Results 2,841-2,860 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Apr 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for relaying that message from his constituents. I welcome his acknowledgement of the excellent work done by Clúid, as a housing body, in taking people off the local authority housing list and putting them into homes. I do not believe the Deputy recognised before that it is an important player in the provision of social housing up and down the country. As the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Apr 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for the question. We are aware that the CSO numbers from 2016 include homes that were for rent or for sale and holiday homes. Therefore, the statistic does not give the true number of vacant homes in the country. We now have a vacancy team in each of our 31 local authorities. The teams submitted their plans to my Department and are doing a deep dive to find out whether...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (3 Apr 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 225 and 227 together. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 amended section 3 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 so that dwellings let by approved housing bodies (AHBs) to social housing tenants now come within the remit of the Act. The position of these tenants is significantly improved by the change, which commenced on 7 April 2016, as they now...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (3 Apr 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Since its launch in February 2018, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan has proven to be more successful than was initially anticipated. Discussions are ongoing between my Department and the Departments of Public Expenditure and Reform and Finance with regard to further funding for the scheme and I hope that these will be concluded shortly. However, in the meantime, the scheme remains open and...

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

Eoghan Murphy: The Energy Efficiency/Retrofitting Programme was launched in 2013 to improve the insulation standards and overall energy performance of local authority social housing stock. Phase 1 of the programme provided funding targeted at the less intrusive cavity wall/attic insulation, while Phase 2 focuses on the fabric upgrade works to dwellings with solid/hollow block wall construction and includes...

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

Eoghan Murphy: The majority of demolition work in relation to local authority dwellings is carried out as part of the National Regeneration Programme. My Department currently supports a programme of large-scale regeneration projects in Dublin, Cork and Limerick with smaller projects in Tralee, Sligo and Dundalk. Over the lifetime of Rebuilding Ireland, some €211 million is being made available under...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment Data (2 Apr 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is a flexible and immediate housing support that is now available to all eligible households throughout the State. Details of the number of active tenancies and the average monthly landlord payment by local authority area at the end of Quarter 4 2018, are set out in the table below: Local Authority Average Landlord Payment € Active...

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

Eoghan Murphy: The Planning and Development (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2018, which came into operation on 8 February 2018, provide for an exemption from the requirement to obtain planning permission in respect of the change of use of certain vacant commercial premises, including vacant areas above ground floor premises, to residential use. This measure is aimed at facilitating the productive re-use...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes (2 Apr 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Details of the measures being funded under the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2019-2021 were notified to local authorities by my Department on 8 February 2019. Local authorities were invited to submit their bids for the funding of schemes or projects in their functional areas, with the deadline for receipt of proposals set as 14 March 2019. Westmeath County Council has included the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Harbours and Piers Maintenance (2 Apr 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department is making enquiries in relation to this matter having been advised of an abandoned cruiser and sunken pontoon at Kenmare Pier, Co. Kerry. The matter may be more appropriate to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) in light of the responsibility held by that Department for all matters relating to wrecked or stranded vessels or other wrecks.

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

Eoghan Murphy: Under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, the management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including the implementation of planned maintenance programmes and carrying out of responsive repairs and pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, is a matter for each individual local authority. My Department does not keep data on the number of vacant or void local authority houses at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (2 Apr 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Details on the number of households which are qualified for social housing support in each local authority area and whose housing need has not been met, are provided in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments. The most recent figures available are the results of the 2018 Summary which are available on my Department’s website at the following link: .The 2018 report shows...

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

Eoghan Murphy: It is a matter for local authorities as lenders to administer the Local Authority Home Improvement Loan Scheme and to make the final decisions on Home Improvement Loan Scheme applications. If prospective applicants do not meet the eligibility criteria or where loan applications are declined, the option available is to seek loan facilities from one of the commercial lending institutions. ...

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

Eoghan Murphy: My Department is supporting local authorities in the provision of social housing homes through a range of different initiatives and schemes. This includes the construction of social homes on the land of local authorities and construction delivery in conjunction with Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Local authorities are also working in partnership with private developers to deliver social...

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

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 586 to 589, inclusive, together. The Strategy for the Rental Sector, published in December 2016, set out a series of measures to be introduced to ensure the quality of private rental accommodation by strengthening the applicable standards and improving the inspection and enforcement systems. On 1 July 2017, updated regulatory standards, the Housing (Standards...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment Data (2 Apr 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, tenants source their own accommodation. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 20% above the prescribed maximum rent limit in...

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

Eoghan Murphy: A key principle of the HAP scheme is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented sector and the tenancy agreement is between the tenant and the landlord. The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. HAP supported tenancies are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (2 Apr 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department publishes information on the overall number and value of (i) local authority loan approvals and (ii) local authority loan drawdowns. Information up to the end of Quarter 3 2018, including in relation to number and value of mortgage drawdowns, is available on the Department's website at the following link: . The Department does not collect information regarding the timelines for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Residential Tenancies Board (2 Apr 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The Residential Tenancies (Amendment)(No. 2) Bill 2018 was published on 19 December 2018 to deliver on a number of commitments flowing from Rebuilding Ireland and commitments made subsequently to provide powers to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to investigate and sanction landlords who engage in improper conduct, including non-compliance with the rent increase restriction in Rent...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (2 Apr 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Following a review of the two existing local authority home loan schemes, the House Purchase Loan and the Home Choice Loan, I introduced a new loan offering, known as the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan in February last year, to replace the existing schemes. Since its launch in February 2018, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan has proven to be more successful than was initially anticipated....