Results 4,201-4,220 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations Compliance (11 May 2017)

Damien English: Under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2014, primary responsibility for compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations rests with the designers, builders and owners of buildings.  Enforcement of the Building Regulations is a matter for the 31 local building control authorities, who have extensive powers of inspection and enforcement in the event of breaches of the Building...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations (11 May 2017)

Damien English: The recording and reporting of statistics on housing activity is a complex matter that involves tracking a range of different indicators – including planning permissions, commencement notices, ESB connections and several others - from various sources, each of which measure different aspects of housing market activity.  Each dataset presents part of the overall housing activity...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Professional Qualifications (10 May 2017)

Damien English: The title of Chartered Engineer is protected by the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland (Charter Amendment) Act 1969, while the Building Control Act 2007, among other things, provides for the registration of persons entitled to use the professional titles of Architect and Building Surveyor.  Neither I nor my Department has any direct role in the operation of these...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations (10 May 2017)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133, 135 and 136 together. In relation to the Deputy's request, the matters referred to are matters for local authorities, who are independent in the use of their statutory powers under the Building Control Acts 1990 - 2014. In line with the agreed Performance Indicators for Local Government, Building Control Authorities are required to carry out a level of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations (10 May 2017)

Damien English: In relation to the Deputy's request, the issue referred to is a matter for local authorities, who are independent in the use of their statutory powers under the Building Control Acts 1990 - 2014. The Building Control Management System (BCMS) provides a common platform for clear and consistent administration of building control matters across the local authority sector. The BCMS is an IT...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Construction Industry Register Ireland (10 May 2017)

Damien English: The Construction Industry Register Ireland (CIRI) was established by the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) as a voluntary register of builders and contractors and I understand that, to date, approximately 800 building and contracting entities have registered. The Government signalled its commitment in the Construction 2020 Strategy, and in the Action Plan for Jobs, to place the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (10 May 2017)

Damien English: The proposal to allow for the change of use of vacant commercial premises in urban areas into residential units without having to go through the planning process was reflected in the Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, published in July 2016. My Department is currently progressing the drafting of the necessary revisions to the planning...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (10 May 2017)

Damien English: Following the tragic loss of life in Carrickmines, County Dublin on 10 October 2015, my Department’s National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) was tasked with overseeing a Programme to Review and Enhance Fire Safety in Local Authority Provided Traveller Accommodation. The objective of the review was to ensure that practical and appropriate fire safety measures,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 May 2017)

Damien English: The document “Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments – Guidelines for Planning Authorities” was published in December 2015 and had legislative and policy effect from January 2016. Given the time period necessary for prospective applicants to prepare proposals in the light of the Guidelines, submit such proposals to planning authorities for...

Topical Issue Debate: Seaweed Harvesting Licences (9 May 2017)

Damien English: The Deputy has told me that but he must understand that I cannot go backwards to something that happened nearly six years ago. All I can give the Deputy is a commitment that the Department will monitor this and work with the company involved. No doubt the locals will have a view on the monitoring arrangements. The advertising arrangements will also be reviewed for future reference. I...

Topical Issue Debate: Seaweed Harvesting Licences (9 May 2017)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Collins for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to set out some background and context to the licence and the concerns that have recently arisen. My Department regulates seaweed harvesting in accordance with the Foreshore Act 1933. It aims to ensure that wild seaweed, which is a valuable resource, is managed appropriately to ensure that it remains sustainable...

Topical Issue Debate: Seaweed Harvesting Licences (9 May 2017)

Damien English: I am aware that living seaweed acts as an important habitat for marine and coastal species and can provide spawning and nursery grounds for various species of marine life. Deputy Michael Collins mentioned how significant it is to Bantry. However, as the Deputy stated, we cannot forget that supporting quality employment in coastal communities, in particular along the western seaboard, is of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: County Development Plans (9 May 2017)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 233 to 238, inclusive, together. As part of the preparation of the new National Planning Framework (NPF), entitled Ireland 2040: Our Plan, extensive pre-draft public consultation has been conducted on the Issues and Choices paper, published on 2 February, which attracted over 3,300 submissions, including a joint submission from the five...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: VAT Rate Reductions (9 May 2017)

Damien English: It is important to note that one off housing is subject to building control regulations. However, the Building Control (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations provide the owners of such homes with an option to opt-out of statutory certification of compliance with building regulations if they wish to do so. Building Control requirements are far from the most significant element of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Architects Register (9 May 2017)

Damien English: The Building Control Act 2007 provides for a statutory register of architects. This Act confers certain powers on the Minister in respect of the statutory system of registration for architects, such as the appointment of Chairpersons and certain ordinary members of the Admissions Board, the Appeals Board and the Technical Assessment Board.  The Minister has no statutory role...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Construction Regulations (9 May 2017)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 247 and 248 together. A number of companies operating in the Irish insurance market currently provide latent defects insurance cover in respect of new residential buildings. The Central Bank of Ireland is responsible for the prudential supervision of such undertakings authorised in Ireland. My Department has no function in relation to this aspect of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations Compliance (9 May 2017)

Damien English: In relation to the Deputy's request, the matters referred to are matters for local authorities, who are independent in the use of their statutory powers under the Building Control Acts 1990 - 2014. The Local Government Management Agency collected data on inspections carried out up to 2013 and published this information in the Service Indicators in Local Authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Bodies Establishment (9 May 2017)

Damien English: Section 14 of the Building Control Act 1990 provides for the establishment, at the Minister's discretion, of a Building Regulations Advisory Body (BRAB) to advise the Minister on matters relating to building regulations. The term of office of the last BRAB expired on 1 October 2012.  The members of that BRAB were appointed for a term of office of five years from 14...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations (9 May 2017)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 252 to 255, inclusive, together. Under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2014, primary responsibility for compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations rests with the designers, builders and owners of buildings.  Enforcement of the Building Regulations is a matter for the 31 local building control authorities who have extensive powers of...

Prohibition of Micro-Plastics Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (4 May 2017)

Damien English: It will not be specifically on this. It is the other Bill, it will not be a bespoke Bill.