Results 1-20 of 1,045 for in 'Dáil debates' speaker:Thomas Gould

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: A young man, Seán, came into my office last week. He works full time, is separated and has two children. He has a good job but is living with his parents because he cannot afford to buy a house. He has saved every penny he can and has substantial savings. He applied and was accepted for an affordable housing scheme run by Cork County Council but even with all of his savings, a gift...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: It would be affordable. Our scheme would be affordable. That is the difference.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: I will.

Local Authority Housing Maintenance and Repair: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: I want to let Deputy Pringle know, though he will probably hear later, that our motion applies to rural and urban areas. It applies to all 31 local authorities. We are looking for a major investment of money and additional staff to deal with housing maintenance issues. No disrespect to the Minister of State, but his response and those of the other Ministers earlier show the reality of...

Local Authority Housing Maintenance and Repair: Motion [Private Members] (28 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — housing policy is not only about the number of homes delivered but the quality of those homes for tenants living in them; — as the State's largest landlord, Government has a particular responsibility to ensure, through funding for local authorities, that social housing tenants live in good quality homes; —...

Local Authority Housing Maintenance and Repair: Motion [Private Members] (28 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: Where is the senior Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, for the discussion of this very important motion? The man who is responsible for housing in this State does not even have the decency to come to the House this evening. Absolute contempt is being shown to the hundreds of thousands of people who live in 176,000 social homes when the Minister does not have the decency to turn up. It is a...

Ireland's Recognition of the State of Palestine: Statements (28 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: I am sharing time. What should have been a proud and nice day, when this State recognised the Palestinian state, has lost a lot of that with what happened on Sunday and the horrific atrocities and war crimes carried out by the Israeli state. We look at the photographs and videos that come from there and we heard people screaming as the Israeli Government burned men, women and children...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: There are 4,000 children homeless.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: I am talking about long-term leasing. Long-term leasing-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: The developers are happy.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: When the Tánaiste was Taoiseach in 2022, he gave a commitment that he would phase out long-term leasing. Since then, leases have been signed for 182 social housing units in Cork city. That is at a cost of €3 million per year that the Government is spending, with an average cost of €400,000 for these homes after 25 years. The council and the Government will not own these...

Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (15 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: Is HAP social housing?

Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (15 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: He is not answering.

Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (15 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: The Minister mentioned "evidence-based". Obviously, the Minister is quite an intelligent man and being Minister for Finance, is good with figures. He quoted that Cork City Council delivered 800 additional houses. That is a misprint, that was 800 families. Some 1,000 to 1,200 came on to the housing waiting list the same year. I am not a genius or an expert in maths but if 800 houses are...

Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (15 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: I support these amendments in relation to the ability to draw down funding. We are in the middle of the worst housing crisis in the history of the State and we will not having the ability to access vital funding. We have the highest house prices, rent and homelessness figures in the history of the State. We have almost 8,000 people on housing lists in Cork. The Government's affordable...

Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (15 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: The Minister should check the figures published today. He probably has not seen them as he was here going through the Bill. I ask him to come back to me tomorrow. Everyone knows the target figures set by the Government and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, of just over 30,000 houses a year are too low. Then we hear the Minister say the Government will hold a review and look at the...

Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (15 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: Four thousand children are homeless. Is that your best contribution? Some 4,100 children are homeless and that is your best contribution.

Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (15 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: Fine Gael has been in government for 13 years.

Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (15 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: Fianna Fáil has been in government for seven or eight years with it. You have made 4,000 children and 13,000 adults homeless and that is your best contribution.

Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (15 May 2024)

Thomas Gould: If that is all you can contribute today, you would be better off going back to your constituency because you should be ashamed of yourself.