Results 7,681-7,700 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 37, 53 and 67 together. The Strategy for the Rental Sector, published in December 2016, noted that the Programme for a Partnership Governmentcontains a commitment to develop a "cost rental" option, taking account of work already completed in this area, including by the National Economic and Social Council and others. In line with this commitment, Action 12 of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Rent Controls (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Strategy for the Rental Sectorrecognises that high and rapidly rising rents are the most significant and immediate threat to the accommodation security of many households. For this reason, the Government introduced the Rent Predictability Measure and established the system of Rent Pressure Zones in December 2016 to moderate the rise in rents in the parts of the country where rents are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 59 together. TheRebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and Homelessnessprovides for early solutions to address the high number of households and families in emergency accommodation. These include the delivery of increased social housing supply through new-build, acquisition and refurbishment schemes and independent tenancies for homeless households...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: There are no specific planning guidelines in place in respect of solar farms. Proposals for individual solar farm developments are subject to the statutory requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, in the same manner as other proposed developments. Planning applications are made to the relevant local planning authority with a right of appeal to An Bord Pleanála....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Recruitment (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the public service was introduced in March 2009 following a Government decision to implement savings measures across the wider public service, as a response to the financial crisis facing the State. The terms of the moratorium were explicit and provided that no public service post, however arising, was to be filled by recruitment or...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Review of the Mortgage to Rent Scheme,published on 8 February 2017, introduced a range of amendments to the eligibility criteria and administration of the scheme in order for it to work better for borrowers. The changes to the eligibility criteria came into effect on 27 March 2017.Since the introduction of the Mortgage to Rent (MTR) Scheme in 2012, a total of 3,694 cases have been...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Taoiseach signalled the Government’s intention to carry out a focused review of Rebuilding Ireland, as we approach the first 12 months of its implementation. This review is now underway, with an emphasis on strengthening the measures already in place and identifying new initiatives that add value and raise ambition across all five Pillars. As part of the review process, my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness outlined an initiative to provide homeless families residing in hotel accommodation in the Dublin Region with access to free public transport for family travel and for school journeys, with the Dublin Region Homeless Executive overseeing the arrangements. Five separate 24-hour family Leap cards were made available to all...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Rent Pressure Zones (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 45 and 1317 together. The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 sets out the process through which Rent Pressure Zones can be designated. It provides that the Housing Agency, in consultation with housing authorities, may make a proposal to the Minister that an area should be considered as a Rent Pressure Zone. Following receipt...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department regularly monitors the planning process and acts to ensure that it facilitates appropriate multi-unit housing developments to meet the broader housing requirements of society. My Department’s 2009 Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areasencourage local authorities to bring about high quality and sustainable urban...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The new Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme for existing local authority houses came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum, have been...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 54 together. The Expert Panel on concrete blocks was established by my Department in 2016, to investigate problems that have emerged in the concrete blockwork of certain dwellings in Counties Donegal and Mayo. The panel had 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: Planning Issues (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: An initial draft of the National Planning Framework (NPF), Ireland 2040 – Our Plan, is at an advanced stage of preparation. The intention is that the draft Plan, accompanied by an Environmental Report as required under the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive, will be published for consultation, allowing for input from stakeholders and the general public. Moreover, the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: 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. Dublin, in particular, is suffering from a significant deficit in supply of new homes. This Fund is key to getting sites moving which would...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Under Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations, the allocation of social housing support to qualified households is a matter for the local authority concerned. As Minister, I am precluded from intervening in relation to the procedures followed, or decisions made, by housing authorities in the allocation of particular dwellings. In relation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Nitrates Usage (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: In accordance with the Nitrates Directive, Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme is due for review this year. Negotiations with the European Commission with a view to having a revised Nitrates Action Programme in place by the end of 2017 have commenced. As part of the review, a full public consultation process was undertaken and this closed on 3 May 2017. All submissions received...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Funding (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessnessemphasises the need to look at new ways of funding social housing delivery, in particular the need to provide structural, funding and policy supports to increase delivery of social housing by Approved Housing Bodies.In that context, it states that support will be provided to an Irish Council for Social Housing/sector-led new...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Government is committed to a broad range of measures to tackle, among other things, some of the costs associated with the provision of housing. This includes undertaking a detailed analysis, in conjunction with the construction sector, to benchmark housing delivery input costs in Ireland, in order to facilitate an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Vacant Sites Levy (13 Jul 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 June 2018 in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Fire Safety (13 Jul 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department has overall responsibility for the statutory regulatory framework governing both Building Control and Fire Services. Inspection and enforcement are a matter for local authorities who, under the relevant legislation, are designated as Building Control and Fire Authorities in their respective functional areas and have extensive statutory powers of inspection and enforcement....