Results 8,041-8,060 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I welcome the opportunity to discuss this important issue in the House. We have a history in this country of shying away from discussing difficult things or things that make us uncomfortable. That has not been the right approach to take so we have to talk about this, and talk about it a lot, if we are going to find the right solutions. Deputy Munster should not assume that I am...

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Do not personalise this against me. I am not comfortable about this.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Taoiseach himself has said this is a stain on us, and I support him in saying that. If we are going to discuss this, debate this and find solutions, we have to work together to do it. If the Deputy personalises this against individuals in this Chamber, if she seeks to bully other people and other parties, then she is not trying to be a constructive contributor to this debate or these...

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: It is not reflective of her colleague, Deputy Eoin Ó Broin, who seeks to make a constructive contribution to this debate in every engagement I have had with him to date. To address the motion, the Government will not be voting against the motion but we will not be voting in support of it either. We agree with the broad thrust of much of what is in the motion, because we believe that...

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: We must also be careful in terms of what we say to the public as to what we believe is possible. Solidarity-People Before Profit Deputies want us to build 20,000 houses next year. How exactly do they think that will happen and where would it happen? Will it happen in the proper locations or will we return to bad planning? Deputies talk of the funding we spent in 2008 before we had an...

Water Services Bill 2017: Order for Second Stage (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Water Services Bill 2017: Second Stage (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." Today I present the Water Services Bill 2017 before the Dáil. The Bill provides for the repealing of the 2014 domestic water charging regime and it introduces a new programme focused on the promotion of water conservation under which a levy will apply in certain circumstances for usage of water above a reasonable threshold. In...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ministerial Responsibilities (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: There are two Ministers of State assigned to my Department, Minister of State Damien English and Minister of State John Paul Phelan. A range of responsibilities in the areas of Planning, Housing, Marine and Foreshore, and Fire Services have been assigned to Minister of State English.  These functions include oversight of the implementation of local authority Development Plans...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) in their areas.  My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations Provision (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The provision of fire services in local authority areas, including the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of premises, is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Act, 1981. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties Data (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Statistics in relation to social housing stock are gathered by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in their annual reports on Performance Indicators in Local Authorities. These statistics are set out by local authority and include the percentage of such dwellings that were vacant at the end of the year, with the last year for which the statistics are available being 2015....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: There are a number of variables in terms of estimating the cost of providing social housing units e.g. form of delivery, size of unit, land, funding etc. The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness is based on a blended approach to delivery, under which there are a range of delivery mechanisms such as building, leasing and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Disabled Persons Grant Scheme provides funding for adaptations to existing social housing stock such as grab rails, disabled access ramps, wet rooms, etc. The Scheme also provides for extensions in cases of overcrowding.   In order to ensure that there were no delays for priority and urgent cases under the scheme, all local authorities were advised on 24 March 2017...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Availability (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 and 210 together. Each local authority is required to maintain a register of all lands its owns or leases.  Details of the entire portfolio of land held by all local authorities, for all purposes, is not available in my Department. However, my Department, working with local authorities and the Housing Agency, has collated details...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties Data (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department does not hold information on the number of unoccupied houses waiting acceptance of offer in each county council area. The allocation of social housing support to qualified households is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with its allocation scheme made in accordance with section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment Data (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is now available to all eligible households throughout the State. There are currently more than 27,000 households in receipt of HAP and more than 20,000 separate landlords and agents providing accommodation to households supported by the HAP scheme. In relation to the number of persons at the end of each...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Eligibility (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: For the purposes of the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, household income is calculated as the annual gross income of the registered property owner together with all household members over 18 (or over 23 if in full-time education) in the previous tax year. Certain income is not taken into account, or is disregarded, in calculating household income,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Eligibility (27 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme 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 and having been in receipt of social...

Business of Dáil (28 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I do not think this is a rushed matter and I do not think we need to delay it any further. The committee we propose sending this to needs to deal with the totality of issues that have been recommended in the Constitutional Convention's eighth report. That committee deals with finance, expenditure and reform issues and with the Department of the Taoiseach. Given the scope of the committee,...

Eighth Report of the Convention on the Constitution: Referral to Joint Committee (28 Sep 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I move:That Dáil Éireann agrees that the Eighth Report of the Convention on the Constitution, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 30 March, 2014, including its recommendations in relation to the right to housing, be referred to the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach in accordance with Standing Order 84A(4)(k), to consider...