Results 13,921-13,940 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I have not had a chance to respond to Deputy-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: My understanding is that we do have quite a bit more time left because of the grouping so Deputies can come back in but I will be guided by the Acting Chairman. I think it is unfair of Deputy Joan Collins to have raised O'Devaney Gardens because it is a question for later on in this session but I will get straight to the point about it. Most of the affordable homes in O'Devaney Gardens will...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputies for their questions. With regard to the serviced sites fund, the intention is to build on local authority land. That is what we are trying to do but there is wider scope for the serviced sites fund beyond that. In the case of O'Devaney Gardens, we are using a portion of the land - about 22% - to get all those hundreds of homes built across the site as well as other...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Residential Tenancies Board (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for the question and his guests in the Gallery are welcome. The Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2019, with one of its key functions being to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. Due to the quasi-judicial and independent role of the RTB, it would be inappropriate for me,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Residential Tenancies Board (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for the follow-up question. The RTB has confirmed that a number of cases related to the question have been referred through its independent dispute resolution processes and are still ongoing. The RTB replaces the courts for the majority of landlord and tenant disputes and it is important that all parties are afforded due process in order to ensure that the system of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Residential Tenancies Board (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: We have made a number of changes to the laws to make sure that where we are constrained by the Constitution, we are not constrained to the degree that we cannot rebalance matters back in terms of the public interest. The Tyrrelstown amendment, which was brought forward to protect people in these situations, has stood up when it has been tested in the Residential Tenancies Board.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Residential Tenancies Board (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I cannot interfere in matters that are before the RTB. It would be illegal, improper and unethical for me to do so. I am very sorry for the plight of people who are facing these difficult circumstances, who find themselves in housing insecurity and who are vulnerable as a result but that does not mean I can break the law and interfere in matters such as RTB cases, legal cases or An Bord...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Residential Tenancies Board (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: That is why we have brought in these robust changes in the law to protect tenants so they have rights to go back into the property when they bring cases to the RTB and they are successful where the landlord or the person who owns the property has been offside. They have those rights because we brought them in. We have also given more robust powers to the RTB. They can go through criminal...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Land Development Agency (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I looked at this the last time because it was raised when there were grouped Priority Questions on a previous occasion. I checked with Department officials and I was told that the Ceann Comhairle had grouped them. I repeat that it is not in my interest to group Priority Questions either because I cannot get the answers out.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Land Development Agency (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 225 together. On establishment, the LDA had access to an initial tranche of eight sites that have near-term delivery potential for 3,000 new homes. The sites concerned are: the Central Mental Hospital site, Dundrum; Hampton, Balbriggan; Hacketstown, Skerries; Devoy Barracks, Naas; the former Meath Hospital, Dublin city centre; St. Kevin's Hospital,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Land Development Agency (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: This is great idea. What is proposed should have been done decades ago. If it had been, we would not have a housing crisis.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Land Development Agency (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The LDA will exist for 15, 20 or 25 years and will provide hundreds of thousands of new homes. We did not waste time getting it established. I established it under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971 and made €20 million available to it. An interim board and chairperson have been appointed, we have just finished the competition for a CEO and we are hiring...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Land Development Agency (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Let us be clear: the Oireachtas will, through the legislation I bring forward that will, I hope, gain majority support in the House, decide how the LDA operates. Deputy Ó Broin referred to an important issue in the context of the compulsory purchase powers of the agency. For the initial eight sites, arrangements have been reached with other Departments or State agencies. It is being...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Wastewater Treatment (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 63 and 75 together.   This summer, Dublin has experienced above average rainfall and some periods of exceptionally heavy and sustained rainfall.  As a result, there were sewage overflow issues at Ringsend and at West Pier pumping station in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.  Specific and temporary bathing prohibition notices were issued as a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Wastewater Treatment (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputies for their questions. The previous Fianna Fáil and Green Party Government did not invest in water and in wastewater treatment like it should have.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Wastewater Treatment (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Of course, this overflow is not normal but unfortunately the discharges have been necessary because if the discharges had not occurred into the sea they would have occurred into the streets and into people's businesses and homes. The health repercussions of that would have been far more significant than what we have seen. There are other complex pollution issues happening in Dublin Bay...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Wastewater Treatment (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Yes, capital investment was cut to protect current expenditure investment. It was not Fine Gael's reckless policies that drove the economy off a cliff. We wanted to protect schools, hospitals, nurses, social welfare payments and so on. We cut the capital spending-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Wastewater Treatment (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: -----but we are investing €8.8 billion into our water infrastructure between now and 2027. This is very important.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Wastewater Treatment (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The biggest issue that I am dealing with at the Commission is the fact that water charges were taken off the table by politicians in this country, which means we are not dealing with the effective treatment and use of water that we should be, as happens in other EU countries.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Wastewater Treatment (18 Sep 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I will be honest with the public. Planning was achieved this year for a major €400 million investment that will be done between now and the end of 2022. That is the timeline for the investment, but the meetings that will happen in the coming weeks will see what it is we can do to minimise, prevent or alleviate any future problems we may have when there is substantial rainfall and...