Results 9,301-9,320 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (31 Jan 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: While there is no universally agreed price or rent to income ratio, or minimum residual income requirement, there is general agreement that lower-income households in particular should not be paying more than one third of their disposable income on rent or mortgage repayments. Affordability of housing is also influenced by factors including the ability to secure mortgage finance, the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector Strategy (31 Jan 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: On 22 January, I announced a package of initiatives to help alleviate affordability pressures faced by households, particularly in areas of high housing demand and high accommodation costs. This includes a new affordable rental scheme, to be based on a cost rental model. Further details on the suite of initiatives announced on 22 January can be found at . The cost rental model, currently...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (31 Jan 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: In 2007, the Affordable Homes Partnership commissioned a report, Increasing Affordable Housing Supply, to consider how the range of affordable housing mechanisms might be improved or expanded by new initiatives to increase the supply and accelerate the delivery of affordable housing. The work was guided by a Steering Group, chaired by my Department and comprising...

Questions on Promised Legislation (1 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I answered this question last week for the Deputy's colleague, Deputy Howlin. We are working on the establishment of the scheme in conjunction with the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, as part of the new change management programme. The legislation in place may not be sufficient to do what we want to do with the RTB. We may need to bring in new legislation to supplement the primary...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service Staff (1 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: International research indicates that the retirement age of 55 is the optimum age to ensure that fire-fighters are capable of satisfactorily performing the tasks expected of them. The retirement age of 55 years of age was introduced because of health and safety considerations related to the job. Since the enactment of the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act 1989, underpinned by subsequent...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mortgage Lending (1 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Local authorities have an exemption from retail credit firm status under the Markets in Financial Instruments and Miscellaneous Provision Act 2007 as local authorities provide housing finance for public purposes and at a rate more favourable than that available commercially. Therefore, the Central Bank’s macro prudential lending regulations do not apply to local authority mortgage...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Assets (1 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I understand that site is under the control of Dublin City Council and as such its development or disposal is a matter, in the first instance, for the Council, including its elected members. In this regard, I understand that Dublin City Council is considering disposal of this site, by way of a development agreement, to support the transformation of the area. In carrying out its...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (1 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Following a review of the two existing local authority home loan schemes, the House Purchase Loan and the Home Choice Loan, I am introducing from today, 1 February 2018, a new loan offering, known as the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan. The new loan will enable credit worthy first time buyers to access sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new or second-hand properties in a suitable price...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (1 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I am positively disposed to considering an appropriate role for the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) in relation to Irish Water. A review of the issues involved is currently underway. I hope to report shortly on an appropriate role for the C&AG with respect to Irish Water. That report will outline the next steps with respect to any amending legislation that may be required.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Internal Audits (1 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department has an Internal Audit function which is guided by the Institute of Internal Auditors’ Standards which the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform determined, in November 2012, should apply across all Departments and other Vote Holders. These Standards require that a quality assurance and improvement programme be developed for the function which involves both periodic...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Credit Union Services (1 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department and the Department of Finance have met with Credit Union representative bodies on a number of occasions to examine how their sector can assist in the area of financing social housing delivery. The Central Bank is currently finalising their Consultation on Potential Changes for the Investment Framework for Credit Unions. Once this has been finalised and, if approved, the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (1 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 346 and 347 together. As part of a review commissioned by Eurostat, the EU Statistical Office, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) were asked in October 2016 to review the classification of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for Government accounting purposes. The classification was last reviewed in 2014, with a recommendation from the CSO to Eurostat at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Apprenticeship Data (1 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: There are currently no staff in my Department enrolled in apprenticeship programmes. The details requested in relation to bodies under the aegis of my Department are a matter for the individual bodies concerned. Arrangements have been put in place by each Agency to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. The contact email address for each agency is as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Voluntary Sector (1 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation, and related services, for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. Many...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment Eligibility (1 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Circular AHS1 of 2009 - Measures to deal with Unsold Affordable Homes gives local authorities the option of bringing Unsold Affordable (USA) dwellings in their ownership into temporary social housing use through the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) (formerly known as the Social Housing Leasing Initiative (SHLI)) or the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS). This purpose of...

Order of Business (6 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Transparency is very important when it comes to the work of local authorities and ensuring that the questions they put to Departments are answered efficiently. I will take that correspondence from the Deputy, because I have not seen it, and I will talk to officials in the Department to see how we can ensure that every Department replies to questions from local authorities across the country.

Order of Business (6 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I am unclear on the scheme to which Deputy Fleming refers. Is it the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme, the repair-and-leasing scheme or the enhanced leasing scheme?

Order of Business (6 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I beg the Deputy's pardon. We have put out an expression of interest for a new mortgage-to-rent scheme, as referenced by the Deputy, and are currently working on it. Under the previous mortgage-to-rent scheme, we moved to a position with one of the approved housing bodies whereby it would take bundles of loans from the banks and debt would be written off. Under the expression of interest...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Finance Agency (6 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Funding of €200 million for the new Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan has been raised by the Housing Finance Agency, HFA, from a variety of sources, on a fixed rate basis for periods out to thirty years maturity. Based on the pricing achieved, local authorities can offer a first tranche of fixed-rate annuity finance to eligible borrowers at rates of 2.0% and 2.25% per annum, for twenty...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (6 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Of the 50,000 social housing units to be delivered under the Rebuilding Ireland action plan for housing and homelessness, just over 10,000 will be secured by local authorities and approved housing bodies, AHBs, under leasing arrangements from a range of different sources, including direct leasing by both local authorities and AHBs from private owners. The social housing current expenditure...