Results 2,221-2,240 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Job Losses (14 Nov 2019)

Damien English: I thank both Deputies for their intervention by raising this issue. With reference to the TUPE regulation and the obligations in that regard, it is not for me to adjudicate on how the dispute should be resolved. We have apparatus in place to do just that. To be clear, regulations are in place and they are the same for all employers, be they multinational companies or otherwise. We do not...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Job Losses (14 Nov 2019)

Damien English: I was confused myself.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Nov 2019)

Damien English: This issue will be dealt with as part of the social housing package the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, intends to bring forward in the coming weeks. We have discussed the issue often in the House and, as Members know, the scheme is very generous. The €15,000 income requirement is in place for scientific reasons, but I agree that it is causing a difficulty. The matter is under...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Planning Framework (14 Nov 2019)

Damien English: Action 25 of the Climate Action Plan 2019 aims to facilitate the development of offshore wind, including the connection of at least 3.5 GW of offshore wind to the grid by 2030. Action 25 contains two measures for which my Department has lead responsibility and which require input from a range of other Departments and agencies: 1. Completion of the National Marine Planning Framework in a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (12 Nov 2019)

Damien English: The Building Regulations set out the legal requirements in Ireland for the construction of new buildings (including houses), extensions to existing buildings as well as for material alterations and certain material changes of use to existing buildings. The related Technical Guidance Documents (Parts A - M respectively) provide technical guidance on how to comply with the regulations in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (6 Nov 2019)

Damien English: Deputy Byrne should look at his own party's proposals. No party in opposition has greater ambition in relation to social housing than we do in government. We have set out a ten-year plan which brings Rebuilding Ireland forward with a commitment to deliver up to 1,200 social houses a year. I do not see anyone else here with that ambition. The ambition is there at national level and it is...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (6 Nov 2019)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Byrne for bringing forward this topic for discussion and providing us with an opportunity to consider what we have achieved in recent years through Meath County Council. I will also outline our plans for the next few years, including funding allocations. Deputy Byrne will be aware that housing is one of the Government's top priorities. Investment in Rebuilding Ireland has...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Traveller Accommodation (5 Nov 2019)

Damien English: I wish to clarify that it will not be a big round of consultation at all. To be fair to all of the various stakeholders who will be involved in implementing the actions, I need to get some quick comments from them. This will include the national Traveller accommodation consultative committee, NTACC, which is there to advise me and the rest of us on this. That group has not given me its...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Estates (5 Nov 2019)

Damien English: There are four categories to be analysed by the expert panel. I will not prejudge the panel's decision. Criteria are set down and decisions will be made in conjunction with local authorities. Local authorities have done their homework and have worked out, as best as they possibly can, the cost of doing this work. They have considered whether some of the projects are shovel-ready and how...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Traveller Accommodation (5 Nov 2019)

Damien English: I am currently considering the report and recommendations of the expert group on Traveller accommodation, which has been published on my Department’s website, with a view to implementing appropriate actions and policies that will improve the delivery of Traveller accommodation nationally. The priority is to ensure that full use is made of the increasing level of funding available for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Estates (5 Nov 2019)

Damien English: The pilot scheme informed the framework of how to judge and place various estates in order of priority. That was the reason we had the pilot scheme. The framework was developed and every local authority was involved in that framework. There were workshops on it as well to help to inform them when they placed estates and projects on the priority list. The Deputy specifically referred to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Estates (5 Nov 2019)

Damien English: To be clear, we are not half way through. The funding is allocated in an envelope for a couple of years so it is not the case that we are any way through it. The money must be spent on these estates before 2021. This is about the resolution of previous mistakes and that is where the focus will be. This is developer infrastructure that was not monitored properly and probably was not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Estates (5 Nov 2019)

Damien English: Deputy Heydon managed to name all ten estates that are the subject of applications from Kildare County Council. They will be judged on the criteria. Submissions closed in September and Kildare got in on time with ten. An expert panel is being put together to judge the applications based on the criteria set down in the framework. That was based on the pilot scheme we had in the past. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Estates (5 Nov 2019)

Damien English: Irish Water is involved in the solution in a high percentage of cases because the infrastructure can quite easily be tapped into its network and so forth. It will be in charge of that. In other cases they are rural areas which are a little more difficult, but individual solutions will be found as well. The key part is that we use the pilot scheme and enable the knowledge on this. Irish...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Estates (5 Nov 2019)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 26, 29 and 31 together. In July this year my Department launched the multi-annual developer-provided water services infrastructure resolution programme. Bids were sought from local authorities around the country for funding under the programme. The development of such a multi-annual funding programme was a key recommendation of the report on the national...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (5 Nov 2019)

Damien English: Funding approval was given to Cavan County Council earlier this year under the voids programme, based on the number of properties submitted by them at that time. In recent weeks, the Council has submitted substantially more properties for inclusion under the programme and funding approval has now issued in response to that second proposal. While my Department is supportive of Cavan...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (5 Nov 2019)

Damien English: Government approved a General Scheme of the Marine Planning and Development Management Bill in July 2019. Further policy work continues on the development of certain aspects of the proposed regime with a view to incorporating these elements once completed. My Department is engaging intensively with counterparts in the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment who are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (5 Nov 2019)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1128 and 1132 together. My Department commissioned the Housing Agency to conduct a comprehensive review of the scheme of loans and grants for caravans that had been in operation since 2000. The Housing Agency surveyed all local authorities and engaged in broad consultation with all key stakeholders. A report on the review was submitted to my Department in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Illegal Dumping (5 Nov 2019)

Damien English: My Department has been engaged with the State's legal services since 2014 in relation to the case in question. Following a circuit court judgement, a case that my Department was not party to, it was necessary to devote resources to identify whether the area in question was State Owned Foreshore. Subsequently, my Department sought advice on issues such as whether that circuit court...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (5 Nov 2019)

Damien English: The Government has committed to placing the Construction Industry Register Ireland, or CIRI, on a statutory footing. CIRI was established on a voluntary basis in 2014 and over 850 building and contracting entities are currently included on the register. The Government approved the draft heads of a Bill to place the CIRI on a statutory footing and the Bill was referred to the Joint...