Results 1,961-1,980 of 5,601 for speaker:Paul McAuliffe

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Shared Island Initiative (15 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: 30. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade how his Department is contributing to the delivery of the Shared Island initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28138/23]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Good Friday Agreement (15 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: 69. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the action he is taking to unlock the full potential of the Good Friday Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28137/23]

Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: From the Seanad (14 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: The efficiency of the House has meant things have moved quicker than I expected. I wanted to speak to some of the earlier amendments.

Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: From the Seanad (14 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: I appreciate that. From a general perspective, I appreciate the enormous work the Seanad has put into this Bill. I also commend the Minister. This Bill deals with a wide range of topics to do with road traffic. At its initial publication, I was most interested in section 5, which deals with scrambler bikes. My only comment around this amendment and the others that are before us is that I...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Birth Registration (14 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: 37. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on the case of a person (details supplied) who submitted an application to the foreign birth register and urgently needs it for travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28627/23]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (14 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: 40. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the passports for two children (details supplied) will be expedited. [28706/23]

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: Today 125,000 carers across the State will receive the support grant of €1,850. This was announced by the Minister today. Contained in the press release was an announcement that the Government will put place measures to provide paid pension contributions for long-term carers who have been caring for more than 20 years. These are people who are saving the State money and who are...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: I thank all our guests for being with us. It often confuses me when I am at this committee because I feel I am at the Oireachtas housing committee, as they have covered much territory together. On the opening statement, the Comptroller and Auditor General's 2019 annual report referenced the measurement of performance for Exchequer spending on social housing. It is interesting that we are...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: -----and the difficulty with that is it massively increases the cost of housing units. For both private operators and local authorities, we are now subsidising housing units up to the scale of €100,000 or €150,000 per unit. In the city, even with those numbers, we are struggling to build units. Deputy Verona Murphy made a very good point. I said, "as a society", but she is...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: The question is whether the financial resources are in place to extend it.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: Is that a discussion the Department has already had with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: It is important those funds would not be drawn from the capital funding for the supply of new units.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: Does the Department accept the value-for-money argument I made about HAP?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: As a Government policy measure, does the Department accept that the State paying landlords for private rental properties through HAP represents poor value for money when we have capital assets we could spend on purchasing these units?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: I am talking about the existing homes with which the State has a relationship. Does the Department accept that if it were possible for us to purchase these homes now, and I ask this from a value-for-money perspective which is what we discuss in this committee, would it be better for the State to purchase those homes now rather than to continue to rent them?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: Absolutely, but if the Department accepts there is a value-for-money issue with a proposal that is costing it money from its current budget every year, the onus is on it to prepare a proposal which seeks the capital funding to purchase these units. I say this given we know these landlords are selling and there is an opportunity here for the State to purchase these units.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Local Government Fund Account 2021
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 6: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities (1 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: Okay. The Department might reflect on this point.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (1 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: I want to follow up on a matter in this morning’s discussion that both Deputy Catherine Murphy and I touched on, namely, the value for money of the housing assistance payment, HAP, and the rental accommodation scheme, RAS. There was extensive engagement on these this morning but this committee could probably do work on value for money and the procurement element. It was very clear...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (1 Jun 2023)

Paul McAuliffe: There is obviously the departmental element but there may be various agencies with a view on it. I realise we do not want to stray into the area of the housing committee but there is a very clear case for a value-for-money argument in regard to a particular policy.