Results 4,361-4,380 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Land Issues (21 Feb 2017)

Damien English: The cost of land is market driven and is influenced by a large number of factors. My Department does not measure or track trends in land costs for residential developments, however, a number of initiatives have been established by my Department to open up lands for development in order to increase the supply of housing. A working group, chaired by my Department, with a broad range of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Construction Industry (21 Feb 2017)

Damien English: Under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Government is committed to a broad range of measures to tackle, among other things, some of the costs associated with the provision of housing in the interests of reducing construction overheads. A working group, chaired by my Department, has been established to undertake a detailed analysis, in conjunction with the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social and Affordable Housing (16 Feb 2017)

Damien English: I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I will highlight the statutory basis for the provision of social housing support. Under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated regulations made thereunder, the assessment of households for social housing support - and the allocation of that support - is a matter for individual housing authorities in accordance...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Social and Affordable Housing (16 Feb 2017)

Damien English: I have tried to answer the question as best I can, and I think I have answered it. The Senator asked were there other examples. I said very clearly one local authority has been referred to in correspondence with us. That is being dealt with. I cannot be any clearer than that. One has been referred to us and we are investigating it. The Senator raised a few different issues. They are...

Seanad: Establishment of a Tribunal of Inquiry: Motion (16 Feb 2017)

Damien English: I am pleased to discuss the resolution with the House on behalf of the Tánaiste. People will understand that she is stuck at a question-and-answer session in the Dáil. In any event, it is good to be here again. The Tánaiste hopes to get here as quickly as possible. The Government has this morning approved draft resolutions to establish a tribunal of inquiry. The...

Seanad: Establishment of a Tribunal of Inquiry: Motion (16 Feb 2017)

Damien English: She is on Question Time in the Dáil.

Topical Issue Debate: Housing Issues (15 Feb 2017)

Damien English: We have made the decision that in the rent pressure zones there will be a limit on increases to a maximum of 4%, one third of the rates in the daft.iereport today. The report reflects the situation before we published the rental strategy. Our intervention in these areas will help. I understand the Deputy wants us to move further backwards, but that is not something we are in a position to...

Topical Issue Debate: Housing Issues (15 Feb 2017)

Damien English: In response to Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett and the Daft.iereport on rent increases, it is clear that there are acute rent pressures in the rental market; we all know that. Those pressures are driven by a number of factors - rising demand, lack of supply and the high costs indebted landlords face in servicing their loans. Those stresses are again confirmed in the latest data from the...

North-South Interconnector: Motion [Private Members] (14 Feb 2017)

Damien English: I spoke about the same technology in 2007.

North-South Interconnector: Motion [Private Members] (14 Feb 2017)

Damien English: I adopted exactly the same line today. The Deputy should not try to change my words.

North-South Interconnector: Motion [Private Members] (14 Feb 2017)

Damien English: I will go first.

North-South Interconnector: Motion [Private Members] (14 Feb 2017)

Damien English: Is that debatable Deputy Kyne? We will have to work it out.

North-South Interconnector: Motion [Private Members] (14 Feb 2017)

Damien English: I welcome the opportunity to have this debate. The Minister, Deputy Naughten, wanted me to explain that he had to leave. It was not out of rudeness and he is watching the debate in his office, but he just could not sit here any longer. In case people are wondering, he is watching the debate because he values everyone's input. I express my thanks to the Minister for meeting all involved...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2017)

Damien English: This group of amendments relates to the offences in the Bill addressing the sexual exploitation of children. Amendment No. 1 to section 10 of the Bill provides for the repeal of sections 3(2)(a) and 3(2)(b) of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, 1998. Section 3(2)(a) of the 1998 Act contains an offence of travelling to meet a child for the purposes of the sexual exploitation of that...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2017)

Damien English: I certainly did not try to take any latitude and will try to keep to the groups the Tánaiste put here. I did not pick the grouping but I tried to stick to it as well as I could. I understand Members' frustration with the timing of the Bill but as has been referred to, this is a discussion and debate that has been going in for a long time. It started in the committee in 2012. We have...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2017)

Damien English: Amendment No. 3 amends section 20 of the Bill, which provides a definition of "sexual act". The meaning of "sexual intercourse" has been added to the existing definition in the Bill. It replicates the definition of "sexual act" under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006. Amendments Nos. 61 and 62 have been made to allow the offences contained in sections 21 and 22 of the Bill, which...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2017)

Damien English: This was done in the Seanad.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2017)

Damien English: I would just like to provide some clarity. This is an issue on which we took a lot of legal advice from the Attorney General. We are very clear on the legal advice. It did change in the Seanad. The Minister addressed it and spoke to the Dáil on it, as well as on Committee Stage, but the change was made here. I say this as a point of clarity if it helps with the debate. The proposed...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2017)

Damien English: There are some concerns about the language used. It is in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It involves full participation in society by persons with disabilities, as well as appropriate protection for those who lack the capacity to consent to such an act owing to the nature of their disability. The amendment will include the required provision. This...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2017)

Damien English: The amendments in group 4 are intended to fully ensure the necessary protection from exploitation by persons responsible for the welfare, care and supervision of certain persons with disabilities. They create an offence of engaging in a sexual act with a relevant person. For this purpose, a relevant person is a person with a disability which is of such a nature or degree as to severely...