Results 8,201-8,220 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: Neither the Minister nor I have any problem in saying it is not enough because we know it ourselves and will keep doing more, but it is wrong to say we are doing nothing. It is not true and not honest. I repeatedly heard Members who support the motion say the Government had to start a social housing plan, as if there was no plan. I have sat across the table from some of them and asked...

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: There is no choice while we are waiting for social housing to be built. People have to live somewhere. There is a reliance on the HAP and other schemes. We accept that it involves the private sector, but many in the private sector are helping us to provide housing solutions. It is accepted that in the short term we will have to do so, while we increase the social housing stock. There is...

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: There is also an issue with perception. Some refuse to avail of the HAP scheme. I argue that one is much better off on a journey to a permanent house, be it social, private or affordable, being in a house with the help of the HAP scheme, rather than living in emergency accommodation.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: I will defend the scheme to the hilt. It is not about ideology. We are committed to the provision of social housing, but we are also committed to the provision of affordable and private housing. As a Government, we have a role to play in increasing the supply of housing in general.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: Rebuilding Ireland and Project 2040 put in place a sustainable housing construction sector again that was not in place five, seven or ten years ago because nobody was building houses. There was no money available. Now we are heading back to having a sustainable housing construction sector.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: Our job is to deliver houses across the system and we will continue to do so.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: The Housing Aid for Older People Scheme provides grants of up to €8,000 to assist older people living in poor housing conditions to have necessary repairs or improvement works carried out. The grant eligible works include the provision of heating and any repair or improvement works which are considered reasonably necessary. The detailed administration of these grants, including...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations Provision (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs, and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Service Act, 1981. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pyrite Resolution Board (4 Oct 2018)

Damien English: The 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 is a scheme of “last resort” and is limited in its application and scope. The full conditions for eligibility are set out in the scheme which is available on the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commemorative Medals (9 Oct 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...

Financial Resolutions 2019 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (10 Oct 2018)

Damien English: We need to do both.

Financial Resolutions 2019 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (10 Oct 2018)

Damien English: I thank my colleagues for sharing their time. I welcome the budget. It is quite a good budget. It is a prudent and balanced budget, which is key. We were using the money of the taxpayer wisely in this budget. I have listened to people today and in the past weeks comment on the different options and choices. Budgets are about choices and direction. I heard many speeches today about...

Financial Resolutions 2019 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (10 Oct 2018)

Damien English: That is true.

Financial Resolutions 2019 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (10 Oct 2018)

Damien English: That is its choice. I have to judge it on its choice which is to do nothing but talk. We have had five or six years of jobs budgets which are very important. Deputy Micheál Martin was the first to claim, as did others, that the Action Plan for Jobs had nothing to do with job creation, yet when we produced the action plan and said we would create 100,000 jobs, everyone laughed and...

Financial Resolutions 2019 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (10 Oct 2018)

Damien English: It was factual.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Student Accommodation (10 Oct 2018)

Damien English: Section 50 of the Finance Act 1999 provided for a scheme of tax relief for rented residential accommodation for third level students - commonly referred to as section 23 relief. The associated legislation for the tax scheme provided that guidelines may be issued by the Minister for Education and Science, in consultation with the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, with the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Foreshore Licence Applications (10 Oct 2018)

Damien English: I thank the Senator for raising this matter in the Seanad, outlining the background to it and explaining how we have ended up where we are. I also thank him for reminding us about the importance of undertaking coastal protection works and the power of the oceans which, in turn, highlights the importance of the upcoming marine strategy which will look ahead for the next 20 years. It will...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Foreshore Licence Applications (10 Oct 2018)

Damien English: I again thank the Senator for raising the issue which is of local and national importance. I will discuss it with all relevant bodes to try to secure a speedy decision.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Foreshore Licence Applications (10 Oct 2018)

Damien English: My Department would like to conclude the matter to enabling the works to be completed.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Oct 2018)

Damien English: There is an ongoing conversation on the local needs aspect of the rural planning guidelines. We expect to see some movement on that in the autumn. To be clear, more than 6,000 one-off houses have been built every year in this country for the last several years, so many one-off houses are still being built. Each local authority is its own planning authority. The local councillors will vote...