Results 8,721-8,740 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (26 Jun 2019)

Damien English: I will try to answer all of the questions asked, but I can send anything I miss to the Deputies in written correspondence. The Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, has asked that we look at earlier communications and officials are investigating if that is possible. There is also the question of giving more detailed information in our announcements. We are happy to try to do that, too. The...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Emergency Accommodation Provision (27 Jun 2019)

Damien English: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter and for the opportunity to clarify what is happening. I do not have the numbers referred to by the Deputy but I am happy to discuss the general point. We naturally hope the good work happening during each month is demonstrated in the figures. Although the figures are far too high, quite a number of families are helped at a much earlier...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Emergency Accommodation Provision (27 Jun 2019)

Damien English: Deputy Ó Broin seems to have plenty of information but I understand he wants to put it on the record of the House, and there is no problem doing that. If I do not have the full answers to any of the questions he asked, I will get them for him. My understanding is that they are 120 new beds to replace the previous beds and that they will be run by different service providers. I...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Emergency Accommodation Provision (27 Jun 2019)

Damien English: I do not have the breakdown as to whether they are dorms or single beds. I will get that information for the Deputy. It is possibly a combination of both.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Emergency Accommodation Provision (27 Jun 2019)

Damien English: I do not have that but, if possible, I will get it for the Deputy. I want to be clear. All Deputies know, because they engage frequently with the NGOs, that we would prefer people not to stay on the streets. There are beds available. We make sure there is extra capacity in the system and that there is a bed available for everybody. During major weather events more people come in but on a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Community Development Projects (27 Jun 2019)

Damien English: I thank the Deputies for raising this important matter. As we all know, community centres are a cornerstone of many communities around the country. They provide a vital function, bringing together members of the community for social, educational and informational purposes. We need community centres open and working well in communities because they help tie all communities together,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Community Development Projects (27 Jun 2019)

Damien English: I thank the three Deputies for raising this issue. I sense its importance. Deputies have noted, probably with some frustration, that my answer focused specifically on fire safety but, as the issue that falls within my remit, I was asked to address it. It is a serious issue. I am conscious that other centres and buildings may face the same issues. I must be clear on the ownership and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Urban Renewal Schemes (27 Jun 2019)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Butler for raising this important matter and for giving me another opportunity to discuss and clarify it. It is a project with which I am very familiar. I am also familiar with the site. It is a project of which we are very supportive and rightly so. It is very important if we are to achieve our ambition in Project Ireland 2040 and the national planning framework. It is...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Urban Renewal Schemes (27 Jun 2019)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Butler for raising this issue. The URDF is focused on supporting projects that will assist regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland's five cities and other large towns and enable a greater proportion of residential and mixed use development to deliver within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and towns. I reiterate that we are very supportive of the project. It...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (27 Jun 2019)

Damien English: The Government has committed to placing the Construction Industry Register Ireland, or CIRI, on a statutory footing. CIRI was established on a voluntary basis in 2014 and over 850 building and contracting entities are currently included on the register. The Government approved the draft heads of a Bill to place the CIRI on a statutory footing and the Bill was referred to the Joint...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (2 Jul 2019)

Damien English: The Fire Services Act 1981 provides for the establishment of fire authorities and the organisation of fire services and for fire-fighting, as well as life safety and the protection and rescue of persons and property and related matters. The Act was amended in 2003 by Part III of the Licensing of Indoor Events Act 2003, primarily to clarify the responsibility of 'persons having control' of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Local Authority Housing (2 Jul 2019)

Damien English: I thank the Senator for raising this issue and the issue of housing in general and for keeping the focus on Rebuilding Ireland and the targets set therein. He is right to say that no single scheme will solve this issue. It will be a number of schemes and we have to keep pushing them and adding to them. We must look at the different opportunities presented in different local authorities in...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Local Authority Housing (2 Jul 2019)

Damien English: It is practically ready to go and we have communicated with local authorities over the year. They have their targets and know approximately what they will get and it is important that they plan for that. Some have made their plans and are implementing them, so there is no issue there. It is an issue for us. We need the BER certificates to be sure we are getting the value for taxpayers'...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2019)

Damien English: The name of a property is not a matter for the Government. The local authorities are engaged with developers on the names which they may call a development. In regard to co-living, there are guidelines set out. Every application will be judged on those guidelines. They allow a certain type of model of co-living. Decisions already made in this area follow those guidelines. No doubt,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2019)

Damien English: The decisions about extending rent pressure zones are not made by Ministers or the Department. Under the legislation, a combination of local authorities and the Residential Tenancies Board make those decisions. The local authority would certainly be involved in kicking off that process in any specific town or village. I will certainly bring it to the attention of our officials and the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Jul 2019)

Damien English: As the Deputy well knows, the legislation that was debated and passed in recent weeks and months will also have an impact on rent pressure zones and it will strengthen the position in that regard as well. Naturally, the legislation coming forward in the autumn is something we can use to try to strengthen the case. We will look at all options.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Expert Panel on Concrete Blocks (4 Jul 2019)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 461 and 462 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 with the...

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

Damien English: 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: Traveller Accommodation (9 Jul 2019)

Damien English: 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: Legislative Measures (9 Jul 2019)

Damien English: The Marine Planning and Development Management Bill evolved from the Maritime Area and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill on foot of legal advice received from the Attorney General in November 2018.   Revised proposals for a more comprehensive, holistic and robust approach to State consenting and development management in the Maritime Area are being developed jointly with my colleague, the...