Results 3,121-3,140 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (5 Mar 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 596 and 600 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Spending Code (5 Mar 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: A raising of the threshold for the single-stage approval process for social housing construction projects is currently being examined in the context of a review of the Public Spending Code. This review  by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is well underway and my Department is liaising with that Department on the matter.  In the meantime, the existing arrangements,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Guidelines (5 Mar 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department has introduced a number of initiatives aimed at encouraging and facilitating the provision of residential accommodation in town centres, including above existing retail units. In December 2018, the Report of the Working Group on the Reuse of Existing Buildings and the Bringing Back Homes Manual for the Reuse of Existing Buildings were published. The Manual is available to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Water Remit (5 Mar 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels including responsibility for the Edenderry Waste Water Treatment Plant. Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives.  If Deputies have any queries on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (5 Mar 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: In terms of the administration of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, Limerick City and County Council provide a highly effective transactional shared service on behalf of all local authorities. This HAP Shared Services Centre (SSC) manages all HAP related rental transactions for the tenant, local authority and landlord. Once a HAP application has been received and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Contracts (5 Mar 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Local authorities are independent statutory bodies with responsibility for their day-to-day operations in accordance with the governing legislation and codes. Local authorities must adhere to the rules for financial procedures and procurement in the same way as all public bodies.  In relation to the matter raised, I understand that a review of the payments involved was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service Staff (28 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: A full time firefighter is statutorily required to retire at age 55 under the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004. This retirement age is set at 55 due to the physically demanding nature of the fire-fighter role. The retirement age for retained fire fighters is 55 with an extended period to age 58, subject to a formal application process including a compulsory...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Eligibility (28 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 gives legislative recognition to rental accommodation availability agreements which underpin the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), as a form of social housing support. Consequently, since 1 April 2011, RAS tenants are now considered to be in receipt of social housing support and should not generally remain on housing waiting lists for new...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Eligibility (28 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area concerned, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. The income bands and the authority area assigned to each band were based on an assessment of the income needed to provide for a household's...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (28 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: In relation to staff transfers between public service bodies, Circular 05/2016 provides that where the appointee has been serving elsewhere in the public service in an analogous grade and pay-scale, and will be moving without break to another part of the public service at an analogous grade, the appointment may be made at the appointee’s current point on the scale. In terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Redeployment (28 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The Cork boundary alteration is the most significant change of its kind undertaken in the State. It represents a major reorganisation of local government in Cork with a population of over 85,000 people in the relevant area transferring from Cork County Council to Cork City Council. The Local Government Act 2019 came into effect on 31 January 2019 and provides primarily for the alteration...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (28 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: One of the main outcomes of the Housing Summit with local authority Chief Executives held in early 2018 was a commitment to drive greater transparency and accountability at local level for the delivery of social housing, including the publication of detailed targets for each local authority at a high level for the remaining 4 years of Rebuilding Ireland, and then broken down into the primary...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mortgage Protection Policies (28 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 229 together. It is a requirement that mortgage protection insurance (MPI) is taken out in respect of all local authority housing loans. The scheme applies to all house purchase loans approved by local authorities. One of the conditions of the scheme, which is a group policy, is that it is obligatory for all borrowers, who meet the eligibility...

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2019: Second Stage (Resumed) (27 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: We hope never have to use the legislation prepared for a no-deal Brexit. A no-deal scenario is in nobody's interests, yet the uncertainty around the negotiations obliges us to prepare for the worst. At a time of uncertainty, we place great value in order and stability. The preparations extend right across the Government, including to my own Department. As this House will be aware, my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (27 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The Credit Policy document for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan scheme provides detailed guidance to the Housing Agency and local authorities for assessing and approving applications for a Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan (RIHL). It includes guidance on assessing an applicant’s income, their ability to repay a loan, and other factors in determining whether a loan should be approved or the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Rebuilding Ireland provides for the doubling of housing output to 25,000 per annum over the period 2017-2021 and also seeks to reach the 25,000 annual figure by 2020 at latest. I am confident, on the basis of the progress made to date and the range of indicators of housing activity, that the target will be achieved.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Rents (27 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The right of local authorities to set and collect rents on their dwellings is laid down in section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. The making or amending of such schemes is an executive function and is subject to broad principles set out by my Department, including that rent levels should be based on income and reflect tenants’ ability to pay. Different approaches are taken to rent...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (27 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The Comptroller and Auditor General publishes a report on the central government funding of local government. The most recent report refers to 2017 and is available at the following link: . The report outlines that in 2017 local authorities received a total of €2.66bn in transfers from central government. The CSO publishes GDP and GNI statistics on its website and figures for 2017...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank Deputy McConalogue for the question. I appreciate the Deputy's patience in this matter. He has raised it on a number of occasions, as have colleagues of mine from Donegal and Mayo. I thank all those who are affected by this for their patience as well. I met campaigners when I visited Donegal in January. We have agreement in principle. We made that agreement at Cabinet level...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (26 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: As the Deputy is aware, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is not, as a general rule, available to those in receipt of unemployment or other social welfare benefits. However, where there is a primary income of a waged or salaried nature, long-term State benefit payments may be considered. State benefit payments allowable are: - State Pension (Contributory); - State pension...