Results 141-160 of 20,657 for speaker:Brian Stanley

School Transport: Statements (23 Sep 2025)

Brian Stanley: It is a cyclical problem at this time of year. From about July onwards, TDs' offices are bombarded with problems regarding school transport. I am sure my situation is no different from the situations of the rest of the Members in this House. There are a number of problems arising with the schemes. One of the main problems is that you cannot get talking to a human being in Bus...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Sep 2025)

Brian Stanley: I raise the issue of wind turbine regulations and guidelines. Where are they? I am raising this in the House for the past 14 years. We need to utilise wind energy. It is very important that we do that as part of the move towards green energy. However, we do not have up-to-date guidelines, never mind regulations, for large turbines. Every Minister for planning and energy has promised...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Sep 2025)

Brian Stanley: I have a Bill before the Dáil - the Wind Turbine Regulation Bill 2025. Perhaps the Government might support that?

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Sep 2025)

Brian Stanley: Will the Minister write and tell me?

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

Brian Stanley: I welcome the guests to the committee. I will start with Ms Behan and affordable housing delivery. It is an important subject. She mentioned in her presentation that there were 14,500 affordable housing supports in the past five years. I ask her to please keep the answers short as we have little time and I do not want to be abrupt with her. Approximately how many or what percentage of...

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

Brian Stanley: That is almost half of them and that is the extra equity delivered by increased borrowing by a bank or the State.

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

Brian Stanley: Yes, it is extra. It puts more debt on the house buyer.

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

Brian Stanley: Okay. Has the Department done any analysis of what effect that may be having on house prices since the introduction of the scheme? There is evidence from England that shows that when a similar scheme was brought in, house prices increased significantly. Anecdotally and looking around at auctioneers' windows since that scheme came in, particularly for new developments, house prices have...

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

Brian Stanley: Does that take into consideration the gazumping that is taking place in housing that is for sale in housing estates? Houses in the housing estate I live in were gazumped from the sale price that was registered. I will move to a different subject. I raised AHBs and unencumbered finance periods with the regulator previously in this room and with the Secretary General, Mr. Graham Doyle. I...

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

Brian Stanley: No, can we just go back to the AHBs? I am talking about where finance was put up by the State and schemes were built mainly on local authority or church land or donated land that had come from the public at the end of the day. AHBs built them in the late nineties and they are now coming of age. They are in the unencumbered period. I have raised this with the Department a number of times...

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

Brian Stanley: I am talking about the social ones. These were social.

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

Brian Stanley: Okay. Could I ask Ms Behan to get-----

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

Brian Stanley: Yes, we need regulation to change that.

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

Brian Stanley: Bearing in mind that this issue is in relation to social housing built by approved housing bodies, from what we can ascertain to date, there is no protection there in terms of the State's investment, local authority investment or public investment after the encumbered period ends. As a committee, we should actually follow this up with the regulator.

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

Brian Stanley: There is a principal officer in her Department who is supposed to be looking after this, and the regulator.

Migration: Statements (18 Sep 2025)

Brian Stanley: I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important issue. On the attacks on the Indian community, I have many Indian neighbours in the housing estate I live in. Most of them are working in the health services and they are doing great work and are very good people. We need to counter these racist attacks on them. We need a fair, efficient and rules-based...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Just Transition (18 Sep 2025)

Brian Stanley: I have a record of the projects that got funding. My concern is that the worst affected areas did not get funding. It was not targeted at them. Money was allocated by Laois County Council for tourism, which is good, for example to Emo Court. It is located in the middle of the county. I also welcome funding for The Forum in Mountmellick. It is good news that the Junction 17 business...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Just Transition (18 Sep 2025)

Brian Stanley: I thank the Minister of State. My concern is that of the total available fund of €185 million, a reply to a previous parliamentary question shows that approximately €93 million has been spent. The reply to the question was received about a month ago. We are about 50% of the way through the funding. The feeling I get from people who have been showing an interest in the fund...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Just Transition (18 Sep 2025)

Brian Stanley: 85. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of funding provided to projects and initiatives in County Laois from the national and European just transition funds, under the various headings, to date in 2025, by recipients; the amount granted to each, and the purposes for which it is to be used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49377/25]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Just Transition (18 Sep 2025)

Brian Stanley: The issue I am raising with the Ministers of State relates to the distribution of the just transition funding that came from the European Union and the €16 million that came from the State. I have concerns in this regard. It is supposed to be for the former peat harvesting areas. Under EU funding, they are designated as coal regions. The State made the case successfully for funding...