Results 361-380 of 651 for speaker:Albert Dolan

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regeneration Projects (21 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: 193. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount spent on projects under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund within Galway in 2023, 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [26135/25]

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Housing Policy (20 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: The development levy waiver was a powerful initiative introduced by the Government to bolster housing supply and ensure a pipeline of housing delivery. We saw some of our largest commencement numbers ever last year, with more than 60,000 homes commenced, 9% of which were first-time, one-off homes. I come from and represent a rural constituency. I have a major concern with regard to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Housing Policy (20 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: I am asking about one-off homes for self-builders who are taking on mortgages to build their homes. Let us call a spade a spade: they are contributing to the ultimate completion figures this Government wants to see. We want more units to be delivered. Self-builders make up almost 10% of those numbers on the basis of the commencement figures from last year. The development levy waiver...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (20 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: 128. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the delay in payments under ACRES; when the issues are expected to be resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25678/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (20 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: Not a week goes by in which I do not have a farmer in east Galway contacting my office regarding the delays to ACRES payments. What has gone so wrong with ACRES payments? Why has there been such a delay? What lessons will be learned to ensure this does not happen again?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (20 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: I had the fortunate opportunity to study at Mountbellew Agricultural College over the past two years for my level 5 and level 6 qualifications. I met many young farmers who want to get involved in their family farms and to be part of the farming future of Ireland but we have to bring them with us. We have to show them that if they sign up for a scheme that will commit to paying them X...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (20 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: I intend to raise the issue of development levies later tonight as a Topical Issue but wish to say now that, since the development levy waiver was taken away, many young people in my constituency, Galway East, feel like they are being scammed. I realise that sounds harsh, but what I mean is that a young person in east Galway today building a one-off home can pay the local council up to...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (20 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: 26. To ask the Taoiseach Cabinet committee that deals with rural affairs and community development will next meet. [22658/25]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Monuments (20 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: 366. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform whether the OPW has applied for Ministerial consent for the new enclosure for the Turoe Stone, National Monument number 327, which was granted permission by Galway County Council under planning reference 22/580; and if this consent has been approved, when the tender will process begin and when works are expected to commence. [25903/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (15 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: The Minister of State, Deputy Cummins has visited the homes that have been delivered in Claregalway. It is a fantastic initiative and a fantastic price for people to be able to purchase a home. The problem is that in Galway East, we have not seen a single affordable home delivered yet. I know the Minister is aware of this. We need to see affordable homes delivered in towns such as Tuam,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (15 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: Galway County Council is not short of ambition when it comes to affordable housing. Our chief executive set out an ambitious plan last year. At the time, I was a councillor. We approved loans for affordable housing across our local authority and sought departmental approval for them. We do not lack the ambition. We have the ambition to deliver the homes. In the town of Athenry, the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (15 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: 8. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his expectations for the delivery of affordable housing in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24661/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (15 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: One of the lead indicators of a country's future likely success is how many young people choose to stay. What are the Minister's expectations for affordable housing delivery in 2025, given it will be one of the key tools to ensure our young educated workforce can stay here?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (15 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: I apologise because I was just observing a set of financial statements and they prompted a question for me. Grangegorman had a 6.6-fold increase in its travel and subsistence expenditure between 2022 and 2023. It is a very material sum. It went from €1,500 for the year to €10,000. I spotted it and I was curious as to why there was a 660% increase in travel expenses. It does...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (15 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: I do not even know-----

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (15 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: I propose we write to the Grangegorman entity and ask for an explanation as to how the travel expenses increased six times. It is a significant increase. Maybe as Mr. McCarthy said, that is possible coming out of Covid, but I said I would flag it.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (15 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: That was a proposal to write to Grangegorman to query its six-fold increase in travel expenses between the years 2022 and 2023.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (15 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: That is fair. It is a small figure. As we go down through financial statements there are a significant number of things that will fall below materiality levels, but that does not mean it is not important and it does not mean it is not important to flag it. I am not asking to bring them here. I am just asking to write for them to explain it further.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (15 May 2025)

Albert Dolan: In light of the fact that Children's Health Ireland is coming in next week and that the Comptroller and Auditor General has raised with us the fact that a previous CEO's contract and the settlement of same led to her being reappointed within the entity as a strategic director, would it be possible for us to ask Children's Health Ireland to prepare a briefing for us as to that person's role,...