Results 2,901-2,920 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Foreshore Licence Applications (10 Oct 2018)

Damien English: I thank the Senator for raising this matter in the Seanad, outlining the background to it and explaining how we have ended up where we are. I also thank him for reminding us about the importance of undertaking coastal protection works and the power of the oceans which, in turn, highlights the importance of the upcoming marine strategy which will look ahead for the next 20 years. It will...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Foreshore Licence Applications (10 Oct 2018)

Damien English: I again thank the Senator for raising the issue which is of local and national importance. I will discuss it with all relevant bodes to try to secure a speedy decision.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Foreshore Licence Applications (10 Oct 2018)

Damien English: My Department would like to conclude the matter to enabling the works to be completed.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Student Accommodation (10 Oct 2018)

Damien English: Section 50 of the Finance Act 1999 provided for a scheme of tax relief for rented residential accommodation for third level students - commonly referred to as section 23 relief. The associated legislation for the tax scheme provided that guidelines may be issued by the Minister for Education and Science, in consultation with the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commemorative Medals (9 Oct 2018)

Damien English: The provision of fire services in local authority areas 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 general policy and through a range of service development programmes. The issuing of 1916 – 2016 Commemorative medals was a commitment in 'A...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pyrite Resolution Board (4 Oct 2018)

Damien English: The provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency. The is a scheme of “last resort” and is limited in its application and scope. The full conditions for eligibility are set out in the scheme which is available on the...

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: I will respond to a few of the points raised. It continues to be said we are opposed to social housing.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: Opposition Members cannot keep saying that because the facts do not back it up. They might not like the facts, but the Government has put a structured plan in place and taxpayers' money behind it of €6 billion to build houses. The plan is delivering. It is delivering more houses than any other speaker can provide in his or her plans.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: Please do not keep telling me that we lack the desire, ambition or nature to do it. We are fully committed to doing so. We all accept that it cannot happen quick enough to solve the problem. We genuinely wish it could. Who would not? Nobody wants people to have to live in hotels, family hubs or anywhere else of that nature. They are not places in which to raise a family. We are...

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: Sinn Féin's plan is to provide 100,000 houses. That is the plan for tonight.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: We have been consistent in our message in recent years. What is more important is that the plan is delivering because it has been thought out and worked out site by site. There are more than 1,000 projects in the pipeline which aim to deliver more than 16,000 houses. We want to double that number and add more to it. Houses are being built. Deputy Maria Bailey is correct. We are not...

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: There was ambition, talk, plans and everything else but no concrete ideas on how we could provide housing more quickly. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae is conveniently no longer in the Chamber. I am talking about physically building a house quicker.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: Let me finish the point. He spoke about solutions. I thought he was going to give a list of ideas, but he sat down without providing any solution and then went out through the door. In fairness to Deputy Michael Collins, he referred to the rural resettlement scheme, with which we totally agree. There has been some movement in that regard and we want to see more. It is a good solution....

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: The Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, publishes the figures every day of the week. It is very important that those who are homeless understand an effort is being made to make things better. There is an effort to improve the position for those who are homeless but also to find a permanent solution. We are doing so. A total of 7,060 adults who were homeless are not homeless today. Members...

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: Neither the Minister nor I have any problem in saying it is not enough because we know it ourselves and will keep doing more, but it is wrong to say we are doing nothing. It is not true and not honest. I repeatedly heard Members who support the motion say the Government had to start a social housing plan, as if there was no plan. I have sat across the table from some of them and asked...

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: There is no choice while we are waiting for social housing to be built. People have to live somewhere. There is a reliance on the HAP and other schemes. We accept that it involves the private sector, but many in the private sector are helping us to provide housing solutions. It is accepted that in the short term we will have to do so, while we increase the social housing stock. There is...

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: There is also an issue with perception. Some refuse to avail of the HAP scheme. I argue that one is much better off on a journey to a permanent house, be it social, private or affordable, being in a house with the help of the HAP scheme, rather than living in emergency accommodation.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: I will defend the scheme to the hilt. It is not about ideology. We are committed to the provision of social housing, but we are also committed to the provision of affordable and private housing. As a Government, we have a role to play in increasing the supply of housing in general.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: Rebuilding Ireland and Project 2040 put in place a sustainable housing construction sector again that was not in place five, seven or ten years ago because nobody was building houses. There was no money available. Now we are heading back to having a sustainable housing construction sector.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2018)

Damien English: Our job is to deliver houses across the system and we will continue to do so.