Results 121-140 of 2,214 for speaker:Joe Flaherty

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

Joe Flaherty: I am just concerned about recommendations as a general rule. If the ombudsman makes a direction or an observation, it has to be followed through.

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

Joe Flaherty: Chair, I have one final question.

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

Joe Flaherty: There is a new position within the Army, which is the head of transformation, Mr. Brian Molloy. It is an important function and he is trying to oversee a lot of changes. Has Mr. Molloy 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: Mr. Molloy is also a civilian. Given the office of the ombudsman's 20-year volume of work, it has probably seen the nooks and crannies and what was historically wrong in the Defence Forces. It would be very important that the ombudsman would feed into Mr. Molloy's work. He will hopefully guide or provide the pointers for seismic changes in our Defence Forces so it is very important there...

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

Joe Flaherty: Will Mr. O'Connor undertake to make contact with Mr. Molloy and make available to him those findings over the 20 years. I commend the ombudsman on his work. The report was very impressive. It is great to see a 40% reduction on prior years, which we have to take as a positive. Most things are going the other way so we will take the positives out of that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Affordable Housing: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: How often would the Department-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Affordable Housing: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: But do they hold themselves personally to account? As the acting head of the affordable housing division, does Ms Behan hold her team personally responsible for delivering those targets?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Affordable Housing: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I know. I do not dispute the work the Department is doing but consider the exasperated couple looking into this and wondering "Are we making any headway at all". For example, we are virtually through three quarters of this year. Where is the Department vis-à-vis the targets this year and what has it done for the fourth quarter to ensure the affordable housing targets will be met for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Affordable Housing: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Where are we on that? We are coming to the end of the third quarter, so where are we on the target?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Affordable Housing: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Where are we on the target? Not "very hopeful". What is the specific number? Are we on target to meet it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Affordable Housing: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I am conscious of time but I will just drill into that. In her opening statement Ms Behan said that since 2021 there were 14,500 affordable houses delivered. When I talk about affordable housing, I talk about an affordable housing scheme. Ms Behan said that this was through approved housing bodies, local authorities, the Land Development Agency, and the first home scheme, which strictly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Affordable Housing: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Affordable Housing: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Advertised by the local authority as an affordable housing scheme.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Affordable Housing: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I do not agree with that analysis. Basically, that works out at about 11 affordable homes a week since 2022 as what we have provided.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Affordable Housing: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: We need more.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Affordable Housing: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I welcome the witnesses. I am a great advocate for the AHBs. It is an underacknowledged arm in this battle to try to resolve the housing issue. I saw a figure from the Housing Alliance that 45,000 units are being managed now and over the next three years there is the potential to deliver 25,000 houses. Would the witnesses agree with this figure?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Affordable Housing: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I am sorry to cut in but I am just conscious of my time. My next question is for Mr. O'Connor. We are doing a new housing plan at the minute. Has the Department brought Mr. O'Connor in and asked him to show it his pipeline for the next three years and what is going to be delivered, or are we still in this situation where the Department is operating in one silo and only goes to the AHBs...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Affordable Housing: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I know, but it was said the 25,000 units could be actioned, and much more. Has the Department reached out to Tuath and asked if it can include these figures in its housing action plan?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Affordable Housing: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I know, but what I am trying to get to is that when I see the new housing plan, will I see those 25,000 units plus in it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Affordable Housing: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: In relation to that, there is a good cordial relationship. On the review that was done for the approved housing body sector, I think the report is with the Minister. Have the witnesses had any feedback on that or when do they anticipate that?