Results 8,281-8,300 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fire Safety (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: Procedures have been put in place. The work is ongoing but the task force indicated clearly that management companies, owners of properties and resident associations need to deal with local authorities, which are the local building control authorities, to work through the issues. We are very clear where the responsibility lies. We understand and know there are issues around sinking funds,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fire Safety (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: The work is ongoing and no final decision has been made as to whether a regulator is required. We are clear that the procedures put in place by the 2014 Act will certainly ensure this will not be an issue in future. We are confident of this and we must ensure we can continuously enforce the procedures through local authorities as the lead building control authorities. The first interim...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fisheries Protection (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: The establishment of the steering group in regard to the fish passage at Parteen is a key measure of the Government’s river basin management plan for Ireland 2018-2021. The Parteen area of the Shannon is designated as a heavily modified water body under the water framework directive and it is incumbent on us to apply enhancement measures, where practicable, to improve the ecological...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fisheries Protection (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: I thank Deputy O'Sullivan. We had a similar conversation at the meeting at Ardnacrusha with a view to making sure we look at any and all solutions, both the ones brought forward by engineers from all over the world and the local suggestions. The steering group has 18 months of work ahead of it to look at all the different ideas and different solutions, but also to try to take advantage of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fisheries Protection (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: To be clear, our Department will be chairing and leading this. It is a commitment the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, gave when he launched the river basin plan in April of this year because it is an important area of work, for all the reasons the Deputy has outlined. I again commend all the stakeholders for coming together around the table. It is very clear to me there is a good working...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Funding (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: The development of publicly-owned lands for housing is a key Government priority. In 2019, the Government will provide over €2.4 billion for housing. All local authorities are encouraged to bring forward viable and appropriate development proposals that can be funded through the range of schemes and programmes which have been put in place. The Department, the Minister and I are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Funding (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: So was my reply.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Funding (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: I will again be very clear, as I was in my initial reply. There are 68 ha of land, not 50 acres, available to the local authority in Louth to develop housing. That land could accommodate 1,700 houses. I say it again for the record, we are very clear that funding is available to develop more schemes on lands owned by Louth County Council. I cannot make it any clearer than that. We have...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Funding (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: I did not mention the Land Development Agency. I am very clear that we have met with Louth County Council. It has a pipeline of projects to deliver more than 740 houses in the coming year or two. We have been very clear that we would like more projects to be in the pipeline. There are schemes to do that and we are very happy to engage with the council in this regard. We are funding...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Funding (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: No, they have not refused. No one has refused.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Funding (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: We are very clear.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Funding (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: I am telling Deputy Munster that there are opportunities to develop schemes and we will work with the council to do that. We are an open book in this regard.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Funding (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: There is a pipeline of projects I am happy with but we want to increase the number of projects and the funding is there for it as well.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Data (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: The Department does not keep data on the number of vacant or void local authority houses waiting refurbishment at any given point in time.  Statistics in respect of social housing, including the number and percentage of total local authority dwellings that are vacant, are compiled by the National Oversight and Audit Commission in its annual reports on performance indicators in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Data (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: I will certainly engage with the local authority to see what the issue is and to see if there is any confusion. There is no confusion on my part. We wrote all local authorities in September to ask them to bring forward any additional voids they have. If work is completed by 14 December, this will be covered under the budget as well. More than 1,800 voids will be refurbished this year....

Dublin (North Inner City) Development Authority Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Lahart for providing this opportunity for the House to focus its attention on Dublin’s north inner city. I also thank Deputy Curran for his contribution. It is worth bringing this into focus and to review where we have been over the past two years. The issue was known of well before two years ago. We were clear when we sat down with Mr. Kieran Mulvey to make these...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Expert Panel on Concrete Blocks (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 122 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. On 13 June 2017, the report of the was published and included eight recommendations, which my Department is actively progressing with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80, 87 and 89 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pyrite Resolution Board (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 109 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Planning Framework (14 Nov 2018)

Damien English: The National Planning Framework (NPF), published together with the National Development Plan (NDP) as part of Project Ireland 2040 earlier this year, is intended to provide the strategic context for future planning, development and investment over the next two decades. In addition, the NPF represents a long-term strategy for Government Departments, State agencies, State-owned enterprises,...