Results 2,561-2,580 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Review (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 82 together. The Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015 set the commencement date as 1 January 2016 for the introduction of the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme for existing local authority houses. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Credit Unions (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: The Programme for a Partnership Government recognised the potential role that credit unions can play in housing finance and supported the efforts of the Registrar of Credit Unions at the Central Bank to gradually lift current lending restrictions as appropriate, including for housing. Credit Union bodies have set out proposed means by which funding could be provided by Credit Unions to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Oireachtas Joint Committee Reports (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 110 together. The Safe as Houses report referred to has been considered by my Department and while I can subscribe to many of the principles in the report, I believe that the building control reform agenda, with its many initiatives, already provides a comprehensive roadmap for embedding a culture of real compliance within the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Expert Panel on Concrete Blocks (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 108 together. The Expert Panel on Concrete Blocks was established by my Department in 2016, to investigate problems that have emerged in the concrete blockwork of certain dwellings in Counties Donegal and Mayo. In 2017, the report of the Expert Panel was published and included eight recommendations, which my Department is actively progressing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, local authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and for the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes in their areas.  Local  authorities submit funding proposals for Traveller-specific projects on an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: The provision of fire services in local authority areas, including the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of premises, is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Act 1981. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (9 Apr 2019)

Damien English: The provision of fire services in local authority areas, including the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of premises, is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting national policy,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Apr 2019)

Damien English: We hope to have the report towards the end of this month or certainly early May. This is the scheduled time to receive the report. We will then discuss it at committee.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (4 Apr 2019)

Damien English: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) in their areas.  My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (2 Apr 2019)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 598 and 599 together. The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises and fire appliances is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (2 Apr 2019)

Damien English: There have been no recent cutbacks to the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, living in private houses. Indeed, when I recently announced the funding for 2019 at €71.25 million nationally, this represented an 8% increase on 2018.  Furthermore, funding for these schemes has been increasing year on year since 2014.  The...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Damien English: It is important to be very clear on these situations. In respect of the provision of additional emergency accommodation, if the local authority requests funding, it is available, absolutely. It is its choice locally how it wants to spend that money or what beds it wants to open. If it judges that it needs that and it requests money from our Department, the money will be there.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Damien English: I want to be clear on this because I have addressed these protests before. The main aim of these protests, listening to their demands, are that we get to a stage of delivering 10,000 social houses per year. We are at that this year because the Government started a plan over two and a half years ago, so we are already getting to the figures that are being demanded. The main demand of that...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Damien English: -----to continue the delivery to make sure that people who are homeless can get a house. Again there is reference to the number of people and families who are homeless. To be clear, the budget this House passed for housing just a few months ago makes sure that more than 5,000 adults plus all of their children who are part of those homeless figures today will be leaving that situation and...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Damien English: -----and that is what we are trying to do.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (28 Mar 2019)

Damien English: In the first instance, I would like to acknowledge the stressful circumstances which the owners and residents of buildings face when defects occur in their homes. However, in general, building defects are matters for resolution between the contracting parties involved: the homeowner, the builder, the developer and/or their respective insurers, structural guarantee or warranty scheme. It is...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Mar 2019)

Damien English: The Deputy referring to a proposal put before the council in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown last night. They have three or four different options and a combination of social and affordable housing and private housing on the same site. It is early days yet. The councillors will decide what approach to take. The reference to the €1,300 is one example. While rent could cost...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Efficiency (27 Mar 2019)

Damien English: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is the statutory agency responsible for the implementation and management of the Building Energy Rating (BER) Scheme, in accordance with Ireland’s obligations under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. These regulations require every new building to have a BER Certificate since 1 January 2007. In addition, any existing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety Regulations (26 Mar 2019)

Damien English: The Building Regulations apply to the design and construction of a new building and to certain works to existing buildings. The minimum performance requirements that a building must achieve are set out in the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations. These requirements are set out in 12 parts classified as Parts A to M. Part B (Fire safety) of the Regulations sets down the statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (26 Mar 2019)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1377 and 1378 together. In the first instance, I would like to acknowledge the stressful circumstances which the owners and residents of buildings face when defects occur in their homes. However, in general, building defects are matters for resolution between the contracting parties involved: the homeowner, the builder, the developer and/or their...