Results 8,781-8,800 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Brexit Preparations (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: Since my Department started its Brexit planning, the question of the impact on the housing sector has been under consideration and has also been the subject of discussions at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government. The Government has indicated clearly, on foot of analysis undertaken, that the UK's exit from the European Union will have a detrimental impact...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Construction Industry Register Ireland (26 Sep 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...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health and Safety (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: I thank Senator Buttimer for raising this matter. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Daly, who could not be here but who welcomes the discussion on this important area. We continue to discuss issues of mental health in the workplace and training for people involved in that area. It is an area of high priority for the Government for many reasons, including those put...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health and Safety (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: On behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Daly, I thank Senator Buttimer for raising this important matter. I will bring back to the Minister of State the points the Senator has made on considering more ways to encourage best practice by employers and the need for training and discussion on this issue. I am not sure that legislation is the way forward, but I will mention that to the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Autism Support Services (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: I thank Senator Gavan for providing this opportunity to have this debate on a very important area. I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh, as he could not make it here to take part in the debate. The Government is determined to ensure every child is allocated a school place, including through the use of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Autism Support Services (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: I should be clear that the Government is determined to ensure every child is allocated a school place and to use the legislation when it must, when it is appropriate and when it is advised to do so by the NCSE. I forget the history of the various amendments to the legislation but it is great if this House contributed to making the necessary changes and that Act is now working. It is what...

Seanad: Housing: Statements (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: I thank Seanad Éireann for the opportunity to update the House on measures to reduce homelessness and accelerate social, affordable and private housing delivery, as well as on the work of the Land Development Agency, LDA, cost rental projects and the affordable dwelling arrangements. We have been working tirelessly for the past three years to rebuild sufficient capacity in the housing...

Seanad: Housing: Statements (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: I did not think I would be speaking first. I apologise for that. We can get copies and if there is a specific problem, I can go back over the relevant issue. Under the Rebuilding Ireland home loan, low to moderate income families drew down over 1,000 fixed interest loans through local authorities by the end of June 2019. There are a number of applications in the system and funding has...

Seanad: Housing: Statements (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: The money is there.

Seanad: Housing: Statements (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: There is nothing to stop that being used.

Seanad: Housing: Statements (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: The last page was on that issue, about putting through legislation in July. I presume the Senator is up to date on that.

Seanad: Housing: Statements (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: I will try to answer most of the questions I have been asked, but I will have to come back to the Senators on some of them. If I miss any, I ask the Senators please to flag me and I will try to come back to them. Senator Murnane O'Connor raised many issues relating to Carlow. At one stage she campaigned for a rent pressure zone, but I agree with her in that I suspect that, for most people,...

Seanad: Housing: Statements (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: I am conscious that Carlow is a difficult area as well. To be clear: the guidelines were set in 2011. It is not the case that they were reviewed in 2011; that is the last time they were changed. No review was planned for the following year, but two years ago we said we would carry out a review and that is currently being done. At the time, when the guidelines were set by the then Minister...

Seanad: Housing: Statements (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: I am not going into that. I am just saying there are benefits in having it, which people can see now. Most people I talk to agree with paying a reasonable level of property tax. No one likes paying any kind of tax, but when they see some benefits to it, there is some buy-in. There is a perception by some that it does not deliver the goods.

Seanad: Housing: Statements (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: I did not single anybody out. I am saying I disagree with people who reduce it. The impression is given that the response to the housing crisis is only happening in Dublin but that is not the case. The entire country is impacted upon by the housing difficulties. Different counties are affected in different ways. The major pressure and the greatest number of homeless families are both in...

Seanad: Housing: Statements (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: It was confirmed that the money was there. The figure is more than €350 million. It was discussed at the housing committee a few weeks ago. There is no issue of people not being able to get a loan, if they qualify for it. More than 1,000 people have been successful in qualifying for that loan. More people will need it. I think it is a very good product and it is working well....

Seanad: Housing: Statements (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: We might still be here at 5 p.m., I will try-----

Seanad: Housing: Statements (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: Senator Craughwell raised some issues about private housing. If people want to buy a house and knock it and replace it, that is their business and it is their money. We do not get involved in that. Those people must go through the planning process. That is people's private money and I am not going to go there. We have enough to do to manage public money and provide public housing. The...

Seanad: Housing: Statements (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: I do not agree with the Senator. It is working.

Seanad: Housing: Statements (26 Sep 2019)

Damien English: The Senator knows it is working. I used to listen to this-----