Results 161-180 of 6,319 for speaker:Paul McAuliffe
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: I would argue that the queries and questions this committee had in relation to this issue were very similar to the questions that will be put by members of public accounts committee. Perhaps we will discuss them when the witnesses come before that committee. That puts me in an invidious position in some ways because I am not clear as to the areas I should properly question the witnesses on....
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: Yes, from the religious order.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: So, there were funds that were restricted by the nature of how they were donated to the Peter McVerry Trust?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: They were transferred to another entity which is known as charity 3 in some of the reports. That was done on a temporary or loan-type basis but I did not see any paperwork or documentation that suggested this.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: On the conflicts of interest that arose, I think two family connections are referenced in the two reports. Does Mr. O'Brien accept there was conflict of interest that should have been declared and are arrangements in place to prevent that from happening again?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: A sum of €15 million is an extensive amount of money for the Exchequer to shore it up but I want to put on the record the importance of having an organisation like the Peter McVerry Trust and the other approved housing bodies in the sector. If we are to deliver more output, we need public and private, and all the different tools that are available. I will have an opportunity to...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: I wish to come back on that point. Having been a member of the previous housing committee, and I think Deputy Ó Broin would agree, on many occasions we sought and included the opinion on the trust on the issues of housing and homelessness. It is a fact that we had far more interaction with the Peter McVerry Trust on those issues of housing and homelessness than we ever had on this...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: How regular is it? Is it quarterly or every six months?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: Okay.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: I thank the witnesses for being with us here today. I would have appreciated the opportunity to question them in my role at the Committee of Public Accounts earlier this month. I should open by saying that the witnesses had indicated to us at that committee that they would be willing to come before us once the accounts were published. Can I take it that the invitation to come before the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: Okay. Let us start with the restricted funds. Will Mr. O'Brien put on the record what happened with regard to the restricted funds and why they found themselves in charity No. 3's possession?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: In interpreting the answers is Mr. O'Brien suggesting that there was an attempt, deliberate or otherwise, to not provide the full information to the board on the nature of that transaction?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: Is there any understanding as to why that happened? Was that a culture in the board or was it a lack of board-only time without staff there? Has Mr. O'Brien identified how that issue may have arisen?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: I will ask one other question. There was some surprise that the 2023 accounts had not yet been filed. It is outside the period. I wonder could the witnesses address why that is the case and give a commitment as to when they will be lodged so we can have them again in the other forum?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: I thank Mr. O'Brien.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: I am trying to recall a meeting we had with a number of AHBs in regards to delivery. In the last term, there was a lot of focus on trying to ensure all the different sectors were in a position to deliver. I will try to go back and find the exact quote. Maybe let us not tie it down to one meeting. However, I was of the view that the Peter McVerry Trust was known for being very good at...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: Often, one of the complaints from the AHB sector in terms of delivery is that a lot of the preplanning costs have to be put up upfront by those organisations and that puts huge pressure on them. They have suggested it limits capacity and so on. I can see on the other side how this also leaves one to be cautious when something is in preplanning. Has the Department addressed that issue?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: A huge financial strain is put on AHBs by having the meet those upfront costs.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: For example, the very small number of AHBs involved in the affordable purchase sector, those bodies have to come up with the costs upfront. They do not necessarily have a long-term income stream they can borrow against because their objective is to immediately sell. Does the Department accept that for those AHBs, upfront costs are a limiter of delivery? I am thinking of Ó Cualann for...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)
Paul McAuliffe: Yes. Okay.