Results 11,741-11,760 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for his question. Legislation to amend the European constituencies and to allow for the additional seats to be filled in the European elections due to happen at the end of May is before us. These elections will happen at the same time as the local elections. Both of these elections will go ahead regardless of what happens in the Brexit conversations going on at the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Noise and visual amenity setback distances are the primary criteria in determining the minimum distance between a wind farm and the nearest residences. The current criteria in this regard are set out in the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Guidelines which, in addition to reviewing the noise and setback distance...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector Strategy (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 566, 567 and 575 together. Acknowledging that renters in Dublin and other urban centres are currently facing significant access and affordability challenges, the Government is committed to the introduction of a not-for-profit, cost rental sector in Ireland. Together with delivering more affordable and predictable rents, cost rental will make...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 569 to 572, inclusive, together. While my Department does not have specific figures for the estimated cost of installing or converting the heating systems of social or affordable homes, the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) for 2018 amendments to Part L of the Building Regulations in relation to dwellings, concerning homes irrespective of their...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department does not have specific data on heating systems relating to publicly owned residential units. However, the SEAI residential energy use report shows the breakdown of space heating fuels for housing on a national basis, based on the 2016 CSO Census, as oil 41%, natural gas 34% and electric heating as 9%.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service Staff (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: International research indicates that a 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, and underpinned...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ministerial Correspondence (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Resolving homelessness is a top priority for the Government.  Pillar 1 of Rebuilding Ireland, the Government's Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness, sets out a range of measures to support those individuals and families experiencing homelessness.  In order, to minimise the use of hotels and B&Bs for emergency accommodation, my Department is working with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The Planning and Development (Amendment)(Fees) Regulations 2018 amend article 168 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 to provide that the fee for making a submission or observation to a planning authority in respect of a planning application shall not be payable by a member of a local authority acting in his or her capacity as a member. This waiver does not extend to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Agency (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme introduced in 2012 is targeted at those households in mortgage arrears who have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP), who agree to the voluntary surrender of their home and who have very limited options, if any, to meet their long-term housing needs themselves. In addition,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Brexit Negotiations (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The negotiations on both the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement and political declaration on the framework for the EU-UK future relationship, both of which we were endorsed by the European Council on 25 November, were conducted on behalf of the EU27 by the EU's Chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and the Commission's Article 50 Taskforce. Brexit is a priority issue for this Government, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The Planning & Development (Amendment) Act 2018 provides the statutory footing for the establishment of the Office of the Planning Regulator. This Act was signed into law by the President on 19 July 2018. However, Part 2 of the Act relating to the Office of the Planning Regulator has not been commenced yet, pending the recruitment of the Planning Regulator who will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service Staff (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department has not received correspondence from the person concerned, but has received correspondence from Kildare County Council on this matter. Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, it is the Chief Executive of the Council who is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff Data (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 583 to 585, inclusive, together. There were 389.68 full time equivalent (FTE) males and 320.74 FTE females employed in my Department at the end of October 2018. This is a ratio of 1.2 males to 1 female. The table below sets out the breakdown of males to females at each grade equivalent. Gender Analysis at end October 2018* (*Latest verified data) Grade...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Appointments to State Boards (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: In line with a Government Decision of 25 November 2014and Guidelines put in place by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform relating to the advertising for expressions of interest in vacancies on State Boards, my Department, in conjunction with the Public Appointments Service (PAS), currently advertises board vacancies as they arise, where I, as Minister, have nominating rights under...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Under Action 18 of the Strategy for the Rental Sector, a Working Group was established, involving representatives of all major public stakeholders with a policy interest in short-term lettings, to develop guidance in relation to planning applications, changes of use relating to short-term lettings and to examine the need for new regulatory arrangements.  Proposals under consideration by...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I welcome the opportunity to discuss with the select committee this evening my Department's proposed Supplementary Estimate for 2018. I am accompanied by departmental officials, Ms Mary Hurley, Mr. Sean Hogan, Mr. Niall Cussen and Ms Janet Jacobs. The Revised Estimate for my Department, which was considered by the committee last March, provided for gross expenditure of €3.264...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for the questions. We will call it friendly fire for today and we will see what happens tomorrow.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I will start with the last question first. The quarter 3 report is imminent, by which I mean it is on my desk. As soon as I leave this meeting I will send it to the joint committee once I have signed off on it. We can go into more detail on this tomorrow. It will show increased delivery in quarter 3. As we saw in 2017 we will see that the programme for delivery escalates into quarter 3...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: On the emergency accommodation spend, for example, the different capital costs for the Sunnybank hub will come to about €4 million. I recently visited the St Stephen's Green facility run by the Peter McVerry Trust. It will come in at about €1.5 million to provide the beds there. Of course, some of the €60 million has been already spent during the year on the hub...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (11 Dec 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: We are talking about getting extra hubs with this money. In the engagements I have had with local authorities through the housing summits and the recent housing body summit we had in September, we discussed programming and greater delivery of family hubs. Local authorities will have a programme, as I said in response to Deputy Ó Broin, but, unfortunately, sometimes a hub cannot be...