Results 8,521-8,540 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Government recognises the serious challenge we face in terms of housing. For that reason housing has been made a top priority through the development and implementation of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.This priority has been reinforced further through increased capital and current funding for housing.  Following Budget 2018, over €6bn...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Inspections (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Government's Strategy for the Rental Sector, published in December 2016, sets out a wide range of measures to be introduced under the headings of Supply, Security, Standards and Services, many of which have already been progressed. I have already introduced a range of measures to strengthen the applicable standards and to improve the services provided in terms of inspection and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Standards (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 275, 286 and 287 together. The Government's Strategy for the Rental Sector, published in December 2016, set out a series of measures to be introduced to ensure the quality of private rental accommodation by strengthening the applicable standards and improving the inspection and enforcement systems. On 1 July 2017, updated standards, the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The current standard variable interest rate charged to local authority borrowers, applicable since 1 July 2016, is 2.3%, which is below the average variable mortgage rate charged by commercial lenders. The rate charged by local authorities is arrived at taking into account their cost of funds from the Housing Finance Agency plc (HFA) (currently 1%), and the local authorities' costs for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Voluntary Housing Sector (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness recognises the key contribution that Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) make to the delivery of social housing and in this context it is important that AHBs have the capability to contribute to the additional social housing targeted over the period to 2021. To this end, the housing delivery capacity of AHBs will need to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Voluntary Housing Sector (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Government Departments undertake expenditure reviews over three-year cycles; the current cycle covers the period 2015-2017.  The reviews may take the form of value for money reviews (VFMs), which are evaluations of major spending programmes, or focussed policy assessments (FPAs), which are smaller-scale exercises. Departments commit to specific reviews in each cycle.  In the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Review (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: In line with the commitment given in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, a review of the first 12 months of the Tenant Purchase scheme’s operation has been undertaken. The review has incorporated analysis of comprehensive data received from local authorities regarding the operation of the scheme during 2016 and a wide-ranging public consultation process...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment Data (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 280 and 281 together. There are currently over 29,000 households being supported by the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme across the State. On average, 350 households are being set up on HAP each week in 2017. The HAP scheme is funded through a combination of Exchequer monies and tenant differential rents collected in respect of HAP...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme Administration (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Since 1 April 2011 and the commencement of section 19 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, rental accommodation availability agreements, including Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) agreements, are considered to be a form of social housing support. As such, tenants accommodated by a local authority in a RAS arrangement are deemed to have their housing needs...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) support the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for the leasing of houses and apartments.  The properties are secured by local authorities for social housing under leases or availability agreements which provide...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Eligibility (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribe maximum net income limits for each housing authority, in different bands according to the area, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. The income bands and the authority area assigned to each band were based on an assessment of the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Severe Weather Events Response (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department was in regular contact with Cork County Council and Cork City Council in the run up to Storm Ophelia which impacted the country on 16 October. As the track and intensity of the storm became more certain my Department wrote to Cork County Council and to Cork City Council as well as all other local authorities on 13 October advising that the Department intended to convene a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rent Controls (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Strategy for the Rental Sector, published in December 2016, recommended the introduction of a Rent Predictability Measure to moderate rent increases in those parts of the country where rents are highest and rising - where households have greatest difficulties in finding accommodation they can afford. The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 provided for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mortgage Lending (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The terms and conditions governing the operation of the standard annuity House Purchase Loan provided by local authorities to first-time buyers are set out most recently in the Housing (Local Authority Loans) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 408 of 2012). To support local authorities in operating their housing loan scheme in a consistent and efficient manner, the Housing Agency provides a central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Mazars Ireland’s Independent Review of Homeless Services report was commissioned by my Department and published in late 2015. The report was primarily a desktop review of available information and broadly sets out an overview of the organisations involved in delivering homeless services, the types of services and their public funding. With regard to recommendations, in summary the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Availability (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department, in conjunction with local authority planning departments, carried out a national survey of all lands zoned for residential development in statutory local authority development plans and local area plans across Ireland. This exercise, the Residential Land Availability Survey 2014, published in February 2015, determined the location and quantity of lands that may be regarded as...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2017: Second Stage (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I present the Water Services Bill 2017 before the Seanad. The Bill provides for the repeal of the 2014 domestic water charging regime and introduces a new regime 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 making these changes, provision is made in the Bill for the extinguishing of...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2017: Second Stage (9 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I will be brief in my concluding remarks. I thank Senator Ó Céidigh for the incredible and important work he has managed and steered by chairing the committee. His public service has not only aided the stability of our politics and political system at the moment, given that we are in a minority Government, but has also aided the stability of our water system and future investment....

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Yes, we will bring forward legislation on overcrowding and other issues regarding the rental sector as part of our change management plan for the Residential Tenancies Board in the first half of next year.

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: As I announced in September, I will bring forward a definition. We are at the final phases of clarifying that at present to close that loophole. If that needs to be put on a legislative footing, we will do that as well.