error. It was there for a reason. The t/12 part is the restriction that gives the Minister the 4% per annum. When that is removed, the frequency of the increase is not defined in this Bill, as far as I can see.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: It looks as if it is undefined. The other concern I have is that the old system caused the problem in that the first increase could be more than 4% because it was a two year period. Now, the Minister has changed it so it is annual, which will ensure that a landlord will definitely, at the end of 12 months, put the rent up because if he waits 16 months, he is still restricted to the 4%....

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: Deputy Curran.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: I find myself in agreement with colleagues. I take in good faith what the Minister has said to the effect that his intention was that the initial increase could be no more than 4%. However, the manner in which it was drafted did not provide for that. I offered the example that over an 18-month period an increase could be as much as 6%. The Minister has now brought back a further...

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: It is unfortunate that the work which needs to be done - I acknowledge that it needs to be done - was not done earlier because many of these amendments could have been teased out on Committee Stage. I know that once the report was published, that was not possible. I know it was not possible because it was obvious that the market would react the moment the Minister published the report and...

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: Like my colleagues, on first reflection I thought the 4% figure was a big improvement on the rate of increases that we are seeing. However, 4% is still quite significant. A person in rented accommodation, where the rent was set a little over a year ago - in 2015 rather than in 2016 - could be due an increase in January 2017. There could be an increase in January 2017, January 2018 and...

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: My concern about that comment is that the other measures the Minister intends to make are not working. The purpose of the three-year period is to bring supply on stream. If supply comes on stream and the Minister's policies are successful, there will not be a spike. That is my real concern. This is a temporary measure but it must be underpinned by the delivery of additional units to the...

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: If 1,000, or 2.5%, of those were brought back into use, everyone in a hostel, hotel or bed and breakfast accommodation tonight could be housed. That would be a significant step to take. I urge the Minister to deal quickly and proactively with that issue. I ask the Minister to indicate, in as much detail as possible, where and how the 4% was calculated. I also ask him to reflect on the...

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the Report Stage debate on this Bill. I want to put it on the record, in case there is any misunderstanding, that I did not have sight of the contents of these proposals in advance of their publication last Tuesday. Obviously, I heard media reports, etc., but I saw the housing proposals for the first time on Tuesday afternoon. It is almost six...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Overview of Pensions: Department of Social Protection (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: As we have a quorum, the committee is in public session. Apologies have been received from Deputy Joan Collins. I welcome the witnesses to this meeting of the Joint Committee on Social Protection. I remind members to ensure that their mobile phones are switched off. I propose to go into private session to deal with a number of housekeeping matters. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Overview of Pensions: Discussion (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: We are now in public session. I welcome Mr. Tim Duggan, assistant secretary at the Department of Social Protection, who is here to discuss the matter of pensions. He is accompanied by Ms Helen McDonald, principal officer, Mr. Robert Nicholson, principal officer, and Mr. Darragh Doherty, assistant principal officer. I wish to draw the attention of witnesses to the fact that by virtue of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Overview of Pensions: Discussion (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: I must interrupt Mr. Duggan for a moment if he does not mind. There is a vote in the Dáil for which colleagues are not paired. Will the committee suspend?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Overview of Pensions: Discussion (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: I apologise for interrupting Mr. Duggan. It is not ideal but I believe that Members had better go and do what it is we are supposed to. We can keep an eye on the monitor while we take a break. We will suspend for a couple of moments.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Overview of Pensions: Discussion (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: We would not tell you.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Overview of Pensions: Discussion (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: We resume. I apologise to Mr. Duggan for the interruption.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Overview of Pensions: Discussion (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: I thank Mr. Duggan very much for his opening statement. I will start with Senator Kevin Humphreys.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Overview of Pensions: Discussion (15 Dec 2016)

John Curran: The Deputy should continue.