Results 3,321-3,340 of 7,024 for speaker:Willie Penrose

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (5 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the tenant-landlord relationship in the private rented residential sector. My Department conducted a review of the Act in 2009 with a specific emphasis on whether the Act best supports the PRTB's key functions and on whether legislative amendments would support either the achievement of additional operational efficiencies by the PRTB in the...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (5 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, and cannot therefore comment on the specifics of any individual case. The Act regulates the tenant-landlord relationship in the private rented residential sector. My Department conducted a review of the Act in...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (5 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: My Department has allocated some €78 million in 2011 to local authorities for the maintenance and improvement of their stock, and these improvement works programmes include remedial action necessary to convert bed-sits. It is a matter for Dublin City Council and other authorities, within their own improvement works allocation, to determine their improvements works programme including any...

Written Answers — Foreshore Licences: Foreshore Licences (5 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: This application was referred to the Chief State Solicitor's Office for legal advice following a challenge to the State's ownership of the foreshore concerned. On foot of a request for further information from that office, my Department has compiled the necessary response which is expected to issue in the coming days.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (5 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: There has been no delay in the putting in place of a new allocation scheme for Dublin City Council. The new allocation scheme was adopted by the Council on 9 May 2011. Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, which provides for the allocation of dwellings by a housing authority, was commenced in June 2010 and replaces the previous requirements which had governed the...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (5 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: On 16 June I launched the Government's new housing policy statement which will serve as a framework for a sequence of legislative and policy initiatives in the short to medium term. Based on a number of fundamental principles and goals that will form the foundation of a substantial reform programme, the new framework for housing policy responds to current and emerging conditions in the...

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (5 Jul 2011)

Willie Penrose: On 9 June 2011, I published the Final Report of the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments, entitled Resolving Ireland's Unfinished Housing Developments, together with my Department's response to the recommendations. Both reports are available on my Department's website - www.environ.ie. The main recommendations of the Advisory Group were in respect of: · driving a more...

Electoral Reform (30 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: I thank the Deputy on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government for raising the issue. She has an interest in this and she has expertise in the area, on which I compliment her. The Minister published the Electoral (Amendment) Bill earlier and it contains three important electoral reforms. It amends the terms of reference of a constituency commission in...

Building Regulations (30 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government would like to thank Deputy Broughan and Deputy Kenny for raising this important matter. I know they have long-standing interests in this ongoing issue. The Government is acutely aware of the difficult and distressing situations faced by many homeowners and tenants today, who through no fault of their own, are dealing with the...

Drug Treatment Court (30 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: I thank Deputies Joe Costello, Robert Dowds and Michael Conaghan for raising this important issue. I understand the replies are in transit. I offer my apologies for any delay. On behalf of the Minister for Justice and, Equality, I thank the Deputies for raising this important matter, in which they all have a long-term interest. The Government's approach to tackling the problem of drug...

Written Answers — National Spatial Strategy: National Spatial Strategy (30 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: The 2002 National Spatial Strategy is a 20 year planning framework designed to achieve a better balance of social, economic and physical development and population growth between regions. It provides the spatial vision and principles for statutory regional planning across the eight regions and for development plans at a local level. The NSS identified nine gateway cities/towns and nine hub...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (30 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: Data on Local Authority completions, broken down by county and city, are displayed onwww.environ.ie and the most recent data published in this regard relate to 2009. My Department expects that data for 2010 will be published before the end of the summer.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (30 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: The CAS scheme is a devolved programme operated through the housing authorities. As such it is a matter for Kildare County Council to develop its social housing programme and decide on appropriate modes for its delivery, including through the CAS scheme, while taking into account existing funding commitments, available funding resources and specific social housing needs in its area. It is...

Written Answers — Local Authority Services: Local Authority Services (30 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: Class 16 of Schedule 2, Part 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 provides an exemption from the requirement to apply for planning permission for advertisements announcing a non-commercial local event. It is now proposed to provide a similar exemption for advertisements announcing any local event promoted or carried on for commercial purposes. This exemption will be subject to...

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (30 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: Section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) provides that, where estates have not been completed to the satisfaction of the planning authority and enforcement proceedings have not been commenced within the relevant period, the planning authority must, if requested to do so by the majority of owners, initiate the procedures for taking the estate in charge. A further...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (30 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: Under my Department's Social Housing Improvement Programme, funding of up to 90% of the approved cost is provided to Housing Authorities to undertake improvement works to occupied and vacant social housing units, including works to improve the energy efficiency and general standard of the houses concerned. Some €31 million is being made available for this purpose in 2011. Typically the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (30 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: A new tenant purchase scheme under the provisions of section 90 of the Housing Act, 1966 – the 2011 Tenant Purchase Scheme - was introduced in February to allow local authority tenants to avail of a discount of up to 45% on the market price of a house they are eligible to purchase under the scheme. This scheme applies only to tenants of 10 years standing or longer, and will be open for...

Written Answers — Private Residential Tenancies Board: Private Residential Tenancies Board (30 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: The PRTB enforces tenancies registration requirements in accordance with the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, specifically sections 144 and 145, which provide for the issuing of notices to landlords and/or occupiers of the dwellings in question and the prosecution of offenders for non-compliance with the registration requirement. Under section 9 of the Act, a person guilty of...

Passport Applications (30 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: On behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I thank Deputy O'Mahony for raising this important issue. I know he has a sustained interest in the issue. He has raised it a number of times. The matter is of interest to many rural Deputies. There are currently 52,712 passport applications in the system being processed across the passport offices in Molesworth Street,...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (29 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: My Department allocated €317,377 to Kilkenny County Council on 23 May, 2011 to enable them to meet their expenditure in 2011 in respect of Improvement Works in Lieu/Extensions and Disabled Person's Grants. It is a matter for the County Council to decide which works should be carried out under these headings subject to full compliance with my Department's scheme conditions.