Results 5,681-5,700 of 6,949 for speaker:Cian O'Callaghan

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 175: In page 38, line 8, to delete "market value" and substitute "existing use value".

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 179: In page 38, line 17, to delete “market value” and substitute “existing use value”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 180: In page 38, line 24, to delete “local authority or a”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 186: In page 39, line 9, to delete “Minister” where it firstly occurs and substitute “Oireachtas”. This amendment is about the disposal of land held by the LDA to third parties. In effect, the Bill allows that public land in the ownership of the LDA could be sold on to third parties, developers or investment funds and that would just...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I am more concerned about amendment No. 186 after hearing the Minister's response than I was before. I am also concerned about section 56, which I am formally opposing as well. There is a significant gap between what the Minister is saying and what the legislation allows for and there is a significant gap between what he is saying and what is actually happening in practice. The legislation...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: To be fair, Deputy McAuliffe might have a slightly different view as to what point I am making. My point is that who delivers homes matters. If public land is sold to a private developer or investment fund - I did not use the word "speculator"; the Minister used it, although he is right that land could also be sold to speculators - and a certain percentage is to be affordable or social, we...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I am sorry, but the Minister brought it into-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I am trying to respond to the-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I appreciate that, but I have to refute what the Minister said.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: Returning to Deputy McAuliffe's point, my issue with these provisions is that they will lead to a more expensive private sector delivery, more expensive rents and more expensive purchase costs. While we will nominally get affordable housing, it will not be at the affordable prices it should be. This point has not been addressed by the Minister. In fact, the legislation allows for and...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: Amendment No. 119 concerns the chief executive of the LDA giving evidence to the Committee of Public Accounts and amendment No. 121 is about the chief executive giving evidence to all other Oireachtas committees. I am seeking to delete the provisions that bar the chief executive from questioning or expressing an opinion on the merits of any policy of the Government or a Minister when before...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: In this legislation, the Oireachtas is seeking best practice. We are not seeking for it to be the case that, since the standard practice in other State agencies is to do something this way, we will not question it. If the Minister of State is going to defend this practice, he should explain to us why he believes that it is beneficial during a housing emergency when we need every bit of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 119: In page 18, to delete lines 12 to 14.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 121: In page 19, to delete lines 15 to 17.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I appreciate the report will be available to people on the website. However, co-operation between local authorities and the LDA should be two-way in terms of having the provision for the report to formally go to local authorities as part of accountability. It seems to me to be a very sensible amendment that would not place a huge burden on the LDA. It formalises communication, co-operation...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: Deputy ÓBrion had his hand up first but I am happy speak first. This section and the discussion on these amendments are a key part of the Bill. Amendments Nos. 157, 160, 164, 166 and 169 in this grouping are in my name. They all seek to remove the references to market value and substitute the words "existing use value". If we are serious about delivering affordable, cost-rental and...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: The Minister of State has spoken to the amendments I have tabled. I accept the view put forward by Deputy McAuliffe was put forward in good faith. I do not agree with it. I do not believe under the legislation we will see land acquired at little or no cost. What we will see is land acquired with a fairly marginal impact on the full market value because of the provisions on affordable and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank the Chairman. I will try to keep my questions brief. Beginning with Mr. Joyce, in his opening statement he talked about there being a lack of sanctions for running candidates and elected representatives who have articulated anti-Traveller views for many years. What sort of sanctions are needed? Does he think those sanctions should be in this legislation? Should the electoral...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jun 2021)

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank Mr. Joyce for that response. I have a question for Ms Lane of the NWCI on the issue of gender quotas. They are currently set up such that each party must have a minimum of 30% male or female candidates and that will rise to 40%. Does the NWCI have a view on the male side of those quotas? Are they needed? Men have always been over-represented in Irish politics. We have a...