Results 21-40 of 629 for speaker:Séamus McGrath

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: All will be visited once and a majority will have more than one visit.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I thank Ms Cliffe. Do further inspections follow from issues that HIQA may have seen in a previous inspection? Do they follow complaints? What are the criteria for HIQA to decide?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I couch this with my earlier comment that HIQA can have many successes but its failings is what it is judged on. What accountability has there been in HIQA for what we saw in "RTÉ Investigates" in terms of the utter failure of regulation and inspection? Has there been any accountability in the organisation?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: As the head of the organisation does Ms Fitzgerald feel the public has confidence in HIQA?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: Does HIQA measure public confidence? Does it engage or do surveys?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: In terms of the "RTÉ Investigates" programme and the shock to the nation it caused, can HIQA assure people that there will be or that there has been a step change in approach from HIQA in trying to address issues like that?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: By the end of the year HIQA hopes to have visited them all.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Exemptions (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 227. To ask the Minister for Finance to review and remove VAT on sunscreen protection products, as they are an essential health product; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40441/25]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: In advance of the new housing plan in the coming month or so, I stress again the importance of increasing our affordable housing targets. There must be a rebalancing towards affordable housing in the plan's targets. I have made the point previously to the Taoiseach that there is a growing cohort of individuals and couples who need support but are not receiving any. Their incomes are above...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 23. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [34041/25]

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I thank the Chair, the Minister and his officials. I will focus on housing elements at the outset. The figure €6.8 billion is a significant sum without question and it puts us very high across Europe with regard to our expenditure on housing. However, we are in an emergency. The Minister has said he is treating the housing crisis as an emergency and I very much welcome that. ...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: With regard to the national development plan, NDP, review, where would the Minister like to see the funding go for meeting the challenges we have?

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I will turn to the Land Development Agency. The Minister has said publicly that he wants to see its role expand, which I fully support. Will he comment on where he would like to see the role of the LDA go and the funding implications of an enhanced role for it?

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: The Minister referred to affordable housing in his opening statement. The target for this year is 6,400, which is very welcome compared with where we were in the past. Where would he like to see affordable housing go? As he knows, I have been a long-time advocate for increasing our affordable housing targets to try to provide support to that cohort who are above social housing income...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I welcome the focus on water infrastructure because it is directly related to housing delivery. Permission being given to the greater Dublin drainage scheme is obviously very welcome, but that will have a very significant capital draw as regards funding. How will we prepare for that? Is there a concern that large scheme will use up a lot of the capital funding Uisce Éireann will have?...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: On the additional posts in the planning field, I recently met with An Coimisiún Pleanála, where significant progress is being made in turning around planning applications and planning appeals much faster. That is very welcome. It shows that when the resources are put in, it gets results in turnaround time. The Minister mentioned that he would support additional posts in...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: The URDF was referred to in the Minister’s statement. When was the last call for the URDF and when is the next one anticipated? As the Minister knows, this is a critical fund for local authorities to bring forward applications. In many cases, it addresses issues around dereliction and vacancy by allowing local authorities to purchase properties and revitalise town centres. Will the...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I thank the Minister. I wish to go back to the question regarding the amount of funding the State is providing on housing in comparison with the private sector. In the Minister or the Department’s view, what is the ideal percentage breakdown between houses that are publicly funded versus those that are delivered privately? At the moment, as the Minister said, it is approximately...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: We accept the current breakdown is not sustainable into the future in the long term. I am asking where the Minister would like to see that breakdown land. In the view of the Department, how much does the private sector need to stand up?

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I thank the Minister. I have slightly more than one minute left. I will ask three quick questions. The Minister will not have much time to answer. To make a comment first on the affordable housing subsidy, I totally agree with the earlier comments. It absolutely needs to be reviewed. What officials are telling me is that they are struggling to make affordable housing schemes work based...