Results 7,901-7,920 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Topical Issue Debate: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (16 May 2018)

Damien English: It is the officials and the councillors who will make the decisions. Some of the councillors are from the Deputies' own background and are part of that conversation also. We will look at every option to get these houses delivered. With regard to credit unions providing funds, the changes were made to allow this. I met the credit unions recently. We want them to be involved in housing...

Topical Issue Debate: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (16 May 2018)

Damien English: There is no site picked yet-----

Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (16 May 2018)

Damien English: It is an untrue charge.

Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (16 May 2018)

Damien English: I like it when I have co-operation from the other side.

Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (16 May 2018)

Damien English: Thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, for the opportunity to say a few words. I apologise as I did think I was winding up the debate. I was wound up earlier by some of the comments made.

Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (16 May 2018)

Damien English: It is one thing the Opposition Members are good at. I will give them that. A couple of points were raised earlier. I heard some of the comments made by the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, and by Deputy Jan O'Sullivan in response to what Fianna Fáil is calling for in the motion. Very often we are accused of not addressing the housing shortage early enough and not stepping in, but as...

Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (16 May 2018)

Damien English: I will make one final point. On local government funding, as I have explained previously, population increases have meant that counties such as Meath are underfunded. They have been underfunded for many years following population explosions. However, the first chance it got, the Government, as finances improved, began to redistribute funding to all local authorities. We are correcting the...

Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (16 May 2018)

Damien English: They are there now.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Programme (16 May 2018)

Damien English: Stronger compliance with building standards and the broader building control reform agenda are critical priorities for the Government, and a commitment has been given to placing the Construction Industry Register Ireland, or CIRI, on a statutory footing.  CIRI was established on a voluntary basis in 2014 and over 800 building and contracting entities are currently included on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme Implementation (16 May 2018)

Damien English: The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board, and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency. The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” and is limited in its application and scope.  The full conditions for...

Questions on Promised Legislation (17 May 2018)

Damien English: I do not have the figures for the numbers that presented to Garda stations but I can certainly try to get them for the Deputy. There is no reason for people to spend a night in Garda accommodation. There is no reason for it whatsoever. There are a lot of service providers and €120 million was spent this year directly on homelessness services. People are placed in emergency...

Questions on Promised Legislation (17 May 2018)

Damien English: I certainly will.

Topical Issue Debate: Water and Sewerage Schemes (17 May 2018)

Damien English: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of the upgrading of rural town and village schemes to further housing development. The Deputy highlighted the importance of doing this, particularly in Askeaton in his own native county of Limerick. This is something on which we must focus on if we are going to achieve our housing targets and get construction going again in the parts of the country...

Topical Issue Debate: Water and Sewerage Schemes (17 May 2018)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Neville for the information he has provided on the importance of Askeaton and other areas in County Limerick. It is important when Irish Water is rolling out its investments, it does so in collaboration with local Oireachtas Members and councillors. It has to take cognisance of the national planning framework, the national development plan, the forthcoming regional and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commemorative Medals (17 May 2018)

Damien English: The provision of fire services in local authority areas is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy and through a range of service development programmes. The issuing of 1916 - 2016 commemorative medals was a commitment in ‘A...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (22 May 2018)

Damien English: To further assist in addressing the legacy of unfinished housing developments, my Department announced in 2013 a special provision in the form of a targeted €10m Unfinished Housing Development Special Resolution Fund (SRF). Local authorities were invited to make applications for funding support to enable collaborative solutions to be found for unresolved residential...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (22 May 2018)

Damien English: In line with my role as a statutory consultee, my Department made submissions to Wicklow County Council on the Draft Bray Municipal District Local Area Plan 2018-2024 and the Material Alterations to the Draft Bray Municipal District Local Area Plan 2018-2024 on 15 September 2017 and 9 March 2018, respectively. These submissions are available to view on Wicklow County Council's website at the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commemorative Medals (22 May 2018)

Damien English: The provision of fire services in local authority areas is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy and through a range of service development programmes. The issuing of 1916 – 2016 Commemorative medals was a commitment in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (22 May 2018)

Damien English: I can confirm that I have received the correspondence referred to in the Question and a reply has issued from my Department. As you are aware, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Expert Panel on Concrete Blocks (23 May 2018)

Damien English: I have received the correspondence referred to by the Deputy, and  a  reply to the correspondence has been issued from my Department. 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...