Results 2,701-2,720 of 7,983 for speaker:Peter Burke

Seanad: Maritime Area Planning Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (17 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank the Members for their contributions. This amendment is entirely unacceptable to the Government. It seeks to establish the maritime area consent, MAC, as an environmental assessment tool. That is not what a MAC is. The State owns or controls almost the entire maritime area from the high water mark to the outer limit of the continental shelf. Anyone who wants to carry out a...

Seanad: Maritime Area Planning Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (17 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank the Senators for their contributions. The amendment implies that MAC provisions do not comply with the Aarhus Convention in that they provide for no public participation when MARA grants a MAC. I will point out that the Aarhus Convention or, more accurately, the second pillar of the Aarhus Convention, which provides for public participation, has no application to consent whereby a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (16 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: Since 2018, my Department has made funding of €50,000 per annum available to each local authority to support the work of a Vacant Homes Office including a vacant homes officer. Housing for All commits to ensuring that vacant homes officers are full-time officers. The provision of central funding reinforces the capacity of local authorities to ensure a dedicated focus on tackling...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (16 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) was launched in 2018 to support more compact and sustainable development. The URDF is one of four funds established under the National Development Plan 2018-2027 and my Department has responsibility for its implementation. The Fund is providing part-funding for applicant led projects that will enable a greater proportion of residential...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Derelict Sites (16 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: Where monies are owed under the derelict site levy, including any interest chargeable for late payment, they become a charge on the land concerned under section 24 of the Derelict Sites Act 1990 (the Act) until they are paid. Where the ownership of the land on which the levy is due is transferred, such as on foot of being sold, the local authority must be notified under section 29 of the Act....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Derelict Sites (16 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: Section 8(2) of the Derelict Sites Act 1990 provides as follows: “Before making any entry on the register in relation to any land, the local authority shall give to any owner and occupier, where they can be ascertained by reasonable enquiry, notice of their intention to make such entry and shall consider any representations any owner or occupier may make in writing within such...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (16 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: Legislative reforms to regulate the short-term letting sector through the planning code, in areas designated as “rent pressure zones” (RPZs), were introduced under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 which came into effect on 1 July 2019. Notwithstanding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, significant work on the implementation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Issues (16 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: The Department of Finance has the lead responsibility for introducing this tax measure. Legislation setting out the provisions relating to the tax measure are included in Finance Bill 2021, which concluded all stages in the Oireachtas this week. The purpose of the proposed measure is to activate existing residential zonings where the land is serviced, but remains undeveloped. It...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Sites (16 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: I understand that the question relates to the consideration of a vacant property tax. Housing for All provides a key pathway to addressing vacancy and efficient use of stock dedicated solely to this priority area supported by actions to enable a sustainable housing system. Among the actions is the work underway by the Department of Finance, which is the responsibility of my colleague, the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Sites (16 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: The requested information is outlined in the spreadsheet at the following link. The information contained therein was collected by my Department further to the issuing of Circular Letter PL 03/2021 on 8 March 2021 requesting the submission of a progress report on the collection of the levy by each local authority. It should be noted that the vacant site levy is collected in arrears....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (16 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: I propose to take Questions Nos. 323 and 324 together. My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist local authorities in providing such accommodation, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding. It is my Department’s policy to provide permanent accommodation insofar as possible, while at the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (16 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: The Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the exercise of his functions under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2020. The making of valuations for rating purposes is the sole responsibility of the Commissioner and I, as Minister, have no function in decisions in this regard. Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (16 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: The Housing Agency, in addition to providing vital supports to local authorities in identifying and reactivating vacant properties, also supports the development of policy designed to tackle residential vacancy through research and analysis. The Housing Agency published two research reports in 2019 entitled ‘How Vacancy is created and used: Case studies from Scotland, Denmark, and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (16 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: The Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA) published annually by the Housing Agency provide details on the number of households that qualify for social housing support in each local authority administrative area, including those with disabilities. The assessment is conducted on an annual basis since 2016, prior to which it was carried out once every three years with the last Summary...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (16 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: Class 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended (the Regulations), sets out the planning exemption provisions for house extensions, referred to as "development within the curtilage of a house", as follows: “The extension of a house, by the construction or erection of an extension (including a conservatory) to the rear of the house or by the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (16 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: Legislative reforms to regulate the short-term letting sector through the planning code, in areas designated as “rent pressure zones” (RPZs), were introduced under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) which came into effect on 1 July 2019. Notwithstanding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, significant work...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: 62. To ask the Minister for Finance if his officials have considered giving additional support to businesses and hotels that are just over the threshold for the employment wage subsidy scheme but still face challenges meeting overheads and costs of running a business during the pandemic restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62278/21]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Sites (15 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: Under the vacant site levy provisions in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, planning authorities are required to establish a register of vacant sites in their functional areas. Under the Act, planning authorities were also empowered to apply a vacant site levy to properties which were listed on local authority vacant site registers. As provided for under the Act, the register in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (15 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: Local authorities occasionally borrow money to finance necessary or planned capital programmes such as land purchases for housing, upgrades in public lighting, libraries, parks or greenways. Local authorities also borrow by means of short term annual overdrafts to ensure the smoothness of cashflow throughout the year. Borrowing by local authorities is a reserved function, meaning that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (15 Dec 2021)

Peter Burke: The Planning System and Flood Risk Management Guidelines for Planning Authoritieswere published jointly by my Department and the Office of Public Works (OPW), in November 2009. The Flood Risk Management Guidelines provide for the incorporation of flood risk identification, assessment and management into the planning process. The requirements of these guidelines apply not only to the...