Results 7,001-7,020 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Other Questions: Homelessness Strategy (25 May 2017)

Damien English: Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness includes the objective that, by mid-2017, hotels will be used only in limited circumstances as emergency accommodation for families. It is intended that the long-term housing needs of those currently homeless, including those families currently accommodated in hotels, will be met through housing supports, such as the enhanced...

Other Questions: Homelessness Strategy (25 May 2017)

Damien English: I will give the figures as they may be helpful to Deputy Ó Broin. Since he believes I have tables before me, I will give him what I have. The figures for the end of March, referenced by Deputy Ó Broin, show 870 homeless families were housed in commercial hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation in the Dublin region. The corresponding figure for April fell to 695. Again, that...

Other Questions: Homelessness Strategy (25 May 2017)

Damien English: It is fair to say that the Minister gave that commitment in good faith and he wants to achieve it. The number one priority for us as Ministers and the Department is that people would be out of commercial hotels because they are not places to raise a family or to try to survive. Some people are there for 18 months to a year, which is not on. The aim is to get them into permanent...

Other Questions: Pyrite Remediation Programme (25 May 2017)

Damien English: Deputy Clare Daly, along with many others, has been doing pioneering work on the area of pyrite. We are trying to address the issue as much as we possibly can. New presentations of those with pyrite - not of homelessness - is approximately ten a week. There is a fair lot still coming on stream. Therefore, I wish to stress that the scheme will not close. The pyrite resolution board,...

Other Questions: Pyrite Remediation Programme (25 May 2017)

Damien English: I agree with Deputy Clare Daly about being left in limbo. We are trying to find solutions to it. I might sit down and look over her Bill with her, if that is okay, to see where we can use it. The problem at the moment is that under some of the standards, the house is still reported to have a pyrite presence. However, it might not be possible to see physical damage to the house. I have...

Other Questions: Pyrite Remediation Programme (25 May 2017)

Damien English: I assure the Deputy the internal battles or journey of Fine Gael will not delay anything in our programmes or anything in this matter. It is not as simple as issuing the green certificate. I know what it means. It means one can sell on one's house and people will feel confident to buy it and can get a mortgage on it. I have been in houses that were built 30 or more years ago and pyrite is...

Other Questions: Wastewater Treatment (25 May 2017)

Damien English: The urban waste water treatment directive mandates the required standards for the collection and treatment of wastewater from urban areas of greater than 2,000 population equivalent. The directive dates from 1991, with the last implementation deadline in the directive being 31 December 2005. By this date, collection systems should have been in place and secondary treatment of...

Other Questions: Wastewater Treatment (25 May 2017)

Damien English: I mis-stated the figure. I said €1.7 billion but that was the total spend. From 2014 to 2024, about €1.1 billion will be required to ensure the compliance for the 38 agglomerations. That is the rough spend. Of the €1.7 billion, Irish Water plans to spend from 2017 to 2021, approximately €623 million is planned for investment in the cited areas. The planned...

Other Questions: Wastewater Treatment (25 May 2017)

Damien English: I am happy to do that. As with Deputy Catherine Connolly, the question the Deputy submitted it not the one he is asking me to answer now. I do not have the data with me. I have no problem getting the breakdown for the years. The total figure is €623 million. There is an additional €290 million needed beyond that now. The Deputy asked me the position on the legal...

Other Questions: Wastewater Treatment (25 May 2017)

Damien English: I know a lot of things but I would not like to put information on the record that might be slightly wrong. The Deputy likes accuracy of data and he likes quoting the figures when he gets them. I have no problem giving him the information.

Other Questions: Housing Assistance Payments (25 May 2017)

Damien English: It is recognised the level of supply in some rental markets can make the sourcing of accommodation very challenging, as we saw this week. The pressures in this regard are borne out by the data published recently by daft.ie, showing that rent asking prices rose nationwide by an average 13.4% in the year to March 2017. The report also shows that rent inflation in Dublin has slowed over the...

Other Questions: Housing Assistance Payments (25 May 2017)

Damien English: I was also quick.

Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Accommodation Provision (25 May 2017)

Damien English: I will not turn a blind eye to what is happening. All the statistics and figures the Department provides are fully transparent and available on our website. As I indicated in our earlier discussion, I have no doubt the housing assistance payment does not work for everybody but it works for many people.

Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Accommodation Provision (25 May 2017)

Damien English: I did not interrupt the Deputy. There is a story behind every family, which is fair enough, and I will not place anyone's story on record. However, the HAP scheme works for many people. Approximately 800 people who were homeless last year are now in accommodation as a result of the housing assistance payment. These people are content but the Deputy wishes to focus only on the negative....

Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Accommodation Provision (25 May 2017)

Damien English: Since Christmas alone, more than 600 people who presented as homeless have secured HAP tenancies and are in a much better position than they were previously. I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue and welcome the opportunity to clarify the position regarding what was a very distressing situation for all concerned. The Government is absolutely committed to addressing the...

Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Accommodation Provision (25 May 2017)

Damien English: Permanent solutions can only be provided by increasing the supply of housing. It is as simple as that, regardless of how one looks at it. We must increase supply. I will not go through all of the interventions that the Government and Department are making to achieve that, but much more housing is coming on stream this year, including through the use of vacant properties. Housing...

Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Accommodation Provision (25 May 2017)

Damien English: -----than commercial hotels. They are a worthy investment for people who declare themselves homeless. In April, we saw for the first time in many months a reduction in the number of families in commercial hotels. While the overall number in emergency accommodation showed an increase last month, the number of families in hotels and bed and breakfasts in Dublin reduced from 870 to 695....

Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Accommodation Provision (25 May 2017)

Damien English: I did not interrupt anyone. The units are not meant to be permanent, but they are much better than the temporary solution that existed previously.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (25 May 2017)

Damien English: The aim of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is to relieve critical infrastructural blockages in order to enable the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in urban areas with high demand for housing. On 28March 2017, Minister Coveney announced funding of €226.5 million for 34 projects under the LIHAF to build essential public...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Damien English: My Department is committed to the accelerated delivery of social housing and is working closely with all local authorities in relation to increasing and accelerating the delivery of a range of social housing programmes and supports, including rapid build/delivery homes.  At the end of 2016, a total of 350 rapid build homes were advancing through various stages of delivery,...