Results 13,121-13,140 of 15,065 for speaker:Eoin Ó Broin

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: I know the Taoiseach has difficulty with counting when it comes to housing. In fact, given that he cannot even tell us how many new homes were built last year, I can understand why he is struggling with the rent-pressure zone figures. He is right that the daft.iereport only considers the asking rents for new tenancies. However, the ESRI-RTB reports look at all tenancies. In quarter one of...

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: On 5 December 2017 the Taoiseach told the House that rent pressure zones were working and that 60% of renters had had the assurance that their rent could not rise by more than 4% per year. He also made the astonishing claim that rent pressure zones had never been designed to cover new tenancies and that they did not apply to them. The latest daft.ierent report was published this morning....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Seaweed Harvesting Licences (13 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: 660. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 1971 of 11 September 2017, the status of plans to sell the harvesting rights of kelp disk seaweed to a company (details supplied); if this deal has already gone through; and the way in which it will affect the County Clare coastline. [6708/18]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (13 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: 675. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will initiate a meeting between the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the chairperson of the board of Horse Racing Ireland and the chief executive of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council with a view to releasing an unused vacant site (details supplied) to the local authority for the provision of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Reclassification of Approved Housing Bodies: Discussion (8 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: I am genuinely concerned by the imminent decision of EUROSTAT. I understand that EUROSTAT could make a decision by early March and the committee needs to share that concern. People have different views of approved housing bodies. That is fine, but up to 6,000 units will be delivered under Rebuilding Ireland by the sector in the next three years. The redesignation, if it happens as we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Reclassification of Approved Housing Bodies: Discussion (8 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: Deputy Coppinger is raising important questions but I want to keep the focus on redesignation as we are pressed for time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Reclassification of Approved Housing Bodies: Discussion (8 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: I have allowed us to go way off topic so my reputation as a chair is in tatters. However, the issue of land is very important. I thank all the witnesses for their presentations and they are welcome to stay for the second session, if they so wish. We will suspend briefly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Reclassification of Approved Housing Bodies: Discussion (8 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: At the request of the broadcasting and recording services, members and visitors in the Public Gallery are requested to ensure that, for the duration of the meeting, their mobile phones are turned off completely or switched to aeroplane, safe or flight mode depending on their device. It is not sufficient to put phones on silent mode as that will maintain a level of interference with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Reclassification of Approved Housing Bodies: Discussion (8 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: I thank Mr. Morrin and call Mr. Smith.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Reclassification of Approved Housing Bodies: Discussion (8 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: I thank Mr. Smith. I now call Mr. McCarthy. We are expecting great things from him today.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Reclassification of Approved Housing Bodies: Discussion (8 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: If we were confused beforehand, that graph has us even more confused now-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Reclassification of Approved Housing Bodies: Discussion (8 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: -----but I thank Mr. McCarthy for showing it to us anyway.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Reclassification of Approved Housing Bodies: Discussion (8 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: Mr. Morrin said EUROSTAT has indicated to the CSO that it intends to support its recommendation. Has it done that in writing? He also said the CSO expects EUROSTAT to confirm that publicly in the coming weeks. Can he confirm that? The approved housing bodies mentioned some inconsistencies between the CSO's recommendation and, for example, the similar recommendations in regard to the UK,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Reclassification of Approved Housing Bodies: Discussion (8 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: As I understood it from the approved housing bodies, when the CSO recommendations refer to the contractual arrangements, one of the issues of concern is that the local authorities nominate potential tenants through the approved housing bodies. While those approved housing bodies can refuse any nomination, it would be replaced by another nomination. The approved housing bodies are saying...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Reclassification of Approved Housing Bodies: Discussion (8 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: I understand that, but that was not my question. That is one of the points the CSO lists in its contractual arrangement concerns. I was referring to point E on the PowerPoint which states that risk exposure can be seen to exist as the Government is meeting its obligations to persons assessed as entitled. Will Ms Roche explain that part?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Reclassification of Approved Housing Bodies: Discussion (8 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: That is clear. How does that relate to the use of the phrase "risk exposure of Government"? For clarity purposes, where is the risk in that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Reclassification of Approved Housing Bodies: Discussion (8 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: To clarify, that €250 million is not Government expenditure in the budget that was announced in October because it is not coming from tax revenues. It will come from a variety of borrowings, some from the Housing Finance Agency and some from private banking institutions. My understanding is that if there was no redesignation in March, the €250 million would not be included...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Reclassification of Approved Housing Bodies: Discussion (8 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: Before we get to the reclassification, my understanding is that the expenditure by the approved housing bodies of the money they are going to borrow this year to build and buy units is not currently taken account of within the fiscal space. Am I correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Reclassification of Approved Housing Bodies: Discussion (8 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: However, the expenditure is not within the fiscal space.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Reclassification of Approved Housing Bodies: Discussion (8 Feb 2018)

Eoin Ó Broin: The crucial thing from our point of view is that if EUROSTAT does as we expect in a matter of weeks and says that this is now on the balance sheet, the fundamental change is that the expenditure of €250 million must now be factored into the Government's calculations on the fiscal space for this year. I am trying to work out how that operates.