Results 4,621-4,640 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff Data (18 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: At the time of its establishment in August 2016, the Housing Delivery Office (HDO) comprised a team of 4 people including staff seconded from the local government sector and the National Development Finance Agency. Having carried out a range of initial initiatives, and taking account of the fact that some assignments to the office were time-limited, the HDO was refocused in September 2017 to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (18 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The reserved functions of the elected council of a local authority are designated by provisions of the Local Government Acts 1925 to 2014 as well as by provisions of any other Act that is construed together with those Acts. Executive functions are performed by the Chief Executive. Section 149(4) of the Local Government Act 2001, as amended, states that every function of a local authority...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Data (18 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The accelerated delivery of housing, including social housing, is of critical importance to this Government. My Department has recognised the need to support local authorities in their efforts to increase both capacity and output in this regard. In addition to substantial capital and current funding provided under Rebuilding Ireland, additional dedicated co-ordinated support resources...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Data (18 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The accelerated delivery of housing, including social housing, is of critical importance to this Government. My Department has recognised the need to support local authorities in their efforts to increase both capacity and output in this regard. In addition to substantial capital and current funding provided under Rebuilding Ireland, additional dedicated co-ordinated support resources...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Guidelines (18 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The Guidelines for Planning Authorities relating to Childcare Facilities recommend that, in the case of new housing areas, a standard of one childcare facility providing for a minimum of 20 childcare places per approximately 75 dwellings may be appropriate, depending on the particular circumstances of each individual site. The planning and housing statistics compiled annually by local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (18 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Arising from the detailed analysis, provided by the Working Group on Short-term Lettings that the Deputy is referring to, which informed the development of a range of proposals to establish an appropriate regulatory approach for short-term tourism-related lettings as well as identifying amendments to relevant legislation to give effect to such a regulatory regime, I am currently reviewing the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (18 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I commenced the relevant provisions of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, to place the new scheme for affordable purchase on a statutory footing, on 18 June 2018. This Scheme will be delivered by local authorities developing their sites in key locations. The Scheme complements other Government Schemes which help first-time buyers to buy a home, such as the Help to Buy Scheme and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment Data (18 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: At the end of Q2 2018, there were 37,751 active tenancies being supported under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme in 31 local authority areas. A breakdown of the number of households supported by HAP, in each local authority area since the scheme began in 2014 to Q1 2018, is available on my Department’s website at the following link: . My Department is aware that some HAP...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (18 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Dealing with homelessness is an absolute priority for the Government and Rebuilding Ireland, the Government's Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness, sets out a range of actions in that regard, implementation of which is well underway. My Department is committed to ensuring that those experiencing homelessness are accommodated in appropriate emergency accommodation until such time as they...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (18 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The CSO Census of Population 2016 indicated that there were approximately 183,000 vacant homes throughout the country (down from 230,000 in 2011). However, in considering that figure, it should be noted that those numbers were recorded at a single point in time and included houses for sale or for rent, as well as homes that are not recoverable for occupancy for a wide range of reasons. My...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (18 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: On 17 September 2018, I launched the new Land Development Agency (LDA) which will act as a new commercial State body to actively manage development land with two primary objectives. The first objective is to ensure the optimal usage of State land and coordinating their regeneration and development and opening up key sites not being optimally used, especially for the delivery of new...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Remuneration (7 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this end, my Department gathers quarterly data on staff numbers in local authorities; however, the data gathered does not provide details in terms of the number of Senior Executive Building Surveyors, Senior Executive Engineers, Executive...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (7 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department provides funding to local authorities under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs.  The suite of grants includes the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People, which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Free Travel Scheme Eligibility (7 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Arising from the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, my Department is funding an initiative to provide homeless families residing in hotel accommodation and family hubs in the Dublin Region with access to free public transport for essential school journeys.   The Dublin Region Homeless Executive is overseeing implementation of this initiative...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Funding (7 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Local authorities have a number of options available to them in meeting social housing needs. These include, if they consider it appropriate, the transfer of a site from a person qualified for social housing to the local authority, and the building of a social house on the site by the local authority, to be tenanted by the person who transferred the site. I understand that the scheme referred...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Process (7 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The preparation of a General Scheme of a Bill to provide for the prohibition of the manufacture, import, export or sale of certain products containing plastic microbeads is at an advanced stage. A Draft Regulatory Impact Analysis will be uploaded to my Department's website shortly. The target is to publish the Bill in the 2018 autumn/winter legislative session.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (7 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My focus, and that of the Government, is to ensure that as many households as possible remain in their homes and in this regard a range of measures are currently being implemented across Government Departments and agencies. These actions are focused on encouraging those in mortgage distress to reach a long term debt resolution, avoid repossession and remain in their home if possible. One of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Nitrates Usage (7 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2017, as amended, give legal effect in Ireland to the Nitrates Directive and to our Nitrates Action Programme (NAP). Under these Regulations, annual maximum limits are provided for nitrogen and phosphorus for grassland and tillage crops. The rates are designed to meet the crop and soil requirements whilst...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Recruitment (7 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, it is the Chief Executive of the Council who is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority. I have delegated authority to the Cork City Chief Executive to fill vacancies that arise within the context of agreed workforce planning numbers without recourse to my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Solar Energy Guidelines (7 Sep 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Proposals for individual solar farm developments are subject to the statutory requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, in the same manner as other proposed developments, with planning applications made to the relevant local planning authority with a right of appeal to An Bord Pleanála. There are currently no specific planning guidelines in place in respect of...