Results 101-120 of 2,214 for speaker:Joe Flaherty

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Therefore, it is costing roughly €15,700 per bed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Are any of the 492 housing first tenancies vacant at the moment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I have a question for Ms Tobin. Many people listening in would be concerned about the state of the approved housing body sector, notwithstanding that a review has taken place, and Ms Tobin has alluded to aspects of that. It has 67,739 properties, just under €10 billion in assets and just under €9 billion in liabilities. There is very little headroom there. More concerning is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Has it overreached? Does the Department have worries about the sector? I know the sector will be looking for multi-annual funding but the Department has stopped short of that. I suspect the Department has concerns over and above what is happening with the Peter McVerry Trust.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I am conscious of time. With regard to fundraising, I know it dropped off a cliff for the Peter McVerry Trust. A message should go from the Department that there should be no fundraising for any of these groups until we get clarity on the state of them. If nine of the largest AHBs control 73% of the properties, that is a big concern for me. It is a big concern that we are allowing these...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I know that. However, some of their applications are based on the fact they will be supported by fundraising. That cannot be allowed anymore.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I said that I was not happy with the reaction of the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority to this issue. Cavalier developers were telling us as early as 2021 that the Peter McVerry Trust was out of control. If a cavalier developer is telling us that someone is out of control, we can take it that they are definitely out of control. They said it was buying properties to no end. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I am sorry. I will take that back.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Can Mr. O'Leary say, hand on heart, that there is not another Peter McVerry Trust lurking in the darkness?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I have a final question for the moment. The Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority’s final investigation did not focus on anyone individually. Has there been any interaction or has the regulator provided any of its findings to the DPP at this stage?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: That is the only engagement there has been. The Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority just directed An Garda Síochána to the website.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I still think it is an exceptional cost, although I accept what Ms Hayes is saying. What is the vacancy rate across the 1,458 beds at the moment?

Seanad: Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation: Statements (24 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I thank the Minister for coming in today. Undoubtedly, one of the biggest challenges facing this State is the scaling of our infrastructure. I appreciate we have record levels of capital investment, but it is only reasonable and fair to say the national development plan 2025 to 2035 will be a defining one against the backdrop of rising population and bullish economic growth. It is vital we...

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I thank the ombudsman for his very comprehensive report and excellent work over the past 20 years. It is probably a statutory issue but I will raise the 12-month time limit. Given someone is in the military and that it is very structured and leadership-oriented, the 12-month period probably seems very tight for submitting a concern but is that a statutory restriction?

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Does every serving member get those letters?

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: That is fine for them but not for someone who did not do that, for instance, if I had an issue and the 12 months has passed and I have not engaged with the ombudsman's office.

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I will defer to the ombudsman's experience on it. He said a lot of his findings - I think it is 96% - are accepted by the-----

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: So the findings are accepted, does the ombudsman see follow-through in subsequent policy? Does he actually see a change in direction?