Results 7,401-7,420 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Policy (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 635 to 638, inclusive, together. The Strategy for the Rental Sector, published in December 2016, noted that the Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to develop a "cost rental" option, taking account of work already completed in this area, including by NESC and others. In line with this commitment, Action 12 of the Strategy...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Vacant Sites Levy (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 introduced a new measure, the vacant site levy, which is aimed at incentivising the development of vacant, under-utilised sites in urban areas.  Under the Act, planning authorities are required to establish a register of vacant sites in their areas, beginning on 1 January 2017, and to issue annual notices to owners of vacant sites by 1...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I apologise for being late, but the Cabinet meeting did go on a bit. Last week Senator Jennifer Murnane O'Connor spoke about the homeless persons in hotels targets not being reached. Obviously, it is one of the first issues I have had to confront since being given this brief. The first target is to ensure new families who find themselves in the precarious position where they have to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I have responsibility for the numbers concerning my Department but I am willing to talk to colleagues to determine whether there is another piece of work we can do on this issue. I will raise the issue with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The Senator asked me to reconsider the various local authority social housing income thresholds. I will consider this but I do not want to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Yes. There is some money in my Department to help if we want to do more about advertising to raise public awareness. On the issue of voids, a new programme was commenced to try to deal with the backlog. A sum of €80 million was provided, and 7,000 social homes across the 31 local authority areas were remediated to a high standard. I acknowledge, however, that not every local...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Yes, and it will not just be targeting homes. We will target what is not currently being used, or at least has not in recent years been used, as a home. That is an important factor to consider. I have already spoken to officials about the process and I hope I will have another chance to speak about it with regard to the review that has begun. It is a daily part of my work. As I consult...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I am still trying to figure that out. As this is a very busy week for the Dáil, there may not be an opportunity to make the announcement in the Chamber. It might be a public statement released by the Department. I want to inform people exactly what is happening in this regard. Members will have heard this morning, or yesterday, about the detection of cladding on a building in Cork....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Work on the statement is still being finalised. I was at a Cabinet meeting this morning and there were a number of issues arising therefrom which I have had to deal with. We are keeping the homeless families issue under review with the local authorities as well and we are reviewing Rebuilding Ireland. It is not that we are not working on this: we are. I need to ensure that if local...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: There are a couple of pieces-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: There are a few pieces-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: First, there is an obligation on all of us not to cause panic.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I welcome that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Second, my Department received a fire safety report from the Office of the Attorney General in May which I want to publish as quickly as I can but there are a couple of issues around it on which I need to consult with the Attorney General before I can do so. Third, what we want to do in terms of building control management inspections is move to a risk based regime so that as the data are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I will continue on the other issues raised by Deputy Boyd Barrett at the last meeting. I have already touched on the points he raised earlier in regard to homeless families and the hubs.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Perhaps the Deputy would remind me because I do not have a record of it in my notes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I cannot agree with that, Deputy Boyd Barrett.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Is it okay for them to be in a situation where the hotel could evict them on any morning? Is okay if that hotel does not have sufficient cooking facilities, play areas or any of the supports that we have in hubs?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: What I outlined the last day at this committee was that we are going to be dealing with certain exceptional cases where a tailored solution will have to be found. The commitment made a year ago was that homeless families would not be accommodated in hotels unless there were exceptional circumstances. There are a number of families with continuing exceptional circumstances. We will get to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I am answering that question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Resumed) (27 Jun 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Where there are difficulties around transport needs to and from school, and where the hotel might be closer to the school, Leap cards and means are provided to make sure the family can do that. I am not convinced, however, that families' overall needs would be better met in a hotel given the different supports we can give to them around all these things. Unfortunately, there are families...