Results 7,261-7,280 of 14,944 for speaker:Eoin Ó Broin

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: 80. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will detail his engagement with the banks on the issue of mortgage provision for households purchasing local authority affordable homes; and if his attention has been drawn to pillar banks refusing mortgages to potential buyers on the grounds that the property is funded via the Affordable Housing Fund. [33086/22]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (23 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: 223. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the proposed scheme that will support first-time buyers to repair derelict properties; and if he will provide a timeframe for the opening of the scheme. [33378/22]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: I thank the witnesses for their presentations, not just for the information but the very reasonable and measured way they have brought that to the committee. I have three very specific questions. My first question is for Dr. Leemann. Given everything he knows about the kinds of deleterious materials that are in these counties, what does he think when he hears of options for just the outer...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: There is another provision in the legislation stating that not only can the Minister not revise the rates, and therefore the cap, until the latter end of next year but that he is not allowed to raise them by more than 10%. I presume from what Mr. Houton has said it is highly likely that the level of inflation from January of this year to October or November next year will be way above 10%.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: I thank everyone for their presentations. I will focus my attention on Mr. Mahon and the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland. Deputy Mac Lochlainn will look after the engineers when his turn comes around. I want to put on record the enormous gratitude many of us have for the independent way the SCSI undertook that very difficult role. I know that it has to tell us that everyone very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: We are very limited for time. I do not want to be rude but how likely is it, in Mr. Mahon's professional opinion, that we will be at or under 10% given that we are probably almost at that figure already?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: I suspect if Mr. Mahon were a gambling man, he would not be betting on it being at or below 10% but we will deal with that separately.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: On the review, many of us take the view that it would be much better if the Government asked SCSI to undertake an updated set of figures to coincide with the opening of the new scheme. If the Government was to ask it to do that, assuming the new scheme opens at the end of this year or the beginning of next year, would the SCSI be able to do that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: That would be separate from the March 2023 review. Would the SCSI be able to factor into that a variety of options, with an eye to what might come out of the review of IS 465, including an option with foundations, without foundations or other costs? Would that be possible?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: As a professional chartered surveyor, does Mr. Mahon believe it would be optimal to have that information at the opening of the scheme, given that we do not know what is happening with inflation? Would that be preferable in Mr. Mahon's view as a surveyor?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: When Mr. Mahon's colleagues were with us previously when we dealt with construction sector inflation, it was really helpful. One sense that I got was that it is not that different materials are increasing in price but that different sized contractors experience that inflation in terms of their purchasing power from the supply chains in different ways. A big developer such as Cairn Homes,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: As a general rule, if I am a sole trader with a couple of lads working for me, I am probably going to be charged more for products than, say, the big contractors who are able to bulk-buy and to buy early.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: In my last question, if the Minister asked Mr. Brady to do that review in advance of the opening of the scheme, I am sure he could factor in the different costs for the different counties, of Limerick and Clare as well as the north west, which are currently in the scheme, subject to him being asked in advance by the Minister?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: I presume that the sooner the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland get the call from the Minister to undertake that survey, the better for all of us, particularly for the society’s members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: If there is an opportunity to come back in after my two other colleagues later, please, I will take that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Eoin Ó Broin: Chairman, there is nothing in the 2014 regulations that deals with manufacture of building products; they are about how people build on-site. The 2014 regulations do not relate to what comes out of a quarry or what goes into a block so in that sense the regulations are not in any way relevant to Deputy Calleary's question. My understanding is there have been no reforms of building product...