Results 6,261-6,280 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations Application (7 Jul 2016)

Damien English: The Building Regulations 1997 to 2014 set out the minimum statutory requirements applicable to the design and construction of new buildings, extensions to existing buildings as well as for material alterations and certain material changes of use to existing buildings and are divided in 12 parts (classified as Parts A to M). Technical Guidance Documents (TGDs) are published to accompany each...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Issues (12 Jul 2016)

Damien English: The expert panel on concrete blocks has met on three occasions since it was established in April last and is review ing the information that has been made available to it in relation to the problems that have emerged in affected homes; this includes a number of technical reports provided by Mayo County Council on problems with in their social housing stock. Additional information has also...

Citizens' Assembly: Motion (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: I move:That Dáil Éireann: approves the calling of a Citizens’ Assembly to consider the following matters and to make such recommendations as it sees fit and report to the Houses of the Oireachtas:(i) the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution; (ii) how we best respond to the challenges and opportunities of an ageing population; (iii) fixed term parliaments; and (iv) the...

Citizens' Assembly: Motion (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: I take it that the Sinn Féin amendment has already been moved.

Citizens' Assembly: Motion (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: I will address that in my concluding remarks.

Citizens' Assembly: Motion (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: I will address the issues in the amendment that has been proposed by Sinn Féin.

Citizens' Assembly: Motion (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: Should I wait until after I have spoken for five minutes before doing so?

Citizens' Assembly: Motion (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: I would like to address a couple of issues that have arisen during the debate. Deputies have expressed concern about how the citizens’ assembly will work. We have also heard a great deal of praise for the Constitutional Convention, which worked well in certain areas. I understand that the recommendations it made in certain areas are still outstanding. This new assembly will not...

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2016: Order for Second Stage (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2016: Second and Subsequent Stages (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The purpose of the Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2016 is to enable the register of electors to be used for selecting members of the citizens' assembly. The provisions in the Bill are along the lines of the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2012 passed by the Oireachtas when arrangements were being made for the membership of the then...

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2016: Second and Subsequent Stages (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: I will address some of the issues in reverse. The timing for Bills is no longer a Government decision. It is for the Business Committee, which decided that the House would not sit on Friday. That is the reason for being here so late tonight and tomorrow tonight. It is not my choice. I would facilitate any time for the Deputies, but that is Dáil reform. It is working well for some...

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2016: Second and Subsequent Stages (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: It is unfair to say that. I come across people of all ages who are not registered.

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2016: Second and Subsequent Stages (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: I do not agree with the Deputy. Saying that it is just the working class is unfair on the working class. People of all ages-----

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2016: Second and Subsequent Stages (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: I do not agree with the Deputy on that. Maybe she will just accept that.

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2016: Second and Subsequent Stages (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: Regarding the selection process, the same process was used for the Constitutional Convention, and everyone was happy with how the convention worked - the same criteria, the same logic used by the polling company and the same register. That is all that I am saying. It worked well. I hope that it works well and speedily in this instance. That is the intention. No matter what process we...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Irish Prison Service (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: I apologise on behalf of the Tánaiste, who could not be here to take the debate. The Tánaiste wishes to emphasise that the provision of health care is a statutory obligation of the Irish Prison Service, as defined in the prison rules of 2007. She assures the Senator that the care and rehabilitation of persons in custody is a core aim of the Irish Prison Service. The IPS health...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Tenant Purchase Scheme (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: I thank the Senator for raising the issue. I thought she wanted to concentrate on the exclusion of people on social welfare, but she raised other issues such as water charges and Part V properties, with which I will deal as far as I can. The new tenant (incremental) purchase scheme for existing local authority houses came into operation on 1 January 2016. It is not two years old but six...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Tenant Purchase Scheme (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: I agree that there was no scheme for a number of years, but the Senator said this scheme was two years old and, for the record, I wanted to clarify that it is not. It is six months old. I spoke on this in the Dáil last week and I agreed that we needed to review it, but not six months into it. Our intention is to review it 12 months after it came into operation, which will be next...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Tenant Purchase Scheme (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: I totally agree with Senator Murnane O'Connor that housing should be a priority area. We have said that very clearly in the debate in this House and in the Dáil. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, has said that the number one priority for the Government is to tackle the housing situation. In the next couple of weeks we will roll out the action plan for housing, which will probably have a...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Tenant Purchase Scheme (13 Jul 2016)

Damien English: -----and I believe it has a couple more projects in the pipeline as well. The project on which I officiated involved ten houses, and I believe three or four other projects are due to start this year as well. The council there has been very proactive. I accept that there is a waiting list, but a plan is in place to address that and Carlow County Council is doing quite well in that regard....