Results 4,061-4,080 of 14,943 for speaker:Eoin Ó Broin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: I thank the Chair. The origin of the Bill arose from my experience, which is probably similar to that of other committee members, of working with people who were at risk of homelessness. They might have received a notice of termination or there might have been some other circumstance relating to their accommodation that led them to face a moment where they knew they would have to leave that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: Does the Chair want me to take questions in general or-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: Not necessarily. Whether people get a 90-day notice, which is the most common one at present, or shorter or longer notice for those who have been in a property for less than a year, whatever the length of the notice, the crucial thing about the time period and the real issue is what is a reasonable period to require the local authority to put a homeless prevention plan in place. It could...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: The earlier the prevention plan is in place, the better. If the Senator is asking whether the local authority's obligation should kick in on the issuance of the eviction notice, it would be the optimum point for it to kick in. It is important to note that although the RTB is notified of the termination, the local authority is not notified. Legislation brought forward by the Labour Party...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: The Senator has raised three separate points. Most local authorities do not have support workers or key workers, including for homeless services.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: Not all local authorities in Dublin, for example, operate that system.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: For example, there are many people currently in emergency accommodation provided via the DRHE who do not have key workers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: I ask the Senator to allow me to go through the answer. The first issue is that not all people in emergency accommodation have access to a key worker or a support worker or a place finder service, which is the other new service that has been introduced. Some of those services are not provided by the DRHE. Support workers and place finders are provided by the four individual local...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: The only figure we have is the month-on-month increase or decrease in the number of people in emergency accommodation. That is a useful metric.In fairness, the Government has made it much clearer by distinguishing between preventions and exits. The quarterly progress reports provide information on the number of people who presented to a local authority at risk of homelessness and were...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: It is not that they may be doing so; they are doing so. Homeless HAP is a good example in that regard. It was originally for people who were homeless. Under the current system, a person is considered homeless if he or she is in emergency accommodation. I do not believe there is a statutory underpinning for that but the common practice has been that once a person is in emergency...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: There is a statutory definition of "overcrowding" in the Housing Act 1966. During the previous Oireachtas, we had a public hearing that dealt with the issue in part. Mr. Brendan Kenny spoke to that when he was director of housing. He made the case that it was adequate but many of us believe it needs updating to take consideration of modern standards. The Cathaoirleach also asked about...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: The problem is that I am not allowed to do anything other than that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: My clear view is that for the Bill to be effective, it should be a statutory obligation on the local authority but only the Government can do that. The Opposition or backbench TDs do not have the legal authority to do so. We are precluded from doing so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: Only the Government can do so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: There is a certain degree of wiggle room even in the Dáil. The issue is that if a Bill imposes a kind of incidental charge on the State, under certain circumstances the Ceann Comhairle and Bills Office would allow it through the Dáil. My understanding of Standing Orders in the Seanad is that there is a little more wiggle room. Something like this would include a clear and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: The issue of prevention and preventative measures has come up quite a lot. The challenge is that the Residential Tenancies Acts, of which there have been many, would not be the appropriate place for these measures and we would, therefore, not be able to introduce amendments to a residential tenancies Bill. I am not aware of any primary legislation that has been introduced by the Government...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: I would have to look.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: No, that is a new stand-alone affordable housing Act.