Results 3,941-3,960 of 7,024 for speaker:Willie Penrose

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: The financial provision for housing next year will be determined in the context of the 2012 Estimates process. The Estimates process itself will be informed by the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure (CRE) which the Government is undertaking. The objective of this exercise is to measure the effectiveness of specific programmes having regard to their intended objectives, value for money...

Written Answers — Mortgage Arrears: Mortgage Arrears (20 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: The Government is acutely conscious of the difficulties many households are facing in terms of mortgage arrears. Where any borrower, either from a local authority or from a private financial institution, is facing difficulties in meeting mortgage repayments, they should engage proactively and constructively with the lender to seek to achieve an agreed solution. The services of the Money...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (20 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: The Government approved the publication of the Report of the Inter-Departmental Group on Mortgage Arrears on 12 October. In establishing the group, the Government set two core objectives: - To assist those facing real difficulties to remain in their own homes where appropriate, and - To ensure a distinction between those who cannot afford to pay their mortgages and those who choose not to...

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (20 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: Section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provides that where estates have not been completed to the satisfaction of the planning authority, and enforcement proceedings have not been commenced within the relevant period, the planning authority must, if requested to do so by the majority of owners, initiate the procedures for taking the estate in charge. Section 180 was amended in...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (20 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: Where any borrower, including a borrower purchasing under the shared ownership scheme, is facing difficulties in meeting mortgage repayments, they should engage proactively and constructively with the lender to seek to achieve an agreed solution. The services of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service are also available to such borrowers and support is available through the Supplementary...

Written Answers — Voluntary Housing Sector: Voluntary Housing Sector (20 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: The vision for the future of the housing sector in Ireland as set out in the Government's Housing Policy Statement, launched in June 2011, is based on choice, fairness, equity across tenures and on delivering quality outcomes for the resources invested. It is predicated on a more integrated and tenure-neutral approach to social housing provision and will involve a much greater role for...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (20 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: Local authorities have long led the way in dealing pro-actively and sympathetically with mortgage arrears. They can and do exercise the powers available to them and endeavour, in all arrears cases, to engage proactively and constructively with a distressed borrower with the aim of enabling a household remain in their home. The available data strongly bears this out and suggests that...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (20 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: A new procedure for local authority assessment of social housing applicants came into force on 1 April 2011, introducing a fairer, more consistent and transparent approach to determining eligibility for social housing support. Applicants now apply to one housing authority only in order to be placed on up to three waiting lists. The new system also involves a standard application form and...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (25 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: I refer to the reply to Question No. 419 of 5 July 2011 which sets out the position in this matter. My Department is still awaiting the submission to it from Dublin City Council of a cost benefit analysis as well as a full capital appraisal, which when submitted will facilitate a full assessment of the proposal.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (25 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: The Housing Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2009 gives legislative recognition to rental accommodation availability agreements as a form of social housing support. Consequently, since 1 April 2011, RAS tenants are now considered to be in receipt of social housing support and should not generally remain on the housing waiting lists for new applicants for social housing. In recognition that RAS...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (25 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: I refer to my reply to Question No. 345 of 11 October 2011. The Liaison Officer reports to the Chief Executive Officer of the Housing Agency. I will ask the Agency for the detailed information sought with regard to the Liaison Officer's and the officer's work programme to date and I will forward this to the Deputy as soon as possible. I understand the Agency will shortly publicise details...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (25 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: In the 1980s the Housing Finance Agency sourced long term fixed rate finance in the form of bond issues on the Irish pound market. These bonds are due to mature in 2018. Funds were on lent by the Agency to local authorities and then by local authorities to individual households at a rate of 10.5%. The mortgages represented exceptional value at the time and into the early 1990s. However, the...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (25 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: In response to the requirement in the EU/IMF Programme of Financial Support for Ireland for an economic analysis of the potential impact on competition and consumer prices of eliminating or relaxing the floorspace cap on retail premises, my Department and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation commissioned Forfás to undertake an evidence-based and focused study to analyse the...

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (25 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: It is presumed the reference is to the Unfinished Housing Developments Safety Initiative which made funds available to Local Authorities to remedy aspects of unfinished estates which posed a health and safety risk to members of the public and residents of estates. My Department has not made funds available to finish the construction of housing developments. An application for funds in...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (25 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: The development in question has been included in the 2011 National Housing Development Survey database, published on 12 October 2011. I am committed to exploring all options for bringing unsold suitable residential stock into productive use for social housing purposes and am open to proposals in that regard. Any questions regarding compliance with the various statutory requirements, including...

Written Answers — Mortgage Arrears: Mortgage Arrears (25 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: My Department issued comprehensive guidance to local authorities on the treatment of mortgage arrears in March 2010. That guidance was based on the Central Bank's first statutory Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears to ensure that cases of local authority mortgage arrears are handled in a manner that is sympathetic to the needs of the particular household, while also protecting the position of...

Written Answers — Housing Developments: Housing Developments (25 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: My Department's involvement with voluntary and co-operative housing schemes relates primarily to the provision of funds for individual projects. The detailed administration of the schemes, and the certification that projects comply with the relevant terms and conditions, are the responsibility of the local authority. The proposal by Cluid Housing Association for 25 units of accommodation to...

Written Answers — Wildlife Conservation: Wildlife Conservation (25 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and associated Regulations, a planning authority, or An Bord Pleanála as appropriate, is required, when dealing with a planning application which was not accompanied by an environmental impact statement, to carry out a screening in appropriate cases for environmental impact assessment, under Council Directive 85/337/EEC (the...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (25 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: The Capital Assistance Scheme will continue in 2012, though the level of Exchequer funding for the scheme next year is not yet determined, pending the outcome of the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure and the conclusion of the estimates process. A decision on whether to issue a call for proposals for new projects will be made once the level of funding for 2012 has been determined and having...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (25 Oct 2011)

Willie Penrose: Unfair contract terms, as prescribed by the European Communities (Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts) Regulations 1995 relate to all business to consumer contracts with the exception of specific contract types listed in the Regulations, and of specific terms within contracts. As such, it is my understanding that mortgage contracts involving local authorities fall within the scope of the...