Results 10,321-10,340 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Adjournment Debate: Hospital Staff Recruitment (24 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I am glad Deputy Adams has but I do not.

Adjournment Debate: Hospital Staff Recruitment (24 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: Can I just start again then?

Adjournment Debate: Hospital Staff Recruitment (24 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I welcome the Minister. This is a serious issue. We are looking for 104 nurses but cannot recruit them. It is not just a national issue; it is an international and European issue. We cannot recruit enough nurses. I welcome the Minister's interest in this. I have discussed it with him already and I believe there may be a resolution to it, which I welcome. I do not want a winter of...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Threshold (24 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I welcome very much the submission from Threshold. I am deeply concerned about what is happening to people who have been put out of rented accommodation. Approximately 80 families per week are being put out on the road. It is an appalling disgrace that this very day, homeless children are being placed in adult hostels and obliged to sleep on bunk beds. That is an appalling vista. It is...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Department of Social Protection (24 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I echo the sentiments expressed by my colleague in regard to Department of Social Protection. I have always found its staff to be 100% committed to working for people, particularly in terms of their responses to representations which we make on behalf of people who find it difficult to access information. When one rings the staff, they are always focused on what the entitlements are. They...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Department of Social Protection (24 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I acknowledge the point made by Ms Faughnan. Is it the case that by staying in the family home there is an additional cost on the family or on the owner-occupier for heating and other issues that would not otherwise arise? This point was made to be me by a homelessness officer.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Department of Social Protection (24 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: As the point was made by my homelessness officer on that issue I will take the advice.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Irish Property Owners Association (24 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I have nothing.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Irish Property Owners Association (24 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I apologise for being late. I also want to assure my colleague that I am not and never have been a landlord and nor has any member of my family ever been a landlord.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Irish Property Owners Association (24 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: To be honest, I have never been a fan of landlords and nor have they been a fan of mine. I stand up for people who are in conflict and are experiencing difficulty in their lives because they have money or jobs. For the record, I have been in public life for 42 years and have been dealing with tenants for that length of time. During the past 12 months, there has been a significant increase...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Irish Property Owners Association (24 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: A question I asked was slightly but not completely answered by Mr. Lawlor. There is the question of incentive relating to HAP, which I do not think we would disagree on. To return to the question on landlords, the problem is not in selling the property. However, if an occupied property is sold, it should be legally certain that the tenancy continues at least until the end of the lease....

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Housing Finance Agency (24 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I welcome the witnesses. It is great to have a body that has the capacity to borrow at the very low rate the Housing Finance Agency can, which is very beneficial to the State. The witnesses are saying they can get the money and that it is a question of passing it to the agencies that can spend it. The Housing Finance Agency can then do due diligence on them by local authority or...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Housing Finance Agency (24 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: Whether it is off balance sheet is a different issue. However, if the EIB was to agree to have it off balance sheet or if the HFA could find a vehicle to do this, theoretically, as an example, could NAMA do it, with the HFA acting as guarantor. Is there a way around this because, theoretically, there should be? It would make a huge difference.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Pavee Point (19 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I welcome our speakers. I tabled a parliamentary question on funding for Travellers and I received a reply yesterday which may be of assistance. It indicates that the allocation for 2016 is €5.5 million, which is an increase of €1.2 million on the 2015 allocation. Obviously, that is a positive development. I requested details for each local authority from 2013 onward so the...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Tyrrelstown Residents (19 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: The witnesses make a very compelling case, especially for the community they have built, the lives they have chosen and their success. I want to get this clear in my head. The party buying a house and renting it out, whether it is a vulture fund, a Deputy or Senator or a businessperson, can put an end to a contract provided that party indicates it is to sell the property, leaving a...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Tyrrelstown Residents (19 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I know, but it cannot buy 300,000.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Tyrrelstown Residents (19 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I wish to make that proposal if it is in order to do so.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Tyrrelstown Residents (19 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I welcome that.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Tyrrelstown Residents (19 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: I have no issue with that. I am just saying it cannot buy 300,000.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Tyrrelstown Residents (19 May 2016)

Fergus O'Dowd: If the Chairman could arrange that-----