Results 761-780 of 1,593 for speaker:Kevin Moran

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: As Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works and flood relief, I will outline the Office of Public Works' 2019 gross allocation of just under €464 million. The Estimate figure of €464 million takes account of the rescheduling of funding to programme A, flood risk management, that was within...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: I can assure the Deputy 100% that any of the schemes I announced will get the green light to go ahead. There will be no delays under my watch. Planning issues can be unforeseen. I stressed this in the Dáil in recent days. Having announced all the schemes, I had hoped to have machines in the ground in Cork last summer, but there has been a delay. The same applies in Ennis south....

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: The Department will not make a decision; I will not allow it to make that decision. I am committed to ensuring I deliver on the schemes.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: We have looked at a wide range of flood defences in other countries. The best practice that we are engaged in at the present time is the best possible way of protecting homes. However, it is not all about concrete walls. We have announced the schemes, but when we bring in architects into a town sometimes it is not easy. One has to break eggs to make an omelette. We have to be able to do...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: At the start it was slow, but we had a number of meetings with insurance companies over the past 12 months. Where we have put in the defences, insurance companies are now coming on board to insure the place. As the Deputy can imagine, each insurance company operates different policies. We are happy to say that it is starting to crank up and they are getting insurance. I see that across...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: Owing to my role, I have met many people who have insurance. If one reads the small print, it will show that the insurance company takes that stand where houses are close to a river. I take the Deputy's point about a house on a hill. In cases where people argued with the insurance companies, brought them out and proved to them that their houses could never flood, in fairness to the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: Yes.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: There is always further work. I am working closely with the Minister of State, Deputy D'Arcy, on that. We had a meeting recently with the insurance companies and we will have another in the near future.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: I am well aware of the images, as Deputy Pearse Doherty knows. Some councillors from his party have sent on material in recent days. I have also been talking to people up there. As the Deputy stated, I went to Burnfoot and Castlefinn, and all of those other affected areas, and announced the schemes. I have also given the relevant local authorities the resources to employ engineers to move...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: Returning to the Deputy's previous question, he knows I have visited Donegal and Lifford and Burnfoot. I emphasise that I announced six major schemes during that visit. The associated costs are €6 million in Lifford, €1.5 million in Burnfoot, €1.75 million in Castlefinn, €900,000 in Downings, €600,000 in Glenties, and €30,000 in Kerrykeel. A sum of...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: I would not like to single out one location above the rest but I will gladly take up the offer to visit. I also have to discuss this with the Minister for Justice and Equality, however. A letter is on the way to the Garda Commissioner as well. Pending that, I will visit with Donegal Mountain Rescue when I am in Donegal. I know the excellent work done by such organisations all around the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: I will gladly do that. I outlined some months ago that in 15 years coastal erosion flooding could be more damaging than ordinary lake or river flooding, such as occurs with the Shannon. I have seen the major problems that exist and everyone turns to me when there is a flood. That area, however, is within the remit of the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: As I said, I looked at this issue when I took office. The review had been ongoing for quite some time and in order to speed it up and see an end use for some of the Garda stations, I took it upon myself to meet the Garda Commissioner to express what I wanted to see happen. I believe giving some Garda stations to local authorities for community use would be welcomed. I am of the same view...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: I will come back to the committee on that matter.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: I will have to come back to the committee on that matter. My Department and I are driving schemes forward with the local authorities. It is probably useful to say to the Chairman that I will have a meeting with my officials in the next few weeks to be updated on all of the schemes that were announced and received money. Local authorities also received moneys for minor works.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: I will.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: In recent weeks we have given the local authority two engineers to speed up the process of delivering the scheme.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: I can tell the Chairman straight away that we have had a number of meetings with the local authority. In the eyes of the Chairman and the general public, it was taking a long time to deliver the scheme. The local authority came back looking for help and resources for it. We gave them two engineers who will look at the design and what is in play and inform local councillors. It will be put...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: Every scheme is different and issues related to private property and State-owned land must be taken into account. Engineers working with the local authority will design the scheme. I cannot tell the Chairman if it will happen this year or next year, but I will come back to him about it.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Further Revised) (7 Mar 2019)

Kevin Moran: As I said, we have a number of vacant properties, most of which are Garda stations. We examine other vacant properties to see if they could be used for civil servants. We may offer other vacant properties to local authorities for use as housing, or to the Land Development Agency. We have 2,500 properties all over the country, of which a total of 96 are vacant, of which 53 are Garda stations.