Results 8,581-8,600 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Credit Unions (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: The Programme for a Partnership Government recognised the potential role that credit unions can play in housing finance and supported the efforts of the Registrar of Credit Unions at the Central Bank to gradually lift current lending restrictions as appropriate, including for housing. Credit Union bodies have set out proposed means by which funding could be provided by Credit Unions to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Oireachtas Joint Committee Reports (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 110 together. The Safe as Houses report referred to has been considered by my Department and while I can subscribe to many of the principles in the report, I believe that the building control reform agenda, with its many initiatives, already provides a comprehensive roadmap for embedding a culture of real compliance within the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Expert Panel on Concrete Blocks (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 108 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. In 2017, the report of the Expert Panel was published and included eight recommendations, which my Department is actively progressing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, local authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and for the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes in their areas.  Local  authorities submit funding proposals for Traveller-specific projects on an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: 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: Fire Service (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: 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 Acts 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting national policy,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Natura 2000 (10 Apr 2019)

Damien English: As I have stated in previous replies on this matter, I am committed to developing primary legislation to provide for the creation of a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in accordance with the requirements of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Work on this will commence when legislation to prohibit certain products containing plastic microbeads is sufficiently advanced....

Seanad: Property Services (Advertisement of Unfit Lettings) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Second Stage (10 Apr 2019)

Damien English: I wish to thank Senators Ó Donnghaile, Gavan and Warfield for bringing forward this Bill which provides us with an opportunity to discuss the advertising of unfit lettings. Some rental properties are of such poor quality they should not be on the market, let alone advertised. No Member would condone that. The Government has no problem with the Bill’s principle. We would be...

Seanad: Property Services (Advertisement of Unfit Lettings) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Second Stage (10 Apr 2019)

Damien English: I will be happy to interact with the Senator.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Apr 2019)

Damien English: As the Deputy will be aware, it was confirmed in October that we would introduce a scheme. Our Department, in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, has been working on it for the past few months It was ready to bring to Cabinet a few times but different issues arose with Brexit and so on. We hope to bring it either to the next Cabinet meeting or the one after...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Foreshore Licence Conditions (11 Apr 2019)

Damien English: The licence in question provides for the harvesting of kelp in specific areas of Bantry Bay in rotation. The areas to be harvested are outlined in the original application and supporting documentation which is available on my Department's website at www.housing.gov.ie/planning/foreshore/applications/bioatlant is-ltd. The licence does not confer exclusive use of the areas...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (11 Apr 2019)

Damien English: In line with the commitment in Rebuilding Ireland, and reflecting the disappointing level of overall funding drawdown in recent years, the Housing Agency, in 2017, commissioned a review of funding for traveller-specific accommodation to date.  This review had regard to targets contained in local authority TAPs and actual delivery, the current status of accommodation funded and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations Provision (16 Apr 2019)

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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (16 Apr 2019)

Damien English: 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. In 2017, the report of the Expert Panel was published and included eight recommendations, which my Department is actively progressing with the relevant stakeholders, prioritising the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Control Management System (16 Apr 2019)

Damien English: In relation to building standards, regulation and homeowner protection, significant progress has been and continues to be made in the context of the many building defects that have emerged over the last decade in houses and apartments built during the 2000s. However, it must be noted that under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2014, primary responsibility for compliance of works...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (16 Apr 2019)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 563 and 564 together. The Building Regulations apply to the design and construction of a new building and to certain works to existing buildings. The minimum performance requirements that a building must achieve are set out in the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations in 12 parts, Parts A to M. Part B (Fire safety) sets down the statutory minimum...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations Compliance (16 Apr 2019)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 565 and 566 together. In response to the many building failures that have come to attention over the last decade, the Government has embarked on a multi-pronged Building Control Reform Agenda, to reduce the risk of similar problems occurring again. The reform is centred on three main initiatives: - Reform of the Building Control...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations Provision (16 Apr 2019)

Damien English: Kanturk Fire Station is included in the programme of sixteen fire stations for construction within the five-year, €40 million, allocation of the Fire Services Capital Programme announced in February 2016. Draft designs for the new station have been received and reviewed by my Department, and approval issued to the Council on 16 July, 2018 to proceed to seek tenders for the project. ...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Apr 2019)

Damien English: We naturally want this scheme to be fully confirmed at Cabinet but the most important aspect was Cabinet agreement for the scheme to happen. That happened last September or October. All the groups involved know that it will take some time to put this scheme together. We moved quite fast on this in the past year and a half based on the expert report because we understand people need help...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Apr 2019)

Damien English: The Minister restated those remarks at the joint committee this morning and I reaffirm that it remains the position. I will ensure there is correspondence to local authorities to confirm that as well.