Results 21-40 of 1,593 for speaker:Kevin Moran

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Office of Public Works (8 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: As Minister for the Office of Public Works, I am always happy to meet with people and communities such as the Farming Rathcroghan Scheme CLG who do so much for their local areas. An OPW representative will be in contact shortly with the Secretary to make the necessary arrangements.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Vacant Properties (8 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: The Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility on behalf of the State for managing and maintaining a substantial and complex estate of approximately 2,500 properties. This extensive and diverse portfolio of State properties includes office accommodation for all Government Departments, the property estate for An Garda Síochána and numerous properties for many State Agencies....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Insurance Coverage (8 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: The Department of Finance has overall responsibility for policy matters in relation to insurance, including flood insurance. Government policy on flood insurance is centred on significant investment in sustainable flood risk management and the exchange of information between the insurance industry and the Office of Public Works (OPW) on completed flood relief schemes, as outlined under....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Heritage Sites (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: I thank the Deputy for his words of encouragement. The OPW is responsible for the conservation, care and preservation of Kilkenny Castle and parkland. In 2024, there were approximately 417,000 ticket visitors to Kilkenny Castle and 780,000 to the parkland. The OPW delivers an annual programme of maintenance and conservation at the castle. Planned maintenance works, including mechanical...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Heritage Sites (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: You could not get better advertising than that. When he mentioned getting the cheque book, I looked at the man on my right and he smiled. We all know, particularly those of us in government, how important Kilkenny Castle is to the economy and to Kilkenny. The OPW has invested hugely in it and will continue to do so. As I stated, there are some good projects coming down the line that will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Heritage Sites (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: I am invited to attend many events. I appreciate the offer. I have to go up and down the country to look at flood schemes. I assure the Deputy that I have been in Kilkenny Castle. I met with my team yesterday to discuss a number of different projects. Kilkenny Castle was at the top of the list. We are investing heavily in the project. I will always support Deputies coming to my...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Relief Schemes (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: The Office of Public Works, OPW, as the lead agency for flood risk management, is co-ordinating the delivery of measures towards meeting the Government’s national flood risk policy. A broad range of structural and non-structural measures have already been implemented to address flood risk under an approach structured around three pillars: prevention, protection, and preparedness. In...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Relief Schemes (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: I want to answer the question put to me. Other stuff has been brought up in relation to the Deputy's area and I fully understand that. I will get to him on that. On the question, I can only say what I say to every Member of the House. When a politician turns the sod at a Garda station, it could be 11 years before we see that Garda station. The very same occurs with planning permission...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Relief Schemes (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: I will give the Deputy an answer to the question he put to me but some of the issues he is putting to me now are very detailed. I apologise for the simple reason that last time we were here, he put questions to me and I did not have the answers. However, this time I have the answer and it is back to him. I will gladly work with him. There is a huge body of work being done. It is hard to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Risk Management (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: The catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, programme was the largest study of flood risk in the country, studying the flood risk for some two thirds of the population. Following and based on the CFRAM study outputs, Galway City Council appointed consultant engineers in November 2020 to design an option to protect the city from a significant flood event in the future. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Risk Management (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: I really understand. I spoke to a great number of people in Galway. I was there when it flooded in the days when I was Minister of State previously. I understand the Deputy's frustration, but compared to the initial CFRAM study, we have gone from 312 to 940 properties. That takes in a huge area of Galway and many stakeholders. A lot of consultation has taken place. We have one chance to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Risk Management (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: I am nearly afraid to say "a hands-on approach" because, as the Deputy said, four Ministers told her they were taking hands-on approach. My-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Risk Management (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: My interest in flooding is no different from the Deputy's or the whole country. I give her a firm commitment. I have to follow the rules that are set out in front of me. I am working with the local authority and the Deputy and other Deputies from the region, and I will continue to work with them as I have in the past. My job as Minister of State is to deliver a scheme and when it goes...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Risk Management (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: I could talk to the Deputy about my town of Athlone-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Risk Management (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: It started off with four or five cells and ended up with 11 or 13. These all take time. The CFRAM programme set out to do a job. It has done the job and when they appointed the consultants, they realised the scheme was way bigger than it was. I will give the assurance that I will be hands-on and I will do what is necessary to bring it to a conclusion.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Office of Public Works (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: The OPW, like other State bodies, is obliged to follow Government policies on the disposal of surplus properties and the arrangements involved are set out in Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform circulars, Circular 11/2015 on protocols for the transfer and sharing of State property assets, and Circular 17/2016 on the policy for property acquisition and disposal of surplus...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Office of Public Works (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: -----13 properties disposed of in 2021 for €1,508,803; 24 properties disposed of in 2022 for €8.6 million;-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Office of Public Works (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: -----22 properties disposed of in 2023 for €3.7 million; and 18 properties disposed of in 2024 for €4.3 million. This amounts to a total of 171 properties for €35,509,162.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Office of Public Works (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: There is a clear process we have to follow and the Deputy is well aware that, if I did not follow it, he would be standing opposite telling me I had done this and that and had not followed the proper procedure. Fourteen properties went to Tipperary County Council for social housing. Eight residential units in Dublin city centre were leased to housing agencies. A building in Crumlin was...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Office of Public Works (3 Apr 2025)

Kevin Moran: The Government is doing everything possible to help those people in hotels. On the question the Deputy asked, we have offered a great number of properties to different organisations, such as local authorities and local groups. If the Deputy knows where there are properties, he should make that information available to me and I will look into them. It is easy to stand up - I am not being...