Results 1,661-1,680 of 4,698 for speaker:Dessie Ellis

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: We are talking about social housing. Leasing means the units will go back to the developer after a period of time. This will make us a laughing stock. The units go back to the developer and they will avail of this. The local authorities will be left with nothing. In addition, people in leasing arrangements have been moved on under RAS and the rent supplement. The HAP is now being...

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: The Minister of State's definition of "social housing" differs from mine. Part V was to deliver 20% social and affordable housing, but the Bill will limit that to 10%. "Social housing" is social housing that is given over to local authorities, not leased, yet the Government plans to allow for leasing arrangements. That is crazy. The State will lease a property from a developer for a...

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: I move amendment No. 34:In page 20, to delete lines 5 to 39, and in page 21, to delete lines 1 to 41 and substitute the following:"33. Section 96 (inserted by section 3 of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2002) of the Act of 2000 is deleted.".Part V was weakened by amendments lobbied for by developers in 2002. This should never have happened. The Government now wants to weaken...

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: The Minister of State mentioned that he lived in an estate and that the same people come to see him. I suggest that he and his party are out of touch with the reality. The Minister of State mentioned funding. There was no problem chasing after Irish Water and taking €1 billion out of the pension fund. The strategic investment fund is still there and there is over €7 million...

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: As far as I am concerned, this is a private developments charter. I cannot for the life of me understand why we are going down this road. Amendments Nos. 33 and 44 relate to the reduction from 20% to 10% in respect of the number of social and affordable units to which we are entitled under the Part V provision and to the increase in the number of units that constitutes a development from...

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: The Minister of State has told us he sees the levy as an incentive to stimulate the market. He does not really envisage a great deal of money coming in through the levy and is hoping it will push developers and others to use the lands. He is mistaken. It will not work in the way he thinks. The reason I proposed the amendment was to clearly provide that whatever money comes in through the...

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: We have been discussing the serious shortfall in funding for local authorities, which is all well and good. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government has always considered regeneration projects and the Minister of State referred to the use of some of the proceeds from the vacant site levy for regeneration and other purposes. Will funding for other Departments be...

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: I move amendment No. 28:In page 16, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following:“(c) on any local authority owned land in the area on the development of social housing.”.The Minister has outlined where the proceeds of the vacant site levy will go. The legislation provides for a number of areas where it can be used, but we believe this money should solely be used for social...

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: I move amendment No. 18:In page 12, line 1, to delete "with 2018" and substitute "with 2017".

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: I move amendment No. 19:In page 12, line 7, to delete "in 2019" and substitute "in 2018".

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: I move amendment No. 20:In page 12, line 16, to delete "Subject to subsection (2),".This relates to the amount of the levy. I will let Deputy Wallace take it.

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: No.

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: I move amendment No. 14:In page 9, to delete lines 20 and 21.

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: I move amendment No. 15:In page 9, line 33, to delete “1 June 2018” and substitute “1 June 2017”.

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: I move amendment No. 16:In page 9, line 35, to delete “1 January 2018” and substitute “1 January 2017”.

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: I move amendment No. 17:In page 11, lines 34 to 38, to delete all words from and including “where—” in line 34 down to and including line 38 and substitute the following: “no market exists for the site.”.Contaminated sites should be levied. If a site is not usable, then a developer should not just be sitting on it, hoping that someone will take it off their...

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: I have seen many sites over the years in which houses were even built on the sites of dumps. They have changed in value and with modern technology an amazing number of things can be done with certain sites. We have had sites where asbestos was dumped, but it was removed and the land was made available again. We must be careful not to exclude sites that could be very valuable and could be...

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: I move amendment No. 12:In page 8, line 33, to delete "with 2018" and substitute "with 2017".

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: My amendment is an attempt to stop developers or other people delaying or stalling through an appeals mechanism. On the face of it, that seems a tricky route as there are so many ways in which people can argue their case. The process must be much more straightforward. Allowing people to appeal is to give them time and leverage for delaying a process. We should employ the levy and then...

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Dessie Ellis: I support the amendment. I agree with Deputy Wallace that there should be an onus on owners to register sites. Such an onus will entail recording what a site is used for and whether it is vacant or used for some activity. It is a sensible thing to do.