Results 701-720 of 5,626 for speaker:Thomas Gould

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: Just to come back to that aspect of "for the most part", the Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that the concentration of THMs in water was above the threshold in January this year. Ireland was fined because of this finding. Is the water supply in Cork city being tested for THMs and manganese and, if so, what levels have these readings been at in the last six months?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled against us because of the concentration levels in the water.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: I am just conscious of time and I have two other questions I want to ask. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has said several reports indicated that oral exposure to manganese, especially from contaminated water sources, can produce significant health defects, especially for children. We have had people contacting us who believe their kids were sick in the last 12 months...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: Okay. My last point concerns Glenville and Carrignavar. Ten houses were built in 2009. They were actually built and because of water and wastewater there is no one living in them. Why have they not been included in capital investment for 2025 to 2029? We are being told that is unlikely to be in place until after 2029. These houses will be 20 years old at that stage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: I thank Ms Ryan.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (18 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: 59. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children currently awaiting a CDNT appointment in Cork, by CDNT, in tabular form. [25826/24]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: School Staff (18 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: 62. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the return of therapists to special schools. [25827/24]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (18 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: 300. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on his engagement with the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth on a facility (details supplied) in Churchfield, Cork. [19708/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: I thank the witnesses for coming in. I have brought in a bottle of water today. This is what is going through the pipes on the north side of Cork city. I represent 130,000 people and, for the past two years, this is what Uisce Éireann has been delivering to our doors. It is an absolute disgrace. People are being told to run the water and that, when it runs clear, it is drinkable....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: On local authority voids and vacant houses. We have seen a very slow turnaround time in many, though not all, local authorities. What can the Minister do to help turn these houses around? In Cork city there can be up to 500 voids at any one time and hundreds more in the county. I am looking for a solution here. What can the Department do to turn these around? I have a suggestion....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: Sorry. I am conscious of time. We know where we are now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: Reports from the National Oversight and Audit Commission, NOAC, and others show that some local authorities are taking over a year to turn around a vacant house. I am asking what we can do going forward. I am not being critical but what we can do now? We have 500 families in Cork who could be housed tomorrow if these houses were given out.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: That leads to my next question about housing maintenance. There are 146,000 social houses in the State. Two weeks ago, Sinn Féin introduced a motion on housing maintenance. We appreciate that the Government did not try to block it and allowed it to go through. That is good because housing maintenance is a huge issue. I raised a number of issues in the Dáil during that debate,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: It is a drop in the ocean.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: Cork City Council has 11,000 properties, many of which are more than 60 years old. As a result of the austerity measures from 2007 onwards, only emergency maintenance was done. This means Cork City Council is 17 years behind the curve. It never kicked up because local authorities will not go against the Department or Government.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: Will the Minister of State reinstate all the staff who were slashed after the financial crisis when local authorities were told not to take on any more staff? These are facts.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: I support that move.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: I am conscious of the time. Just to let the Minister know, the first regeneration meeting in Knocknaheeny took place in September 2000. I was at it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: Twenty-four years later, it is not halfway done. The regeneration of Knocknaheeny could be used as a case study of how not to regenerate an area. I come from Knocknaheeny. Twenty-four years that regeneration has been ongoing. We will not get bogged down in that. As regards dereliction and the derelict sites register, just to let the Minister know, I am not picking on Donegal County...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Thomas Gould: How many have been completed?