Results 5,521-5,540 of 6,937 for speaker:Cian O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (13 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: 522. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the new €40 million North-South research programme will fund new PhD research projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37575/21]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residential Property Prices Register (13 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: 588. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the fact that on the residential property price register website there are a number of properties registered in the wrong areas and thus not reflecting the true property prices in each locality; the steps that the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) has taken to ensure greater...

Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: From the Seanad (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: Likewise, I will not be opposing this legislation, although I do have a different view as to what the best approach is. As the Minister is aware and as Deputy Ó Broin has noted, there is a lot of commentary at the moment suggesting we might be heading into a period of significant increases in inflation. We all hope that will not happen but KBC is reported today as saying we are heading...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I will speak briefly to my amendment No. 32, which is similar to Deputy Fitzmaurice's amendment. It seeks to limit eligibility to purchase affordable homes to intending owner occupiers.

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I will press the amendment.

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I welcome that the Minister has given some clarification on that. As we all understand, there is a significant difference in rural and urban areas, and this changes the kinds of interventions that need to be made in some circumstances. We must look at the legislation in front of us. The Minister spoke of some exceptional circumstances and some limited circumstances, and said this would...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 6: In page 8, to delete line 4. This amendment is grouped with amendments Nos. 35 and 41 and they would all have the same effect, which is to remove open market dwellings as an option for providing affordable housing. My issue is with the Government potentially buying houses on the open market for the provision of social and affordable homes, thus reducing the...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: Those are the reasons I tabled the amendments.

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I am speaking to my amendments Nos. 12 and 24 in this group. When it comes to why housing is unaffordable, private developers are at the heart of this. Turning to them to try to deliver affordable housing when they are the ones who are pushing up prices, which we all understand is part of their business model, is a completely flawed approach. Public private partnerships will mean so-called...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: The issue I have with this Bill, as with much of the Government's approach on housing and certain other areas, is that it is based on very good social democratic ideas, which are supported by progressive parties if not taken from them, but those ideas are, in effect, undermined and subverted by trying to put for-profit models onto models that only work because they are successful...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I support these amendments as well. The role of community-led trusts needs to be supported and if it is not fully incorporated into the Bill, we need to do that. Not only are they to be found in other parts of Europe, they are in Scotland as well. In recent years, the Scottish Land Commission has done significant work on this. It has a good alternative role in providing housing which is...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 2: In page 6, to delete lines 28 to 33 and substitute the following: “(3) All proposed regulations to be made under the Act shall be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas for consideration. No regulations shall be made until they are approved by both Houses.”.

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: We absolutely need affordable housing for those on average incomes. This is what is needed. We have reasons to be concerned that this is not what will happen. The Minister and the Government have given us those reasons because there has been talk about price limits for affordable apartments of up to €500,000. There has been talk of cost rental being set at a 25% discount off the...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: It is completely unacceptable that the Government has allocated only three hours for almost 100 amendments to be taken and to use the guillotine in this way. This Bill deserves proper scrutiny, engagement and oversight. It is quite appropriate we are starting with amendments looking for proper scrutiny, accountability and oversight. The key flaw in this Bill is that it leaves much up to...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: The Green Party in government is supporting a model of cost rental that involves profit returns for investment funds. That is what is happening. Last night, the Government voted to provide tax exemptions for cuckoo funds to buy up homes. In addition to these tax exemptions, the State is incentivising the bulk buying of homes by investment funds by copper-fastening guarantees of rental...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: 199. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of affordable and social homes built by the State in each year from 1930 to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36944/21]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: 200. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of State-owned sites that are suitable for social and affordable housing; the estimated number of homes that could be built if all of these sites were used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36945/21]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: 224. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the costs associated with Defence Forces personnel who served in Afghanistan since 2001 and to date in 2021 either with the NATO forces or with the United Nations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36980/21]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: 307. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of an application for citizenship and a travel document of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36956/21]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (8 Jul 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: 308. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if a person (details supplied) as part of a citizenship application had to submit a passport a month ago; if the passport will be returned to the person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36995/21]