Results 4,681-4,700 of 6,908 for speaker:Cian O'Callaghan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Am I to understand all accommodation was inspected by Dublin Fire Brigade before it was brought into use?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Was any accommodation operating without fire certificates?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Durkan mean that if it was in operation as a hostel before 1992, it might not require a fire certificate to continue to operate?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Would there be a difference in residential use if the property was a home for a few individuals and then became a hostel for many more people? You would expect a fire certificate would be required at that point. In regard to the inspections over the past two years, the report stated that apart from the Dublin Fire Brigade there have not been inspections. They were suspended due to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Recommendation 5 of our report from last year was that HIQA should be appointed to do these inspections. That was not referenced in any of the opening statements. Given that the tendering process on this has not worked to date and given that there have not been inspections for the past two years, would it not be a good idea to appoint HIQA, which has the experience and expertise in this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Okay. I might ask the Department about it. In regard to recommendation 12, in its opening statement the Simon Community reference a problem with the tendering process in terms of accommodation. When DRHE awards a contract, is a contract awarded to the lowest bidder or is quality also considered? How is the decision made?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Then, privately run emergency accommodation may only be judged in terms of the accommodation, the building, and not quality around service provision or-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: On the national quality standards, work on this began in 2014. My understanding was that it was meant to be for all providers of homeless accommodation at the time. Where was the decision taken that it would not apply to privately-run emergency accommodation? Will the standards for privately-run emergency accommodation be published? Will Ms Hayes send a copy of them to members of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I have a very quick question for the DRHE and then a longer question for the Department. I have not been able to find the standards for the private emergency accommodation on the website. The witness said they were published but I cannot find them. I can find the reference from 2009 in the national quality standards saying that these would be for all providers. That is very clearly on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: So the questionnaire for the inspections would be the same then?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I have huge concerns around the quality standards. There have been some terrible complaints from very vulnerable people in some privately-run emergency accommodation. It is not that we do not have a fit-for-purpose inspection regime; it is that there is no inspection regime in place at the moment. It is critical that HIQA is appointed to do that. The Department did not give any view on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Could Ms Timmons confirm that the Department is happy to give us a written response on HIQA and recommendation 5?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes. The response will go to the committee anyway.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank the witnesses for their contributions and the work that has been done. I have a question for Ms Santoro on that point about people not being able to get onto the housing waiting list and not being able to exit homelessness. They may be developing complex needs while they are in and out of private emergency accommodation and they could be sleeping rough. What are the barriers to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: We heard from the DRHE earlier about the inspections process and how it is to have an inspection process for buildings and a separate inspections process for support services and quality issues for private emergency accommodation. Does Ms Santoro have a view on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I have a question for Simon. Recommendation No. 12 touches on a point that was raised earlier by Focus Ireland. It states that emergency accommodation for homeless people is best delivered by experienced homeless services rather than for-profit private operators. Simon suggests that it is not convinced that competitive tendering, which is open to such private operators, is the best...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: Mr. Stanley is not convinced that is happening at present.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: As Ms Santoro said, they could be developing complex needs. I want to ask Focus Ireland about the issue around inter-county transfers and the social housing lists. How important is that and what needs to be done?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank Mr. Allen.