Results 6,761-6,780 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations (22 Feb 2017)

Damien English: The Building Regulations 1997 to 2017, which are made under the Building Control Act 1990, as amended, set out the minimum legal requirements applicable to the construction of all new buildings (including houses), extensions to existing buildings as well as for material alterations and certain material changes of use to existing buildings. The Building Regulations are primarily concerned...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Housing Issues (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: I think we all agree that there is great potential in both schemes. What was announced today is the next phase of the repair and leasing initiative, which has been successful in Waterford and Carlow. The plan is to roll out that model. The Deputy has previously called for the model to be available in Offaly and other counties. We also want it to be available everywhere. The scheme is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Housing Issues (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: This is an issue about which Deputy Cowen has real concerns. I share these concerns so I have put much time and effort into meeting people in the business who are becoming assigned certifiers and carrying out this work. There is a great range of costs out there. We are analysing these costs in our Department. We have two working groups on the overall costs of construction, which Deputy...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Housing Issues (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: -----which is what we are trying to do, so I think Deputy Cowen will agree with our approach. The report will be published in the second quarter. That is the bottom line on that.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Housing Issues (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: I would welcome that. That is what we are trying to do. We are trying to share our work with the committee because the work being conducted by both is similar. The two investigations into the costs are under way. I stress to the Deputy that there is great opportunity regarding the costs of the certifier. I ask people in this business to explore the options out there, even before we...

Other Questions: Student Accommodation (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising the issue, as we are trying to concentrate on student accommodation as well. We are aware of the fact that, on occasions, development proposals for student accommodation developments can raise concerns at community level. However, the planning system is extremely open and transparent as regards community participation in the decision making process,...

Other Questions: Student Accommodation (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: It is unfair to just assume that because an area has student accommodation, it will suffer all these difficulties. That is a little unfair and the wrong view, as it is not borne out by facts. I am willing to consider any facts that the Deputy has in that regard. We are trying to provide purpose-built student accommodation with all the services required for everybody's sake and for ease of...

Other Questions: Student Accommodation (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: Again, student accommodation has not been an overnight success. I wish it were. These projects have been sitting idle and waiting for funding for many years. We are purposely trying to drive up the amount of student accommodation in cities and areas close to universities and on campuses. We are trying to encourage and provide funding for education institutes to drive on-campus...

Other Questions: Homelessness Strategy (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: They are.

Other Questions: Approved Housing Bodies (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: The Government’s Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness recognises the key contribution that AHBs have to make to the delivery of housing supports in Ireland, building on their track record in terms of both housing provision and management. There are 546 approved housing bodies, AHBs, in Ireland, ranging from small voluntary-led, community-based organisations to...

Other Questions: Approved Housing Bodies (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: I note also the Deputy's question from earlier. Our key planning personnel and the housing delivery team in the Department are looking at all those sites. They look, site by site, at Dublin, Cork and other towns and cities to see how we can activate these sites. They are bringing the various players together and are identifying so-called pathfinder sites. We are actively asking. The...

Other Questions: Approved Housing Bodies (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: The key to that is in changing the process of how the Department interacts with the local authorities in bringing forward projects. We have reduced the timing a lot in that regard. Our people are available to have meetings in the offices of the local authorities as often as they want to drive projects on. In all cases they have cut those timelines. Some of the projects that were hanging...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: Lead responsibility for the Action Plan for Rural Development, which was launched on 23 January 2017, rest with my colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. However, as the proposal listed at Action 6 therein relates to a planning matter, its delivery falls to my Department. The proposed action, which was also reflected in the Government's Action...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Derelict Sites (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: Pillar 5 of the Government's Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness - Rebuilding Ireland is specifically focused on Utilising Existing Housing Stock, with a key objective of ensuring that the existing vacant housing stock throughout the country and across all forms of tenure, in both the public and private sectors, is used to the optimum degree possible. In this regard, Action 5.1 of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: Pillar 5 of the Government's Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness - Rebuilding Ireland is specifically focused on Utilising Existing Housing Stock, with a key objective of ensuring that the existing vacant housing stock throughout the country and across all forms of tenure, in both the public and private sectors, is used to the optimum degree possible. In this regard, Action 5.1 of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: I refer to the reply to Question No. 3 on today’s Order Paper, which sets out the position on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: Pillar 5 of the Government's Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness - Rebuilding Ireland is specifically focused on Utilising Existing Housing Stock, with a key objective of ensuring that the existing vacant housing stock throughout the country and across all forms of tenure, in both the public and private sectors, is used to the optimum degree possible. In this regard, Action 5.1 of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Investigations (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 72 together. An expert panel on concrete blocks was established by my Department in April 2016 to investigate the problems that have emerged in the concrete blockwork of certain dwellings in Donegal and Mayo. The panel have the following terms of reference:- (i) To identify, insofar as it is possible, the numbers of private dwellings which appear to be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (23 Feb 2017)

Damien English: My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing and planning statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of policy. The figures that the Deputy has requested are available on my Department's website at the following web link under ‘registrations by month/year’; www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/house-building-and-pri...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Resolution Board (28 Feb 2017)

Damien English: The Pyrite Resolution Board, with the support of the Housing Agency, is responsible for the implementation of the pyrite remediation scheme. In accordance with the provisions of the Act, the Board is independent in the performance of its functions, and as Minister, I have no role in the operational matters pertaining to the implementation of the scheme. The Board may be contacted by phone...