Results 3,581-3,600 of 7,024 for speaker:Willie Penrose

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 279 and 280 of 5 April 2011 which outline the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (6 Apr 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 — Housing Policy: Housing Policy (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: The draft housing strategy for people with a disability sets out a framework for the proposed delivery of housing for people with disabilities through mainstream housing policy. The strategy has been developed in conjunction with a National Advisory Group, chaired by my Department and involving the Department of Health and Children, the HSE, local authorities, organisations representing...

Written Answers — Local Authority Services: Local Authority Services (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: My Department's Guidelines to Planning Authorities on the Planning System and Flood Risk Management , which were published on 30 November 2009, are aimed at ensuring a more consistent, rigorous and systematic approach to flood risk assessment and management in the planning system. The Guidelines which were issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, and to which...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: The project in question is part of my Department's Remedial Works Programme 2009-2011. Approval issued in June 2010 with a preliminary budget of €6.61 million for the project, subject to specific terms and conditions. An ongoing series of meetings and other communications has taken place between my Department and Kildare County Council, including the recent Housing Action Plan meeting. An...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (6 Apr 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 — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: It is the responsibility of each planning authority to provide for the proper planning and sustainable development of its area, to ensure that their statutory development plans and local area plans provide an adequate basis to guide the delivery of infrastructure and services, as well as future development, and to reflect national and regional policy priorities within these plans. The Dublin...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: Appropriate measures to ensure that waste, which includes wastewater from septic tanks and proprietary waste systems, is recovered or disposed of without endangering human health and without using processes that could harm the environment, have necessarily been taken by my Department in order to address a recent ECJ judgment (C188/08) which found that Ireland was in breach of Article 4 of the...

Ghost Housing Estates (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: The high level expert group on unfinished housing developments, established in October 2010 following the publication of my Department's national housing development survey database, is identifying practical policy solutions to address, effectively and promptly, the difficulties associated with unfinished housing developments. On foot of the interim analysis and findings of the expert group...

Ghost Housing Estates (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: I thank the Deputy for his question and am delighted to see a fellow midlander across the floor. Some of the points he makes are worth exploring. However, the first concern is the public safety aspect in terms of building compliance and health and safety. There are some 400 estates requiring that attention, which is a huge number. Phase two involves collaboration and co-ordination, that...

Ghost Housing Estates (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: Had certain legislation been passed we might have reaped a social dividend, but it is slow. Perhaps Deputy Stanley will contact me directly in advance of next week setting out his proposals. I will pursue these issues with the NAMA representatives with a view to ensuring people get that to which they are legitimately entitled.

Local Authority Bonds (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: Sections 34(4)(g) and 180(2)(b) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, enable planning authorities to attach conditions to grants of planning permission for development requiring the provision of financial securities sufficient to safeguard the satisfactory completion of essential infrastructure and amenities in those developments, and, if a development is not subsequently...

Local Authority Bonds (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: There are clearly issues in regard to bonds, especially where developers can no longer be contacted or have gone out of business. This is a particularly difficulty when working with an insurance bond rather than a cash bond, the latter being far more accessible and liquid. Bonds were never designed to deal with the nature of the difficulties that have arisen. Their intended purpose was to...

Planning Issues (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: The planning review announced last year by the former Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr. John Gormley, was intended to assess the application of planning legislation, policy and guidance within the development plan and development management systems at local level and to inform further policy development in these areas. A number of planning authorities,...

Planning Issues (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: The local authorities have replied to the various specific issues and in conjunction with my Department, I will review those replies after which I will publish that statement. As for any recommendations that may arise therefrom, Deputy O'Dea is familiar with section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2002 and it is important to keep political involvement some distance away from any...

Planning Issues (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: Deputy O'Dea may rest assured in that regard as the 2010 Act constitutes a significant advance in these terms and will deal with many of the issues. This is the reason the process will be opened up more widely as part of the programme for Government to get greater public consultation and input from community groups. I assure the Deputy that the 2010 Act will be the basis on which the...

Social and Affordable Housing (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 provides for a new process of housing needs assessment for applicants for social housing support. Until now there have been different practices in housing authorities regarding the way in which applicants for social housing support had their income means-tested. The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, which came into force on 1 April...

Social and Affordable Housing (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: I am plainly surprised by that response as someone who was a member of a local authority for almost 20 years. Income limits were in place and a person with €25,000 net had a significant income, as it is net of all the charges. However, the overall impact of the new arrangements and amended regulations is expected to result in an increase in the number of households eligible for social...

Social and Affordable Housing (6 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: Yes, I will do that. I note that a number of other colleagues across the floor of the Chamber also had concerns in this regard and there is an increase for them as well. I certainly will keep an eye on it. While a small number of people on the housing lists in certain local authorities may fall off, I suspect the number will be few. I checked briefly the Deputy's local authority and I do...

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (5 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: I propose to take Questions Nos. 249 and 265 together. In order to facilitate the continued independent occupancy of their own homes by older people and people with a disability, and following a review of the old Disabled Persons, Essential Repairs Grant Schemes and Special Housing Aid for the Elderly scheme, which was administered by the HSE, a revised suite of Housing Adaptation Grant...