Results 4,821-4,840 of 8,342 for speaker:Peter Burke

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Rates (25 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: Given the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and the associated public health restrictions and in order to continue supporting ratepayers and local authorities, the Government recently announced that the commercial rates waiver put in place for the first quarter of 2021 will be extended to the second quarter; it applies to businesses most seriously affected by ongoing restrictions. The 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Guidelines (25 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: Work is current underway in preparation of an update of the 2005 Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines for planning authorities, which were issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). I expect to receive a draft before Easter. However, given the complexity of the issues involved, the need for environmental assessment and both internal and external...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Sites (25 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: I refer the Deputy to Parliamentary Question No. 116 of 11 February 2021 in relation to the collection of the vacant site levy. The position remains the same. The specific information sought by the Deputy in relation to the amount of the levy that could be raised in 2021 is not currently available in my Department. My Department does not maintain a central register of vacant sites, as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Legal Costs (25 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: My Department seeks, where possible, to minimise its legal costs and avails of the services of the Chief State Solicitor's office, the Attorney General's Office and the State Claims Agency in terms of the provision of legal advice and representation of the Department in planning related judicial review court cases and any subsequent appeals. The costs involved are generally borne by the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic (25 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: 205. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will be prioritising a plan for the safe return to full capacity in childcare settings and for ECCE participants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10957/21]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Allowances (24 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: 238. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the travel distance bands for travel and subsistence rates for civil servants will be reconsidered to widen band 2 to over 5,500km and therefore not act as a deterrent for those working and travelling as part of their essential work; if a review is planned for these rates and bands; and if he will make a statement on the matter....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (24 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: I propose to take Questions Nos. 282 and 337 together. The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 (the Act) introduced new streamlined arrangements to enable planning applications for strategic housing developments (SHDs) of 100 housing units or more, or student accommodation or shared accommodation developments of 200 bed spaces or more, to be made directly...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (24 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: The Land Development Agency (LDA) was established on an interim basis in September 2018, by way of an Establishment Order made under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971, pending the enactment of primary legislation when it will be established as a commercial State agency. The day to day management of the LDA is matter for the LDA Chief Executive and his management...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (24 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: The planning system continues to operate during the current Covid-19 Level 5 restrictions subject to appropriate safety protocols and services operating online where feasible. For the purpose of giving legal effect to the current Level 5 restrictions announced by the Government, new Regulations have been made by the Minister for Health entitled the Health Act 1947 (Section 31A –...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (24 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: The Land Development Agency (LDA) was established on an interim basis in September 2018, by way of an Establishment Order made under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971, pending the enactment of primary legislation i.e. the LDA Bill when it will be established as a commercial State agency. The LDA Bill was recently published and is currently going through Second Stage in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (24 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: The Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR), headed up by the new Planning Regulator, was established on 3 April 2019. The OPR is responsible for the independent assessment of all local authority and regional assembly forward planning, including development plans, local area plans, regional spatial and economic strategies. It can review the organisation, systems and procedures used by any...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (24 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), all development, unless specifically exempted under the Act or associated Regulations, requires planning permission. Articles 6, 7, 8 and 10 and Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended (the Regulations), set out various exemptions from the requirement to obtain planning permission. Any such...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: 817. To ask the Minister for Health if front-line health workers will be allowed a reimbursement of annual leave for days that have been used for childcare responsibilities during level 5 restrictions when schools have remained closed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9626/21]

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Projects (22 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank Senator Byrne for raising this important issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan. Once funding arrangements have been put in place through the Department of Transport, under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, in conjunction...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Projects (22 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank Senator Byrne for raising this very important issue and I will convey his concerns to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. Without doubt, this is a national project. Its importance is critical to unlock infrastructure and potential, and, especially in a post-Brexit era, it is compounded in terms of its importance. I understand how important it is that this project is included in the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Taxi Licences (22 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank the Senator for raising this matter I will bring the contents of his speech to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, because it is a very important issue. At present the transfer of small public service vehicle, SPSV, licences is prohibited under section 14(1) of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013. All SPSV vehicle licences are unique to the person to whom the licence has been issued and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Taxi Licences (22 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank the Senator for raising this matter. He set out well the issue about which he is concerned and I will raise it with the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, on foot of this debate. The Minister has pointed out that he wants to protect the integrity of those wheelchair accessible vehicles as regards the licence being traded on the open market. One can see where he is coming from but...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Tenant Purchase Scheme (22 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank Senator Gallagher for raising these issues. Unfortunately, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, sends his apologies, as these issues are directly under his area of responsibility. The tenant (incremental) purchase scheme 2016 for local authority housing is underpinned by Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the associated Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses)...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Tenant Purchase Scheme (22 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank Senator Gallagher for raising these important issues. As Minister of State, I have also been pressing for the conclusion of both of these reviews within the Department. The Senator raises a very important matter on the income limits review for social housing in regard to the proposal that some income may be disregarded. We have the potential to work on that issue and I think we...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid-19 Pandemic (22 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: On 6 January 2020, the Government announced that additional public health restrictions would apply under level 5 of the plan for living with Covid-19. The decisions relating to the enhanced restrictions followed advice from the national public health emergency team that the situation with the virus had deteriorated to the point where there was an absolute need to reduce the level of mobility...