Results 8,821-8,840 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Repair and Leasing Scheme (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) was initially piloted in Carlow and Waterford and the pilot has been rolled out nationally since 23 February last. The scheme is one of a suite of measures available to local authorities to bring vacant properties back into use. Since the national roll out my Department has been working intensively with local authorities and AHBs to develop...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Properties (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The active management of the publicly owned housing land bank is part of a range of actions being progressed under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, designed to accelerate and increase housing output. This is complementary to actions already undertaken to streamline the planning process, reform development contributions, and invest some €226 million in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The 2016 NOAC report published in November 2016 refers to Performance Indicators in Local Authorities 2015.  The figures in the report, indicating the percentage of local authority housing stock not tenanted at end 2015, are based on the number of vacant units at the end of 2015, regardless of the reason for non-occupation or the length of time the dwelling has been unoccupied.  ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Shared Ownership Scheme (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: In 2011, the Government announced the standing down of all affordable housing schemes, including the shared ownership scheme.  From 1991 to 2010, a total of 16,492 loans were issued under the scheme, of which 3,585 remained at the end of Q1 2017.  A review of the shared ownership scheme was undertaken in 2013.  The review was not intended for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Recognising the serious challenge we face in terms of housing, the Government has prioritised the development and implementation of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.  Rebuilding Ireland is a €6 billion, multi-annual, broadly based action plan which seeks to increase the overall supply of new homes to 25,000 per annum by 2020; deliver an additional...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 52 together. With regard to data on vacant homes (excluding holiday homes), Census 2016 indicates that there were 183,312 dwellings identified as vacant on the Census night of 24 April 2016. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that the levels of vacancy recorded as part of Census 2016 have significantly reduced in the interim, particularly in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Property Tax (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Local Property Tax (LPT) was introduced to provide an alternative, stable and sustainable funding base for the local authority sector, providing greater levels of connection between local revenue raising and associated expenditure decisions and making the taxation system less dependent on other taxes. In accordance with Government decisions on local retention of LPT, certain local authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I understand the Question refers to the General Scheme of a Rates Bill. Commercial rates form an important element of the funding of all local authorities. However, the legislative basis for the levying of rates is spread over a number of enactments, some dating back to the 19th century. Many of the provisions are outdated and not suitable for business trends in the modern era. My...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: At last September's Housing Summit, I emphasised the need for all housing authorities to have sufficient capacity in emergency accommodation and to have appropriate facilities in place for every person sleeping rough, on any night of the week. I instructed the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, at that time, to set about ensuring the delivery of 200 additional permanent emergency beds by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Repair and Leasing Scheme (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) has been developed to assist private property owners and local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to harness the accommodation potential that exists in certain vacant properties across Ireland. The scheme is targeted at owners of vacant properties who cannot afford or access the funding needed to bring their properties up to the required standard...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The figure of between 50 and 100 housing developments referred to in the Question was based on indications from housing provider representative organisations that they had received approximately 75 enquiries relating to further extensions of the duration of planning permissions of the type addressed in the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2017.  While my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: EU Regulations (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department is currently progressing draft Regulations under the European Communities Act 1972 that will establish a revised regulatory regime in respect of large-scale peat extraction, under the proposed title of the European Union (Licensing of Large-Scale Extraction of Peat) Regulations. Under the proposed new arrangements, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be required...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Data collection and validation in relation to Part V output for 2016 had not been completed by March 2017 and, accordingly, any such data available at that point would have been provisional/incomplete.  The final data were placed on my Department's website later in the year.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) is independent of the Department in the performance of its functions and I am therefore not in a position to comment on specific aspects of its work. However, NOAC may be contacted directly at .

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Vacant social houses, categorised as voids, are those in need of far greater levels of repair than normal re-letting works, to bring them up to a suitable letting condition. They are vacant pending that work.   Strong funding support has been provided to all local authorities to remediate such vacant social housing so that the homes involved can be re-let as soon...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Motor Tax Yield (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Gross motor tax receipts for each licensing authority for 2016 and for January to November 2017 are set out in the following tables.  The online receipts figures include vehicle licences and arrears. Motor tax office receipts figures incorporate vehicle licences, arrears, miscellaneous receipts, trade plates, and goods vehicles trailer licences....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Guidelines (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 268 and 269 together. My Department is not aware of any significant withholding of applications or withdrawals as a result of the introduction of the Guidelines in 2015.  The intention of the focussed review of the current Guidelines is to examine the scope for any further planning measures that could be deployed in relation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Guidelines (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 271 together. My Department’s publication Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities (2007) for local authorities, sets out the principles and criteria that are important in the design of social housing, in order to facilitate the delivery of better homes, better neighbourhoods and better urban spaces. The guidelines provide appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment Data (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 272 and 274 together. The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. There are currently more than 30,000 households having their housing needs met via HAP and over 20,000 landlords and agents in receipt of HAP payments. HAP is a flexible and immediate form of social housing support...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (7 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual housing authorities. For the purposes of funding under section 10 of the Housing Act 1988 and the delivery and coordination of services, lead authorities are in place in nine regions countrywide.  Housing authorities operate the Pathway Accommodation &...