Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he understands public concern over the mooted €430,000 salary for the Government’s new “housing tsar” but said “the overarching concern is getting houses built much more quickly”.
Brendan McDonagh, the chief executive of the National Asset Management Agency (Nama), has been identified by the Coalition to head-up the new office. Reports at the weekend that he would retain his Nama salary of some €430,000 if seconded to the new role sparked Opposition criticism.
The Irish Times understands that plans for a new Strategic Housing Activation Office are expected to be considered by Cabinet on Tuesday, though it was unclear if Mr McDonagh’s secondment will also be confirmed.
On Monday Mr Martin took issue of with the description of the head of the new office as a “housing tsar”, saying he does not use the phrase. He said the office would focus on “removing roadblocks” to house construction.
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Mr Martin would not comment on the reported salary Mr McDonagh would be in line for in the role but said: “Government hasn’t made any decision in respect of that aspect of it.”
On Monday Social Democrats housing spokesman Rory Hearne wrote to Minister for Housing James Browne expressing his concern over Mr McDonagh’s proposed appointment and he criticised the expected salary for the new role.
Separately, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan will seek Cabinet approval for a Bill that will give effect in Irish law to the EU Migration and Asylum Pact.
The Bill proposes to introduce new measures intended to fast-track the appeals process for international protection applications. The aim of the Bill is to reduce the entire process from several years to a matter of months.
The most significant change for new cases will be the establishment of a new appeals board, the Second Instance Body (SIB). The memorandum for Cabinet is understood to set out a situation where the SIB shall make its decision without holding an oral hearing except for very limited circumstances. The extremely limited opportunity to avail of an oral hearing is designed to reduce considerably the amount of time the appeal hearing will take.
Meanwhile, Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris is expected to update colleagues on plans to procure Ireland’s first military radar programme.
Ministers are to be told that four countries have been identified for formal negotiations before a preferred bidder for the radar programme is selected later this year. It is understood the countries involved will not be publicly announced in order to protect the integrity of the process.
The roll-out of the radar programme which will include land-based and ship-borne radar to detect all aircraft in Ireland’s airspace – including those with their transponders off – will begin in phases next year and be completed in 2028.
Minister for Higher Education James Lawless is expected to seek Cabinet approval for proposals to change legislation to unlock funding for spending commitments announced in the budget. The plan is to access almost €1.5 billion from the National Training Fund (NTF) over a six-year period up to 2030.
Under the plans money from the NTF will support areas not previously eligible for the funding, including capital investment and core funding for higher education. The package will include €650 million for the higher education sector.
The NTF has accumulated a surplus through a levy on employers and there has previously been criticism at the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the funding has remained unused.
Minister for Children Norma Foley is set to brief Ministers on the 2024 annual implementation report for First Five, the Government’s strategy for babies and young children’s first five years of life in areas like health, education and tackling poverty.
