Results 3,601-3,620 of 7,024 for speaker:Willie Penrose

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (5 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: The Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments relevant to the foreshores area viz: · the need for efficient foreshore licensing and leasing for marine energy; · the intention to incentivise and promote off-shore drilling and streamline the planning and regulatory process for bringing ashore these reserves, and · the development of an integrated marine and coastal planning...

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

Willie Penrose: I refer to the reply to Question No. 148 of 29 March, 2011. The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 came into force on 1 April 2011. Housing authorities are currently carrying out an assessment of need as at 31 March of this year. The results will be available later in the year. The last assessment took place in 2008 and produced a net need figure of 56,249 households.

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

Willie Penrose: There are no funds specifically designated under the Social Housing Investment Programme for the purpose of facilitating local authority tenants wishing to downsize. A number of housing authorities, however, have traditionally operated such schemes within their overall housing programmes.

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

Willie Penrose: The information requested is not available in my Department.

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (5 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: Planning legislation places no specific restrictions on the height of hedges or trees nor does it make any particular provision for recognition of a right to light or remedy from any other nuisance which may be caused by trees in an urban residential area. Complaints relating to matters such as trees or shrubs overhanging a property are normally addressed, where necessary, under civil law...

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

Willie Penrose: My Department is committed to supporting local authorities in maintaining and improving the quality of the national social housing stock through a range of measures including large-scale urban regeneration programmes, improving the standard and energy efficiency of dwellings, pre-letting repairs and improvements and refurbishment works to vacant properties in order to return these to...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (5 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: My Department received comprehensive responses from the planning authorities concerned in relation to particular planning issues in their areas as part of a broadly-based review of planning practices and policies, undertaken by the previous administration. These reports were assessed in my Department to inform further policy formulation at that time. No further inquiry has been undertaken...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (5 Apr 2011)

Willie Penrose: Section 7 of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010, which was commenced on 5 October 2010, amended the Planning and Development Act 2000 by requiring the inclusion of a mandatory objective in the development plan for: "the preservation of public rights of way which give access to seashore, mountain, lakeshore, riverbank or other place of natural beauty or recreational utility,...

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

Willie Penrose: I propose to take Questions Nos. 279 and 280 together. 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...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (31 Mar 2011)

Willie Penrose: The Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010 was enacted on 26 July 2010, and five commencement orders have been made over the period August 2010-March 2011. Remaining provisions of the Act will be commenced as soon as possible once the required regulations, guidance and certain legal refinements to the 2010 Act are finalised. Section 69 of the Act will not be commenced as it now...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (31 Mar 2011)

Willie Penrose: The European Court of Justice found, in its ruling of 20 November 2008, that Ireland's system of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening for certain categories of agriculture related projects was over-reliant on size thresholds and did not take other relevant criteria (e.g. cumulative impacts of development, proximity to sensitive sites etc.) into account. The categories of projects...

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

Willie Penrose: Under the terms of the Incremental Purchase scheme introduced in June 2010, new houses provided by approved voluntary and co-operative housing bodies and designated under the scheme may be purchased by their tenants. As regards the sale to tenants of existing houses provided by approved bodies, my Department is currently examining, in consultation with the relevant bodies, the future funding...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (30 Mar 2011)

Willie Penrose: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 provides the main legislative framework for the private rented sector and, in particular, for the operation of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB). 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 whether legislative amendments would support either the...

Written Answers — Strategy on Homelessness: Strategy on Homelessness (30 Mar 2011)

Willie Penrose: My Department does not hold the information requested in relation to the numbers accommodated on a monthly basis at the centre in question. Statutory responsibility for addressing the accommodation needs in relation to the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with the housing authorities and decisions relating to particular services funded by them are matters for the...

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

Willie Penrose: The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009, provides for a new process of housing needs assessment for applicants for social housing support. The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, made under that Act, will come into force on 1 April 2011. From this date, all applicants for social housing support will be assessed under new eligibility criteria, including maximum net income...

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

Willie Penrose: The sourcing of suitable housing units to meet social housing needs in individual areas is primarily a matter for the statutory housing authorities and approved housing bodies. Providing an enhanced legal and policy framework within which the statutory and other housing bodies can meet social housing need is a high priority for the Government. In order to deliver on this priority, I intend...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (23 Mar 2011)

Willie Penrose: While I am mindful of the difficulties many households are facing in terms of mortgage arrears and issues relating to negative equity it is not intended to introduce a scheme on the lines proposed. It is important to note that the claw-back is intended to prevent short-term profit taking on the resale of the house to the detriment of the objectives of the schemes. However, where a person is...

Written Answers — Anti-Social Behaviour: Anti-Social Behaviour (23 Mar 2011)

Willie Penrose: The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1997 (as amended) and section 35 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 confer a range of powers on housing authorities relating to combating anti-social behaviour in their housing stock. Authorities are required by the 2009 Act to adopt an anti-social behaviour strategy. The exercise of these powers is a matter for the relevant authority.

Programme for Government: Motion (15 Mar 2011)

Willie Penrose: I wish to share my time with Deputy Ciaran Lynch. I compliment Deputies Ellis and Stanley on their maiden speeches which were well made. I am happy to address the House as Minister of State with responsibility for housing and planning. Housing and planning have always been two critical areas of public policy in Ireland but their importance has never been greater than it is now, facing as we...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (1 Feb 2011)

Willie Penrose: Question 174: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will readjust the assessment of the live register figures to include persons who are aged 18 years or over but who are not entitled to any social welfare payment because their parents are currently employed, and therefore not registered in any form to enable them to participate in FÁS courses; if the appropriate amendment will be...