Results 3,501-3,520 of 8,073 for speaker:Peter Burke

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...

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

Peter Burke: We will revert to the Senator as soon as we can because she makes a valid case for an essential service. Childcare is one of those services that society needs to be able to work and respond.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Assistance Payment (22 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank Senator Boylan for this Commencement matter. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Justice. The Legal Aid Board provides legal advice under the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 and the Civil Legal Aid Regulations 1996 to 2017. Section 3(3) of the 1995 Act provides, "The Board shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, be independent in the exercise of its functions." The matter...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Assistance Payment (22 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: I acknowledge the frustration because the case is sub judice. More generally, while it is recognised that significant and competing demands are being made on the legal aid system, in budget 2021, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, secured an increased provision of more than €2 million for the Legal Aid Board bringing its total funding to €44.6 million for this year, representing a 6%...

Seanad: Councillors' Pay: Motion (22 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank all the Senators for their contributions. We can hear very clearly the frustration that has been articulated by all Members of this House and by members of all 31 local authorities throughout the country. I fully empathise with them and understand that because this issue is going on far too long. I fully accept that. We need to find a way forward very quickly. In terms of the...

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]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Grant Payments (25 Feb 2021)

Peter Burke: 19. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the percentage of applications for Sustainable Energy authority of Ireland, SEAI, grants that are granted on their initial application by county; if he has considered reviewing the operation of schemes due to the undue level of paperwork involved on the contractor side; and if he will make a statement on the matter....

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...