Results 3,201-3,220 of 7,024 for speaker:Willie Penrose

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (14 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: The rent charged on the local authority's equity in a shared ownership transaction is to cover the funding costs to the Housing Finance Agency which are based on borrowings at the prevailing interest rates. Any difference between the rent and prevailing interest rate is reflected in the capital outstanding on the property i.e. if the rent charged in any period is greater than the prevailing...

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (14 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: I propose to take Questions Nos. 552, 556 and 575 together. I have established and am chairing the National Co-ordination Committee on Unfinished Housing Developments to oversee implementation of the Report of the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments, together with the Government's response to the recommendations. Both documents were published on 9 June 2011 and are available...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (14 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: The suite of Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability is funded by 80% recoupment available from my Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. It is a matter for each local authority to decide on the specific level of funding to be directed to each of the various grant measures, and to manage the operation of the schemes in their...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (14 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: Provisions governing mortgage lending by local authorities are set out under the Housing (Local Authority Loans) Regulations 2009 and associated credit policy. To ensure effective targeting of resources, loan finance continues to be available to first time buyers only. Income limits are also in place, distinguishing between single and dual income households and a maximum loan limit is...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (14 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: Detailed data are being finalised and I expect to be in a position to release the statutory Housing Needs Assessment figures for 2011 shortly. As I indicated recently, the total number of households on the local authority waiting lists nationally, the "net need", is just under 100,000 households.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: Affordable housing schemes were introduced to facilitate homeownership for first time buyers. To this end, while the terms and conditions of the various affordable housing schemes do not prohibit an affordable home owner from renting a spare room in his/her home, a local authority may attach conditions to the contract with the purchaser pertaining to subletting of the unit and its use by the...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: Based on the tender costs received in my Department, the current average unit cost is now in the order of €125,000, approximately 21% lower than was the case at the height of the boom. Given that there have been a limited number of construction tenders in the recent past, the sample used is very small and the results therefore need to be interpreted with caution. This figure does not...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (14 Sep 2011)

Willie Penrose: I propose to take Questions Nos. 597 and 598 together. Detailed data in respect of rental revenue accruing from local authority rented dwellings since 2003 can be viewed on my Department's website, www.environ.iehttp://www.environ.ie/. Data in respect of 2010 output have not yet been finalised.E

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (21 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: In September, 2006, my Department launched the programme Action on Private Rented Accommodation Standards. Arising out of this programme, on 1 February, 2009, new regulations prescribing minimum standards for rented housing, the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008) came into effect, with certain provisions being phased in for existing rental properties over a four year...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (21 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: I propose to take Questions Nos. 451 and 474 together. A person occupying a house under the shared ownership scheme has the right to buy out the local authority's share and acquire full ownership at any time. Alternatively, this may be done by purchasing, from time to time, additional shares of the authority's equity. For Shared Ownership transactions commenced from 1 January 2003, the...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (21 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: The attaching of conditions to a grant of planning permission and the terms of such conditions are a matter for the planning authority concerned, having regard to statutory requirements, Government policy and Ministerial guidance, where appropriate. While my Department does not provide specific guidance to planning authorities as to the types of native trees that should be planted as part of...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (21 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: I recently published draft Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2011, which include a new exemption for works consisting of the provision of a tank or tanks for the storage of rainwater collected from the roofs of agricultural buildings and any ancillary equipment to collect and distribute the rainwater. This proposed exemption is subject to the following conditions: ·...

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (21 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: Laois County Council have been allocated the following grants for social housing purposes in 2011, i.e., Local Authority Social Housing €1,000,000 Capital Assistance Scheme €100,000 Traveller Accommodation €200,000 Improvements/Remedial/ Energy Efficiency €600,000 The projected spend on the Social Housing Leasing Initiative, including the Rental Accommodation Scheme,...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (21 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: I have no function in the operational matters of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB), an independent statutory body established under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. The Act makes provision for enforcement by the Courts of Determination Orders made by the PRTB. If the Board or a party mentioned in a Determination Order is satisfied that another party has failed to comply with...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (21 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: The obligations of landlords and tenants in the private rented residential sector are set out in the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 which provides the main legislative framework for the sector and, in particular, for the operation of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB), the independent statutory body charged with the administration of the Act and the enforcement of those...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (21 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: Data on housing needs have historically been compiled on a triennial basis by my Department. However, with effect from the 2011 survey, the results of which will be published later this year, this exercise will be conducted on an annual basis. At present, the most recent data available are from 2008 and these are available on our website www.environ.ie. There is no differentiation between...

Written Answers — Homeless Persons: Homeless Persons (21 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: A statutory assessment of housing need is carried out every three years by all housing authorities. Data for the 2011 Assessment of Housing Need are currently being compiled by the Housing Agency and will be published as soon as possible. The last assessment took place in 2008 and indicated that there were 1,394 homeless households on local authority waiting lists, of which 709 were in the...

Written Answers — Tribunals of Inquiry: Tribunals of Inquiry (21 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: I am advised by the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments that it expects to complete its final report within the coming months, at which time the report will be submitted to the Clerk of the Dáil who will arrange to have it laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas immediately on its receipt.

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (21 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: I have established and am chairing the National Co-ordination Committee on Unfinished Housing Developments to oversee implementation of the Report of the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments, entitled Resolving Ireland's Unfinished Housing Developments, together with the Government's response to the recommendations entitled Resolving Unfinished Housing Developments. Both reports...

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (21 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: I introduced the Unfinished Housing Developments Safety Initiative earlier this year as a response to the issues identified in the report of the high level group set up to assess the issue. My primary concern was to make safe those estates which posed a safety risk to the public and where funds to remedy these issues could not be ordinarily accessed by means of completion bonds or pursuit of...