Results 741-760 of 2,015 for speaker:Pat Casey

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Development Review: Discussion (22 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: I thank the Chair. All of the contributions we have heard contained references to the democratic process involved in the SHD process. Most of us feel that what is happening is not adequate. I do not think it is right. It is not fair on communities. We are governed by the national planning framework, which is a Government regulation. We must remember that nobody in this House had a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Development Review: Discussion (22 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: On public information and IT, the board appeared before the committee and stated that it would upgrade its website. It still has not done so. We have the same concerns about the Residential Tenancies Board, its new platform and the need for IT when it comes to processing information relating to landlords. I will leave it at that, but I have concerns about the IT unit and the structure.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Data (17 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: 129. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of each secondary school in County Wicklow involved in the school building programme; the length of time they have been in their current development stage; the average times for all development stages to complete; the estimated time for projects to progress to completion in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Consultant Recruitment (16 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: 159. To ask the Minister for Health the timeline of events in the process carried out to date in the appointment of a full-time consultant medical oncologist with a special interest in sarcoma based at St. Vincent’s University Hospital, created by him in July 2016; if interviews were held in March 2017 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42396/19]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Development Agency Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: While I will try not to, it is hard not to bring up the same issues. Everybody is focused on how we can deliver affordable housing. We might have different views on how that is achieved, but that is the ultimate aim of everyone present. It is disappointing that 60% of State land is to be used for private housing. I have a fundamental problem with that. Is this adding another layer to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Development Agency Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: I am not against the Land Development Agency, I just have some reservations and concerns about it and feel that it could potentially do more. One of the key things that has come across today is that it could bring about stability in development to prevent cycles occurring. I fully accept the concept that, in a time of recession, this agency might be in a position to continue building when...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Development Agency Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: We are drafting the legislation, but we do not know whether the model being proposed will be on o off-balance sheet. It is n the ether and nobody knows if it will eventually be on or off-balance sheet. The worst thing that could happen is that EUROSTAT and the CSO will decide that it is on-balance sheet. Then it will fail because it will not be able to function.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Development Agency Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: Deputy Darragh O'Brien mentioned putting the cart before the horse. There is a little of that going on. We do not know whether the model being set up will be off or on-balance sheet and it is not just about the financing either. It is equally about control over who wll go into the houses, the types of house that will be built and so on. One of the major problems with the approved housing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Development Agency Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: We are putting the cart before the horse again.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Development Agency Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: I have never had the experience of going through an SDZ process. It is my understanding, however, from the work of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority on SDZs, there is a model that can be worked on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Development Agency Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: On the democratic process, I will give an example in Wicklow where people have had a raw deal. The national planning framework clearly indicated there would be 30% growth on brownfield sites, compact growth and greater densities. I have no major problem with that but Newtownmountkennedy's local area plan was adopted in 2006. It was rolled over because of the crash. There was a six-year...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Development Agency Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: Mr. O'Neill is saying there is a viability issue outside Dublin. Is that because of demand?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Development Agency Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: It is on the margins.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies Board: Chairperson Designate (15 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: I wish Mr. Dunne the best of luck. I am not sure whether he was headhunted or expressed an interest in the job. If the latter, why? He must have a reason for going for the job. What does he see as his priorities in the job?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies Board: Chairperson Designate (15 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: I wish to follow up on a few points, but at this stage Deputy Ó Broin has raised most issues. Every member has had different views on the RTB be it from the point of view of a tenant or a landlord in terms of having had bad experiences and if they have not got the outcome they wished to achieve. It is the case that most landlords see the RTB as the enemy, as opposed to the board taking...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Residential Tenancies Board: Chairperson Designate (15 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: We must equally admit that a significant portion of the rental sector is working properly. From today's debate, one would get the impression that it is completely imploding and not working. I return to the amateur landlords, as Deputy Ó Broin has described them. In fairness to Mr. Dunne's contribution, he made the point that the commercial landlord is more tuned in, more aware and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Development Agency Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: I thank Deputy Ó Broin. I will start with the CEO of the Housing Agency, Mr. John O'Connor, as I think Deputy Ó Broin targeted a few questions at him. Will the other witnesses indicate if they wish to contribute? Witnesses are not obliged to come back in, should they not wish to do so. I am aware that we have five delegations.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Development Agency Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: I thank the witnesses for their contributions. The more we go through the Bill, the more holes we find in it and the more questions are raised about it. How we manage land now and into the future is how we will develop affordability, so we are considering critical legislation. Something is needed to try to control and manage land but I do not know if this legislation is the vehicle to do...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Development Agency Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: On the role of the LDA, I did not read into the legislation what our guests have read into it. Unless the LDA has a function in acquiring land for future use, it will not serve its purpose. One of its primary objectives is to stockpile land for future use. I have an issue with State land being sold to the LDA at market value. Whether it is HSE or CIÉ land, the State bought it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Development Agency Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Oct 2019)

Pat Casey: I would not call it stockpiling but buying strategic land in advance. Otherwise, we are back into the market cycle again where the State comes in too late to purchase land that has already been zoned.