Results 8,021-8,040 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Agencies Data (14 Jun 2018)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 253 to 255, inclusive, together. Project Ireland 2040, published in February 2018, signals a significant policy shift towards securing more compact and sustainable urban and rural development, which requires significantly more effective land management in key development areas. Against that background, it is proposed to establish a National Regeneration and...

Topical Issue Debate: Planning Issues (19 Jun 2018)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Catherine Murphy for raising this important issue on unauthorised developments and how they are not being complied with. I do not have the details of this specific case and am I was not familiar with the story, but I am now aware of it. At the outset, I will outline the Minister's role in relation to the planning system. It is mainly to provide and update the legislative...

Topical Issue Debate: Planning Issues (19 Jun 2018)

Damien English: The role of the Minister and me in the planning system is to provide and update the legislation and policy guidance framework. The Minister cannot get involved in, or exercise any power in respect of, any particular case, including an enforcement issue with which a planning authority is or may be concerned. Responsibility for enforcement action in respect of any breach of the planning code...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments Data (19 Jun 2018)

Damien English: Lead policy responsibility in relation to Local Property Tax is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Finance. However, section 10 of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 provided that the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government may prescribe a list of unfinished housing developments to which an exemption from the local property tax applies. The list of unfinished...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mobility Allowance (19 Jun 2018)

Damien English: The terms and conditions governing the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme, including the payment limits, were reviewed in 2013/14 and I have no plans at this point for a further review. My main focus in respect of these grants is to spread their benefits by further increasing the funding available.  This is what has been done for 2018, with an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (19 Jun 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 the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Seaweed Harvesting Licences (19 Jun 2018)

Damien English: The licence in question was approved in principle by the then Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in 2011 and the legal papers giving effect to that decision were completed in 2014 by the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. As leave to apply for reliefs by way of Judicial Review on certain matters related to the licence has been granted...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pyrite Issues (19 Jun 2018)

Damien English: I want at the outset to acknowledge the difficult situations that can arise for home owners when building defects emerge after completion of their homes. These difficult situations can have a serious impact on the lives of those concerned.  The Expert Panel on concrete blocks was established by my Department in 2016, to investigate problems that have emerged in the concrete...

Other Questions: Traveller Accommodation (20 Jun 2018)

Damien English: In line with the commitment in Rebuilding Ireland, in 2017 the Housing Agency commissioned an independent expert review of funding for Traveller specific accommodation.  The review had regard to targets contained in the local authority Traveller accommodation programmes, actual delivery, the current status of accommodation funded and funding provided for accommodation maintenance and...

Other Questions: Traveller Accommodation (20 Jun 2018)

Damien English: I certainly agree with the Deputy that our ambition, as a Department, and certainly mine as Minister of State and that of the Minister is to have the money spent. It is very hard for us to argue for increased funding for Traveller specific accommodation if it is not spent. Last year less than €4.5 million out of a total budget of €9 million was spent. We are engaging with...

Other Questions: Traveller Accommodation (20 Jun 2018)

Damien English: Those of us in the House at the moment who are focused on this area have an ambition for this money to be spent. There is responsibility on all stakeholders, including Deputies, councillors, Senators, local managers and local authority staff as well as local communities and local Traveller groups. We need to work on this together. The Traveller accommodation programme review points out...

Other Questions: Vacant Properties (20 Jun 2018)

Damien English: I agree that we have to be very proactive in dealing with vacant properties. That is what we are trying to do. It was nice that the Central Statistics Office, CSO, figures last week reflected the fact that over 5,000 vacant properties had been brought back into use in the past two years. The report of the CSO was released last week and is independent of the Government. We also know that...

Other Questions: Vacant Properties (20 Jun 2018)

Damien English: Vacant homes officers and their teams are engaging on the issue. In Limerick four people have been assigned to the task. There is even a vacant homes manager. Their job is to proactively chase up vacant properties. I have seen good examples in different counties I have visited where vacant properties have been brought forward. We want the officers in question to do more. That is what we...

Other Questions: Vacant Properties (20 Jun 2018)

Damien English: We all agree that the numbers are not as high as we want them to be. The schemes have been put in place and they are attractive. We made changes to them to make them even more attractive. There is no reason the purchase and renew scheme cannot be used much more by local authorities which now understand this also. There are over 600 repair and lease-back properties in the system. Some 900...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (20 Jun 2018)

Damien English: Action 5.9 of the Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness and Action 6 of the Action Plan for Rural Development committed to reviewing planning legislation to allow the change of use of vacant commercial units in urban areas, including vacant or under-utilised areas over ground-floor premises, into residential units without having to go through the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Estates (20 Jun 2018)

Damien English: The taking-in-charge of housing developments is a matter for the relevant local authority under section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). My Department launched the National Taking-in-Charge Initiative (NTICI) in April 2016 to trial new approaches and working methods in supporting and accelerating overall national and local action on the taking-in-charge...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (20 Jun 2018)

Damien English: The first call for proposals for the Enhanced Long Term Social Housing Leasing Scheme was launched on 31 January 2018 and the Housing Agency accepted submissions from interested parties until 12 April 2018. A total of 33 submissions were received from interested parties, which represents strong interest from the market. The Housing Agency is currently reviewing the proposals and will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (20 Jun 2018)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 55 together. Firstly, I acknowledge the stressful circumstances which the owners and residents of buildings face when defects occur in their homes.  In response to the building failures that have emerged over the last decade, my Department has advanced a robust and focussed Building Control Reform Agenda,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Energy Rating Compliance (20 Jun 2018)

Damien English: The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 sets out the national objective of transitioning to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy in the period up to 2050.  It requires the publication of a national low carbon transition and mitigation plan every five years. In this regard, my Department is required to identify and develop sectoral...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Sites Data (20 Jun 2018)

Damien English: 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.  Planning authorities have issued notices to owners of...