Results 3,861-3,880 of 26,565 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy should finish and then I will come in. Go on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I know that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: It is fully understood that if one were to reach 20% of national housing stock, which is one of the recommendations the Housing Commission made, it would mean a serious acceleration of that delivery. We are assessing and examining each of the commission's recommendations. I was putting on the record what we are currently doing. I have recognised that previous unmet demand, particularly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I and the Government will ensure that previous unmet demand will be taken into account when we are setting the targets. It will not be the ESRI or the Housing Commission that will set the targets. That will be a Government decision around the revisions and we will include, and make more than reference to, previous unmet demand, as I have done since the day I took over as Minister in 2020.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I have not accepted any of the recommendations. We have not examined them in full.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: What I have always said I would do with the Housing Commission analysis, particularly around the important matter of housing targets over ten years, is that we would look at that report in conjunction with the ESRI report. When the latter comes in, both reports will be looked at in conjunction and we will then make an assessment ourselves. I am not disputing anything that has been said, nor...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We have told the housing authorities that there is sufficient emergency accommodation available. If the Deputy has a case where an individual-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I would like to see that letter. I am trying to be helpful here. This has never been flagged. I have met with the urban local authorities and the National Homeless Action Committee, on which the local authorities also sit. We regularly discuss and review the provision of emergency accommodation. It has never been brought to my attention, particularly of late, that there is any shortage...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I was about to answer the Deputy's question on acquisitions, if that is useful to him. We are looking at a total of 109 acquisitions in the Cork city area alone in 2023. We are going to continue with this. Cork county had 74 acquisitions, giving a total of 183 in 2023.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes. As the Deputy knows, we will discuss the Estimates shortly. We have provided €242 million for the provision of emergency accommodation and services. As I have said, if we require more funding, we will get more for this year. Our big focus is on additional supply, as I mentioned earlier to the colleagues seated beside Deputy Gould, and we brought in additional supply,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Every case is different. I chaired the North Dublin Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force for ten years, and I have dealt with people who are in addiction. There are difficulties that addiction can pose to people's own lives, their housing situation and so on. There is no question that anyone who is suffering from addiction or going through addiction services and support should never be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Is the person on the housing list?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Is she on the housing list?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Rather than hold up the meeting with this specific case, if Deputy Gould provides us with the details, I will be happy to look at them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy can contact me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Saying that does not build the homes. We had ten years of undersupply. We have brought forward a new plan that we are funding on a multi-annual basis. We have built 110,000 homes since 2020 even through a pandemic, two construction shutdowns and a war in Ukraine. We are building the most social homes since 1975. Of course, we want to, and will, do more. However, the Deputy says that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: No, I am not. This is a committee meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Deputy Gould wants to come in and get a soundbite. We have been trying to go through Housing for All and to look at the various initiatives. People have different views about what is working and some people might believe that some aspects are not working. I can get into a back and forth on the politics with the Deputy. I could ask why Sinn Féin does not have a housing alternative....