Results 6,781-6,800 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Architects Register (28 Feb 2017)

Damien English: My Department has had detailed engagement with the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists ( CIAT ) over the past number of years. In this regard, my Department outlined a number of options in keeping with the Building Control Act 2007 which could be pursued by CIAT with a view to progressing the registration of its Chartered Architectural Technologist members. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Legal Proceedings (28 Feb 2017)

Damien English: My Department is not a party to the case referred to. However, I understand that a request for a preliminary ruling pursuant to Article 267 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union was sought from the Court of Justice of the European Union on a number of points of European law, which had been raised in the case concerned, by Ireland’s Supreme Court by order of 19...

Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (1 Mar 2017)

Damien English: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and allowing me to clarify the issues he has outlined. The urban wastewater treatment directive mandates the required standards for the collection and treatment of wastewater from urban areas. The various deadlines for meeting the requirements of the directive passed some time ago, with the latest deadline being 31 December 2005. By that date,...

Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (1 Mar 2017)

Damien English: I share some of the Deputy's concerns. The idea of introducing a single water utility in the form of Irish Water was to drive the necessary investment in the water and wastewater infrastructure that had been lacking for many generations. Thankfully, the previous Fine Gael-Labour Government and the current Government of Fine Gael and Independents supported by Fianna Fáil and others have...

Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (1 Mar 2017)

Damien English: The capital plans have been proposed by Irish Water and we are committed to that investment. It is secure at this stage.

Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (1 Mar 2017)

Damien English: It is secure under this Government. We believe in the value and importance of investing in that. A commitment has been made and we will continue with the plans that have been agreed with Irish Water. There will be a discussion on the future of water and wastewater, but I hope that the House has a reasonable debate and the polluter pays principle takes precedent.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Revised) (1 Mar 2017)

Damien English: Deputy Casey asked about vacant properties.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Revised) (1 Mar 2017)

Damien English: I thank the Deputy. It follows on from a discussion we had at Question Time in the Dáil during the week. A major focus of the Department and ourselves is on the whole area of vacant properties. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, touched on it but there is certainly a better wind for us in terms of the urgency of getting houses back on track. In many cases, the infrastructure is there...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social and Affordable Housing (2 Mar 2017)

Damien English: I thank the Senator for raising this issue and giving me the chance to talk about it. He is absolutely right about the development and construction of sustainable housing at an affordable price to give people options. The Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney, the Department and I are working very closely on the different models and ways of doing this because we want to achieve it. I am glad that...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social and Affordable Housing (2 Mar 2017)

Damien English: The Senator will appreciate that I do not have timeline details with me today but that is something in which we are all interested. We have seen how SDZs can work but we have also seen how they cannot work. I am very familiar with an SDZ in my own constituency which has not delivered, which is a shame. We want this site to be activated quickly. That is the desire of all involved and that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme (7 Mar 2017)

Damien English: The Pyrite Resolution Board, with the support of the Housing Agency, is responsible for the implementation of the pyrite remediation scheme. The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” and is limited in its application and scope. The full conditions for eligibility under the scheme are set out in the scheme which is available on the Board’s website...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Water and Sewerage Schemes Provision (7 Mar 2017)

Damien English: I thank Senator Gallagher for raising this issue in order to bring some clarity to it. My Department’s new multi-annual rural water programme 2016-2018 includes funding of group sewerage schemes, through measure 4(d), where clustering of households on individual septic tanks is not a viable option, particularly from an environmental perspective. In December 2015, my Department...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Water and Sewerage Schemes Provision (7 Mar 2017)

Damien English: As I said, we will have a fair idea by the end of March how it stands with the extra plants recommendations. They are independent of the Minister and have made recommendations for priority five, which would lead to funding for 2018. If one of the projects before that drops out, or is re-prioritised in the coming months, there is a chance that it could come into 2017. As it stands today,...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Water and Sewerage Schemes Provision (7 Mar 2017)

Damien English: Yes.

Companies Act 2014 (Section 1313) Regulations 2017: Referral to Joint Committee (21 Mar 2017)

Damien English: I move:That the proposal that Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft:Companies Act 2014 (Section 1313) Regulations 2017,copies of which have been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 9 February 2017, be referred to the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, in accordance with Standing Order 84A(4)(k), which, not later than 13 April 2017,...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Housing (21 Mar 2017)

Damien English: The Deputy's general question was not specific to Louth but I will certainly deal with Louth as well. Rebuilding Ireland contains a number of integrated actions to underpin active land supply management for the delivery of housing. Initially, this involves identifying and mapping sites in local authority and public ownership, with appropriate lands to be master-planned to deliver increased...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Housing (21 Mar 2017)

Damien English: I had the same mantra from the Deputy's colleagues in the Seanad earlier but we are clearly not what they describe. We are committed to social housing projects and putting the capacity back in the system to deliver social housing. There is a commitment of approximately €5.5 billion for social housing and 47,000 housing units throughout the country. Louth will play a major part in...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Housing (21 Mar 2017)

Damien English: Please do not try to say we do not have it. We have engaged with the local authority to ask it to bring forward proposals for all these different sites. On some sites there has been an application for funding from the local infrastructure fund; that will be announced at the end of the month and I hope some of the sites in Louth will be able to benefit so we can activate these sites. Most...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Housing (21 Mar 2017)

Damien English: As I indicated to the Deputy's colleague in the Seanad, we have put in place a plan to reactivate the construction of social housing. It had been closed down well before the recession. We do not have Sinn Féin's magic pen to make that happen tomorrow. All we can do is put in place plans to deliver that over the years ahead. We have made strong commitments in that respect. The money...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Building Control Management System (21 Mar 2017)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 404 and 405 together. The purpose of the Building Control Management System (BCMS) is to facilitate building control authorities, building owners, builders and construction professionals in discharging their separate responsibilities under the Building Control Act 1990. The system provides a common platform for clear and consistent administration of building...