Results 4,101-4,120 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Data (13 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department receives staffing sanction request applications for specified grades of posts in the local authority rather than by business location. Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Data (13 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Since, 1 January 2014, my Department has received 933 engineering staffing sanction requests from local authorities, of which 819 have been approved. The status of these requests is set out in the table attached. The posts not approved include: - 18 requests which are pending, in general awaiting supporting information prior to an informed decision being taken; - 12 requests refused; - 38...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation Provision (13 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. This includes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (13 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The European Commission has taken an infringement case against Ireland in relation to the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) which sets out requirements for the collection, treatment and discharge of urban waste water. A hearing in the case took place in the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on 19 September 2018. Ireland made a number of key points including the burden...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Guidelines (13 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Following engagement between the European Commission and my Department regarding the 2013 European Court of Justice ruling in the "Flemish Decree" case, a working group was established in May 2017 to review and, where necessary, recommend changes to the 2005 Planning Guidelines on Sustainable Rural Housing, issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Meters (13 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Neither I nor my Department have a role in relation to the management of individual customer accounts or the resolution of complaints which are matters for Irish Water in the first instance or, where a satisfactory resolution...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Services (13 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The local government sector receives funding from a number of different sources, including central Government. It is a matter for each elected Council to decide its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process, having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. Section 45(5) of the Local Government Act 2001 states that a local authority...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (13 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: In April 2018, I established a Working Group to conduct a review of the wider investment needs relating to rural water services. The group's aim is to recommend measures to ensure an equality of outcome between those who receive water services from Irish Water and non-Irish Water customers. The terms of reference of the review provide for a two-strand approach. Strand 1 is considering...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Guidelines (13 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, all development, unless specifically exempted under the Act or associated Regulations, requires planning permission. Section 4 of the Act and Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, set out various exemptions from the requirement to obtain planning permission. Any such exemptions are subject to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (13 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department is aware that some Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) recipients are making payments directly to their landlords, beyond the amount of HAP being paid on their behalf. There is no legislative provision precluding HAP supported households contributing towards the monthly rent to their landlord and my Department does not collect data in relation to households in receipt of HAP who...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff Data (13 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: At 31 October 2018 there were 158.7 full time equivalent (FTE) males and 98.9 FTE females employed in my Department in senior management positions (these being positions at Assistant Principal (and equivalent grades) and above).

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (13 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department provides funding to local authorities to acquire a range of properties for social housing use, including properties that are vacant and in need of remediation. To ensure a local-led response to such work, responsibility for property acquisitions is delegated to local authorities. Local authorities are encouraged to adopt a proactive approach in utilising their available...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (13 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department currently publishes data on a monthly basis on the number of homeless persons accommodated in emergency accommodation funded and overseen by housing authorities. These reports are based on data provided by housing authorities, produced through the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS). The reports are collated on a regional basis and are published on my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Protected Disclosures (13 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, is currently finalising its analysis of the submission made with reference to the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 by the person named with a view to communicating the outcome of the process to that person as soon as possible. In its analysis, my Department will have regard to the request by the person named for a full and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (8 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The EPA issues a report on urban waste water treatment in Ireland every year. The latest report is based on the assessment of effluent monitoring results from 1,100 waste water treatment plants reported to the EPA by Irish Water and on enforcement activities carried out by the EPA during 2017. Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (8 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Since 2009, my Department has made financial support available to assist local authorities in meeting the costs of clean-up and necessary immediate works associated with significant severe weather emergency events, including flooding. This is in recognition of the exceptional nature of activities carried out by local authorities in responding to these types of emergencies and the fact that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (8 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 provides for, among other things, the establishment of a Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme to be operated by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). There have been significant changes in the rental market since the 2015 scheme was first envisaged and designed. For example, the draft scheme was originally intended to be financed by the interest...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (8 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: There is a complete programme of planning, procurement and building regulations that apply to social and non-social housing equally. I have no plans at present to introduce any changes to statutory regulations or legislation in the areas identified by the Deputy that would apply to social housing only.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Contracts (8 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The information requested is not available in my Department and I have no function in this matter. In accordance with section 149 of the Local Government Act 2001 contractual issues are a matter for the Chief Executive of the local authority.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Data (8 Nov 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 296 to 298, inclusive, together. Under sections 149 and 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the efficient and effective operation of such local authority and the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible. My Department...