Results 14,981-15,000 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Seanad: Microbeads (Prohibition) Bill 2019: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: We are going to be so far past that by 2022. With the EU regulations on the single plastic use directive, events will have overcome even the power for the Minister to make exemptions under this section of the Bill. I do not think it is going to be a fear that might be realised. Hence, the power to revoke remains the stronger element in the Bill.

Seanad: Microbeads (Prohibition) Bill 2019: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The use of the word "loopholes" is important in terms of language. We do not wish to give people outside the House the impression that what we have introduced is not the most professional legislation in the EU dealing with microbeads because it is. What we and the Senator recognise is the need to go further once this is done, not to sit back on our laurels and say we are brilliant and are...

Seanad: Microbeads (Prohibition) Bill 2019: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Senators for their co-operation and interest. I fully accept that it has been a long process. However, we have been able to proceed quickly through both Houses after receiving the derogation from the EU. I appreciate the Seanad agreeing to take all Stages today so we could have the legislation in effect from 1 January next. That is an important statement and an excellent...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Over the course of the 6-year Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan, the Government is committed to meeting the housing needs of over 138,000 households. This will be achieved through blended delivery, involving increasing the social housing stock by 50,000 homes, through build, acquisition and leasing programmes, and supporting some 88,000 further households through the Housing Assistance Payment...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The recent High Court judgment set aside the European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Peat Extraction) Regulations 2019 made by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment and the supplementary Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) Regulations 2019 made by me. These Regulations, in combination, introduced a streamlined system for the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Data (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 461 and 472 together. My Department publishes information on the sale of local authority houses each year. This information can be accessed on my Department's website at the following link: Data for 2019 sales will be published when they become available. This is expected to be towards the end of quarter 1 2020.  The operation of the current Tenant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area are set out in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recent summary, conducted in June 2019, shows that 68,693 households were assessed as qualified for and being in need of social housing support. This represents a decrease of 3,165 households or 4.4% on the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department publishes a monthly report on homelessness. The monthly report is based on data provided by housing authorities and produced through the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS).  The report captures details of individuals utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. The most recent homelessness...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment Data (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: HAP application processing times within local authorities vary. Once a HAP application has been received and confirmed as valid by the relevant local authority, it is entered on the system by the local authority and then submitted for processing and payment by the HAP Shared Service Centre. If there are delays at the processing stage within a local authority, payment to the landlord will be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff Data (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: 104 new staff were recruited into my Department since January 2019. While some of these were additional staff, others were replacements to fill vacancies that arose.  Information in relation to grades/titles is set out below in two separate tables for general service grades and professional and technical grades.  In addition to these staff one special adviser and one...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) play an important role in the delivery of social homes across the country. Over the period 2011 to 2018 more than 11,000 new social homes have been delivered by AHBs and last year 38% of all the social homes delivered by the Rebuilding Ireland were delivered in partnership with AHBs.  Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Advertising Data (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department has incurred no expenditure on advertising relating to Brexit in 2018 or to date in 2019 . Awareness-raising on Brexit issues related to policies areas under my responsibility has been through direct online communications with those potentially impacted, information resources (e.g. online content, leaflets, editorial content in sectoral publications) as well as stakeholder and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Personal Injury Claims (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Local Authorities are independent statutory bodies responsible, through the Chief Executive and the elected Council, for the execution of executive and reserved functions. Therefore, local authorities are  accountable for all expenditure incurred including for personal injury claims. I have no function in relation to the matters raised and consequently the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Personal Injury Claims (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department is lead tenant in a number of Government Offices, however the properties it occupies are rented or leased by the Office of Public Works, and  are not directly under the ownership of the Department. Office space in the case of Met Éireann for the placement of meteorological equipment and staff accommodation at Dublin, Shannon and Cork Airports is rented rather than...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Scheme is designed to enable credit worthy first-time buyers to access sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new or second-hand properties. The low rate of fixed interest associated with the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan provides first-time buyers with access to mortgage finance that they may not otherwise have been able to afford at a higher...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I approved a new funding scheme for on-site wastewater treatment systems (more commonly known as septic tanks) under the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme to replace the current grant which was brought into operation by the Domestic Waste Water Treatment System (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2013.  The grant scheme is also being expanded to support the attainment of water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department has a wide and diverse business agenda, covering a broad range of functions, including local authority housing, voluntary housing, homeless services, estate regeneration, energy efficiency retrofitting, housing grants, rural water schemes, urban regeneration, and fire services. In order to achieve its business objectives, the Department allocates significant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (5 Mar 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: Local authorities derive their income from a variety of central and local sources including from commercial rates, charges for goods and services and Exchequer funding from Central Government. Central Government funding of local authorities includes transfers, both current and capital, coming from a wide range of Departments and Offices, not solely from my Department, for a variety...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rent Pressure Zones (5 Mar 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: The Ballincollig- Carraigaline Local Electoral Area (LEA) was designated a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ)  on 27 January 2017 under section 24 of the Residential Tenancies Acts (2004-2019). New Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts were signed into law on 31 January 2019 for Cork City and County (which took into account the expanded Cork City boundary) for the May 2019 local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Administration (5 Mar 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: I wish to reiterate that the Non Principal Private Residence (NPPR) charge is under the care and management of each local authority and application of the NPPR in individual cases is a matter for the local authority concerned. As Minister, I have no role in determining liability in individual NPPR cases and no role in reviewing decisions of local authorities. Notwithstanding that, I...