Results 21-40 of 281 for speaker:Rory Hearne

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Key Challenges to Tackling Homelessness: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: I thank everyone for coming in. I have a couple of questions, the first of which is for the representatives of the children's ombudsman. Why do they think the scale of child and family homelessness is not a national scandal? It is institutionalisation and we know that it leaves lasting damage. Do they see a future requirement for a redress scheme for children who have been through...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Key Challenges to Tackling Homelessness: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: Over the last decade, how many children have been through emergency accommodation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Key Challenges to Tackling Homelessness: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: If we could get that information, that would be great.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Key Challenges to Tackling Homelessness: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: The Cathaoirleach should go with the order.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Key Challenges to Tackling Homelessness: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: I have a question for Ms Hayes. Given the suspension of the tenant in situ scheme and that last year the scheme prevented hundreds of families and in the region of 1,500 children nationally from becoming homeless, does Ms Hayes think the suspension of the tenant in situ scheme this year will result in a rise in homelessness?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Key Challenges to Tackling Homelessness: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: That legislation will not come into effect until next March.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Key Challenges to Tackling Homelessness: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: It was helping to prevent people being made homeless.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Key Challenges to Tackling Homelessness: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: Now it is not available.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Key Challenges to Tackling Homelessness: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: In regard to the issue of rising rents, people will still be able to be evicted for rent arrears into the future. The legislation will not change that. That is likely to still be a cause of homelessness, is it not?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Key Challenges to Tackling Homelessness: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: I have just one more brief question and another for Mr. Mulhern. Does Ms Hayes think the HAP limits need to be increased? The Simon Community's look at the market shows very few properties available.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Key Challenges to Tackling Homelessness: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: Okay, I thank Ms Hayes. On the PPPs and the impact on social housing delivery, I have gone through the figures there for Dublin City Council for 2027 and 2028. In 2027 15% of the social homes were due to be delivered via public-private partnership, which was 342 of the 2,200. In 2028 it goes up to 57% of the social homes due to be delivered by the city council coming through public-private...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Key Challenges to Tackling Homelessness: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: The issue I wanted to raise before the ombudsman goes is the right to housing. How important does he believe putting a right to housing in law and in the Constitution would be in addressing the housing crisis?

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety (24 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: 278. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has recently engaged with the Road Safety Authority in respect of any new large-scale public information campaign that could be carried out to ensure proper use of e-scooters and to increase the public’s knowledge of existing rules around proper use of e-scooters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34293/25]

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: The Central Bank housing figures, out today, show with terrifying clarity the housing disaster that the Government’s policies have created. Not only did the Government mislead the public in the election by stating 40,000 homes would be built last year but it will not reach anywhere near 40,000 homes this year or next year. It is also pulling the plug on social housing projects due to...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: I speak in favour of the amendments as put forward. The Minister is trotting out this line, as the Taoiseach has, that we have no solutions. That is utter crap and he knows it. I have emailed him with the homes for Ireland State savings scheme proposal. It is not correct that we have not put forward solutions. He might disagree with them-----

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: -----but it is not true that we have not put them forward. The Minister can mutter under his breath-----

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: We have put forward solutions. The Social Democrats has put forward a number of solutions. I have written books on it. To say we have not put forward solutions is just untrue. The Minister should be more honest and say he disagrees with our proposals and on what is put forward and outline why. There is a hole in the Minister's argument. We are separating what has been brought forward...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: Okay. That is what the Government has set out. When a tenant leaves the property and a new tenant comes in, the rent will be able to increase to market rent. That is one of the Government's clear incentives. It is not true for the Government to say it is protecting renters, because those new renters who are trying to find properties have to then pay the market rent. That is where this...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (18 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: It is very hard to listen to this, with the level of homelessness we have.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (18 Jun 2025)

Rory Hearne: This legislation, extending rent pressure zones to the rest of the country, is something the Social Democrats have called for before. We will not be opposing it. As part of the wider legislative changes the Government is proposing, however, we are deeply concerned about significant aspects of it. It is quite a cruel move to give renters around the country who will have an RPZ for six or...