Results 3,861-3,880 of 7,024 for speaker:Willie Penrose

Seanad: Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta (20 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: This is an issue I will follow up in the context of the particular matter the Senator has raised.

Local Authority Rates (21 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter for debate, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister. Rates income is a very important contribution to the cost of services provided by local authorities such as roads, water, public lighting, development control, parks and open spaces. The continued provision of these services is essential to creating and maintaining the local...

Local Authority Rates (21 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: As I stated in my introductory remarks, the Government is acutely aware of the pressures on small and medium-sized businesses at the present time. The Minister of State, Deputy Perry, is dealing with various competitiveness and cost issues that will certainly incorporate some of things raised by Deputy Daly. The Deputy's point about vacant properties is well made. Local authorities have...

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (21 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: I have established and am chairing the National Co-ordination Committee on Unfinished Housing Developments to oversee implementation of the Report of the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments, together with the Government's response to the recommendations. The Committee is meeting on a regular basis with the aim of publishing a report on progress achieved within the next 12...

Written Answers — Mortgage Interest Rates: Mortgage Interest Rates (22 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 183 together. The fixed interest rates referred to reflect the cost of long-term funds prevailing at the time the loans were advanced and, like all fixed rate loans, are fixed for the life of the loan. The costs of reducing the fixed rates on these loans would be substantial and would have to be borne by the Exchequer, the Housing Finance Agency or...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (22 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: The Board of an Bord Pleanala comprises a Chairperson and up to 9 ordinary members. The appointment process, set out under sections 105 -107 of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2010 and Articles 56 – 65 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, require selections to be made by the Minister from nominees put forward by four representative panels of nominating...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (22 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: My Department's Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Rural Housing (2005) are designed to achieve a balance between a good planning framework for rural housing and the local housing needs of those who are part of, or have links to, local rural communities. They elaborate on the physical development policies for rural areas as set out in the Government's National Spatial...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (22 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: I refer to the reply to Question No 21 of 15 September 2011 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (22 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: Under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, which came into operation on 14 June 2010, the making and amendment of an allocation scheme for social housing is a reserved function of the elected members of each housing authority. I understand that Dublin City Council adopted its current allocation scheme on 9 May 2011. I have not received any draft amendment to that...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (22 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: I refer to the reply to Question No. 24 of 15 September 2011 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (27 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: Under my Department's Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme (CLSS), mortgage finance is provided to approved housing bodies by way of loans from the Housing Finance Agency (HFA) to meet the cost of providing social rented accommodation for low-income families. Following detailed consideration of the range of social housing supply options available under my Department's Social Housing Investment...

Written Answers — Local Authority Loans: Local Authority Loans (27 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 176 and 183 of 22 September, 2011 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (27 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: On 3 March 2011, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) found against Ireland on all three elements of Case C-50/09 to the effect that Ireland had: (1) not fully transposed Article 3 of Council Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment , as amended (commonly referred to as the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive);...

Written Answers — Regeneration Programmes: Regeneration Programmes (27 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: The Limerick Regeneration Agencies in conjunction with Limerick City Council are at present finalising the detailed and costed plans for the implementation of Phase 1 of the Limerick Regeneration Programme. These plans, which are currently being considered in draft form by my Department, are the next and necessary step towards delivering meaningful regeneration across the City, providing a...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (27 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: While I have no function in the operational matters of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB), an independent statutory body established under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, I am supportive of the body's efforts to ensure compliance with tenancy registration requirements. My Department has not received any specific reports regarding the matter referred to. It is a matter for the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (27 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: My Department has since 2008 collected data on rent arrears owing to local authorities and these data are set out in the table below. Data for 2010 are not yet finalised but it is intended that they will be published on my Department's website, www.environ.ie, in due course along with the previous years' data supplied with this response. Local Authorities Rent arrears at date specified...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (28 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: It is open to any person or household to apply to a housing authority for an assessment of their housing need. It is a matter solely for the housing authority concerned to determine whether an applicant for social housing support is eligible for and in need of that support. The authority must make its determination in accordance with the provisions of section 20 of the Housing...

Written Answers — Local Authority Staff: Local Authority Staff (28 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: My Department is committed to a holistic approach to the regeneration of large social housing estates, and, in addition to bricks and mortar considerations includes social interventions that contribute significantly to addressing disadvantage and building sustainable communities. To that end, my Department supports a broad range of social interventions, including community warden schemes,...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (28 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: The Planning and Development (Certification of Fairground Equipment) Regulations 2003 put in place procedures and checks to ensure that funfair equipment cannot be operated in Ireland without a valid safety certificate. Under those Regulations, the requirement to have safety certificates came into force on 1 March 2004. Responsibility for obtaining a certificate lies with the organisers of...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (29 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: I refer to the reply to Question No 343 of 20 September, 2011. My Department has not so far received any claim from Sligo Borough Council for recoupment of expenditure in respect of the planning and design phase of the proposed works at O'Connell Street. However, my Department approved a proposal by the Council in June 2011 to refurbish up to 53 local authority owned houses in the Cranmore...