Results 1,121-1,140 of 2,918 for speaker:Séamus Healy

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: There is widespread agreement that we have a full-blown social housing crisis in this country. In my county of Tipperary there are 2,546 families on the local authority housing waiting list while the national figure is huge. This Government and the previous Fianna Fáil and Green Party Government have depended on privatisation and the market to deal with the issue and this policy has...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: While I thank the Minister of State for the information, the figures he provided show that the number of approvals under the scheme is unacceptably low. Anything that could be done to improve the number would be very welcome. The level of mortgage arrears continues to be very high, and unfortunately the insolvency legislation brought forward by the Government is now known to be seriously...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: I agree and hope the Minister of State is right that mortgage holders in arrears can recover the situation and find employment. However, there are many thousands of mortgage holders out there in serious arrears with no prospect of being able to deal with them. This is an ideal scheme. Unfortunately, we have seen that the personal insolvency and bankruptcy processes are flawed. In many...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: 3. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of mortgage to rent transactions completed in each calendar year since the inception of the scheme; his plans to increase these numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34561/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: I congratulate my now constituency colleague, Deputy Alan Kelly, on his appointment as Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, as well as the Minister of State, Deputy Paudie Coffey.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: I wish both of them well into the future. The mortgage to rent scheme should be an important and invaluable tool in dealing with the issue of mortgage arrears. It is a very good concept which allows approved housing bodies to purchase houses and a mortgage holder to remain in the family home with the option of repurchasing should financial circumstances improve. However, because the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage Arrears Rate (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: 14. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of local authority mortgage arrears, including the number in arrears of more than 90 days, more than 180 days and more than 365 days; if a process is in place for dealing with such arrears; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34313/14]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Rates (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: 21. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will reduce the penal additional charges paid by motor tax customers who, due to financial constraints, may only tax their vehicles for three and six month periods; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34315/14]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: 25. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when he proposes to introduce a new local authority house purchase scheme; if he will give an outline of the main features of the scheme; if he will include approved housing bodies (voluntary housing agencies) in the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34314/14]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters Installation (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: 33. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of water meters due to be installed on a county basis; the total number installed to date by county; the total number of houses that will not have a water meter installed at the end of the process; the way it is intended to deal with apartments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34316/14]

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: 12. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the roll out of high speed broadband to rural areas of County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31290/14]

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: The question of the availability of quality, high speed broadband, particularly in areas outside the major urban centres, is crucial for job creation and job retention. I ask the Minister the position on the provision of those services in County Tipperary.

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: I welcome the statement from the Minister on the various initiatives he mentioned. These are vital for County Tipperary because we have significant levels of unemployment, with more than 1,500 people unemployed in the county. That figure has increased in the past two consecutive months. The IDA announced 100 investments in the past 18 months, not one of which was in County Tipperary. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Broadband Services Provision (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: I thank the Minister for his reply. This is a vital area for job retention and creation especially in areas deemed to be non-commercial. These areas are generally small towns and villages and rural areas where job creation is all about small industries such as home industries or individuals working from home. This is vital. Will the Minister give some indication of the timescale for the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Broadband Services Provision (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: Will the Minister indicate the nature of the consultation? It is vital that there is full an adequate consultation on this issue.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Transmission Network (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: Membership of the panel is not the issue I raised. The issue is that this panel will be making recommendations to the Minister. The previous Minister made it quite clear that he was completely wedded to pylons and I am asking the current Minister to confirm that he at least has an open mind on this issue and that he is prepared to consider seriously, and to construct if that be the case,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Broadband Services Provision (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: 5. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update on the provision of high-speed broadband throughout the country; the progress being made in the provision of high-speed broadband services to rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31680/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Broadband Services Provision (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: The availability of quality high-speed broadband in both urban and rural areas throughout the country is vital for job retention, job creation and social and economic development. Will the Minister provide an update on the provision of this broadband throughout the country?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Transmission Network (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: 3. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update on the work of the expert panel appointed to review the Grid Link routes, with specific reference to the undergrounding of cables; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31679/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Transmission Network (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: I congratulate the Minister and Minister of State on their appointments and wish them well for the future. The proposal to construct monster pylons 45 m high - ten times the height of an average bungalow - throughout the country to carry high-voltage power lines has given rise to significant concern among members of the public. When the process for submissions in respect of these closed on...