Results 5,121-5,140 of 5,171 for speaker:Victor Boyhan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Victor Boyhan: Mindful of what the Cathaoirleach said at the earlier session about keeping it very focused, I have a series of questions on pillar 2. Is it okay if I ask questions about pillar 2 first?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Victor Boyhan: On reference page 51 of the action plan for housing, action item No. 2.7 covers the land aggregation scheme in some detail. There is enormous potential for that. The Minister will know that his predecessors rejected a number of applications for the land aggregation scheme from local authorities. They were considered huge investments for local authorities and not sustainable in many cases,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Victor Boyhan: It is Senator Victor Boyhan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Victor Boyhan: The Chairman is saying that a lot. We share the same constituency. I welcome the Minister and thank him for his comprehensive report. I will be brief. It is clear that the Minister is driving a multi-stranded action approach to housing and providing the appropriate funding in that context, which is to be welcomed. I would like to ask about the funding of local authorities, the matter...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (14 Sep 2016)

Victor Boyhan: I suggest that we take this pillar by pillar. To follow on what Deputy Cowen said, as we go through each pillar we should deal with, or attempt to deal with, the summary of the proposed legislative change. If we take pillar 1 through to pillar 5, it will give us a system or process to work through. On each pillar we can raise our concerns with the Minister and, where possible, the Minister...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (14 Sep 2016)

Victor Boyhan: I want some guidance first from the Chairman. Is she allowing members to drift into pillars 2 and 3 and if so-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (14 Sep 2016)

Victor Boyhan: I have a number of questions about pillars 2 and 3, so we can hold them for another day or-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (14 Sep 2016)

Victor Boyhan: Are we just dealing with pillar 1?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (14 Sep 2016)

Victor Boyhan: We agreed to deal with pillar 1 and we have been waiting to deal with pillar 2. Some members have been at liberty to talk about pillars two and three while others have been disadvantaged and have not been able to partake in this meeting at all. If we are sticking to pillar 1, let us have a ruling and let us deal with it and then move to pillar 2.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (14 Sep 2016)

Victor Boyhan: Okay. I will hold my questions on pillar 2 until the next meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (14 Sep 2016)

Victor Boyhan: No. I can do so on the next occasion.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Library Services Provision (21 Jul 2016)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Cathaoirleach's office for selecting this matter which relates to library services in County Sligo. I live in Dublin, but the issue has appeared consistently on my desk in recent weeks. Community representatives from County Sligo and the county's mayor, Councillor Marie Casserly, have raised it with me. There are three principal libraries and a mobile library service in County...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Library Services Provision (21 Jul 2016)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive report. I agree that there is a need to reform the library service. We both acknowledge the importance of libraries and the services they provide for communities, in particular, rural communities. What I am taking from the Minister of State's response is that there will be no library closures in County Sligo - I am glad that he has...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Library Services Provision (21 Jul 2016)

Victor Boyhan: Will the Minister of State contact the chief executive?

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jul 2016)

Victor Boyhan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Action Plan for Housing: Statements (20 Jul 2016)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister and congratulate him on the significant work he has done. I read his action plan three times last night and I then decided I would go back and look at A Programme for a Partnership Government. There was much play on the first 100 days and seven housing items in the programme were to be delivered within that period. Obviously, all of that has not happened but it is...

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2016: Second Stage (13 Jul 2016)

Victor Boyhan: I have listened with great interest to the various parts of this debate, both inside and outside the Chamber. I suppose one wonders whether there is a yearning for reform in here at all. I will share my thoughts nonetheless. I am delighted and very proud to have been elected a Member of Seanad Éireann. It is something I never thought I could dream of. I have no academic...

Seanad: Housing for People with Disabilities: Motion (13 Jul 2016)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister. I thank Senators Dolan, Grace O'Sullivan, Black, Higgins, Kelleher and Ruane for using Private Members' time to table this very important issue. I am a former director of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind and I spent many years on its board. I remain pretty much involved in the whole disability sector. We had a catch phrase in Cork for the Irish Guide Dogs for the...

Seanad: Housing for People with Disabilities: Motion (13 Jul 2016)

Victor Boyhan: That has changed. I accept it does not happen any more, but it took a hell of a long time for the political establishment to cop onto what was happening. There are substantial moneys held in Part V accounts. I challenge the Minister to request that every chief executive of every local authority in the State inform him this week as to the moneys they are holding on deposit from Part V.

Seanad: Housing for People with Disabilities: Motion (13 Jul 2016)

Victor Boyhan: Perhaps the Minister could instruct them tomorrow not to spend a penny more until they come back to him on that matter.I want to find out the amount of money, bonds or Part V funds that are due to local authorities. There could be a kitty for the Minister. If he had any sense, he would ring-fence the money and tell those involved that it will be part of his strategy. That is the only...