Results 3,361-3,380 of 7,024 for speaker:Willie Penrose

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (21 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: I presume the Question refers to the EU INSPIRE Directive (2007/2/EC) which entered into force on 15 May 2007 and which aims to create a European Union spatial data infrastructure to enable the sharing of environmental spatial information among public sector organisations and better facilitate public access to spatial information across Europe. The INSPIRE Directive was transposed into Irish...

Written Answers — Foreshore Licences: Foreshore Licences (21 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: My Department informed the applicant's representative on 20 January of 2011 that the application for a foreshore lease had been approved, and the Chief State Solicitor's Office was instructed to draft the requisite lease. However, issues relating to compliance with the consent have since arisen and these have been communicated to the applicant. Legal advice is now awaited on the matter...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (21 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: I refer to the reply to Question No. 223 of 31 May 2011 which outlines the position in relation to financial support provided to An Taisce. The Planning and Development Regulations 2001 prescribe the current planning fees. Any proposed changes to planning fees, including those payable to planning authorities in relation to the making of objections in respect of planning applications, would...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: On 29 April, 2011, my Department approved the proposal by the Limerick Regeneration Agencies to accept the most economically advantageous tender, as recommended in the tender report for the Cliona Park housing scheme. Following this, and in line with standard procurement procedures, the Regeneration Agencies issued a Letter of Intent to the preferred bidder and notified the other tenderers of...

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 27 together. Last week I published the final report on Resolving Ireland's Unfinished Housing Developments - Report of the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments, together with my Department's response to the recommendations, Resolving Unfinished Housing Developments – Response to the Advisory Group Report on Unfinished Housing...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009 provides for a new process of housing needs assessment for applicants for social housing support and empowers the Minister to make regulations setting out the criteria for determining the eligibility for such support. These criteria include, but are not limited to, income levels and the availability of alternative accommodation. Amended...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: I refer to the reply to Question No. 390 of 15 June 2011.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 34 together. The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is not considered a temporary measure. Its core objectives are to reform the approach towards providing accommodation within the private rented sector for long-term dependents on rent supplement and to enhance the response of housing authorities to meeting long-term housing need. Households on RAS...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: I have no function in the operational matters of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB), which is an independent statutory body established under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. However, I note that the PRTB enforces tenancy registration requirements in accordance with the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, specifically sections 144 and 145, which provide for the...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: In December 2006 my Department notified local authorities that, with effect from 1 January 2007, they could exercise direct control over their internal capital receipts from the sale of local authority dwellings with the general guidance that the proceeds be used primarily for improvement works to their housing stock.

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: While action to deal with anti-social behaviour is primarily a matter for An Garda Síochána, in the case of private rented dwellings landlords are responsible for enforcing the obligations that apply to their tenants under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. The Act, in this regard, prohibits a tenant in a private residential tenancy from engaging in anti-social behaviour in, or in the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: I have no plans to change the current tenant purchase scheme criteria. I refer to the reply to Question No. 239 of 24 May 2011 which sets out the current position in relation to the tenant purchase schemes.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: Local authority dwellings are subject to the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008, amended in 2009, which describe the furnishing and fitting required to be present in a rented house. Accommodation let by a local authority is exempt from the requirements for food preparation, storage and laundry purposes, as the tenant usually provides these goods,...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: This year my Department is providing €203 million to support a number of measures aimed at improving the quality and standard of local authority social housing stock, ranging from large-scale regeneration and estate-wide improvement works to the retrofitting and refurbishment of individual vacant and occupied units. My Department also provides Exchequer funding, amounting to €63.6 million...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: I refer to Question No. 120 of 16 June 2011, which sets put the position in relation to this matter.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: My Department does not hold information on the number of households on local authorities waiting lists. This figure continuously fluctuates as households on the list are allocated housing and new households apply for housing support. A statutory assessment of housing need is carried out every three years by all housing authorities. The last assessment took place in 2008 and indicated that...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: Under the shared ownership scheme houses are acquired by a local authority and leased to the shared owner, who purchases at least 40% of the value of the house and rents the remaining equity from the local authority. The local authority finances the transaction by borrowing from the Housing Finance Agency. The purchaser may buy out the local authority's share at any time and the only...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: My Department is currently compiling projected output figures from housing authorities for 2011. Once complete the information requested will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: Two of the key challenges for the housing sector at present are the oversupply of housing in certain areas, including in respect of unfinished estates, and the need sustainably to meet the increasing demand for social housing in the context of a severely restricted resource environment. There are clear linkages between the roles of my Department and the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA)...

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (16 Jun 2011)

Willie Penrose: I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 132 together. The unfinished housing developments safety initiative was introduced earlier this year to deal with the problem of the health and safety issues presented by unfinished estates. My Department has allocated an initial €5 million to allow local authorities to identify such estates and make application for funding to alleviate the problem....