Results 4,721-4,740 of 8,342 for speaker:Peter Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Housing Policy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank the Deputy for those questions. The sound and the connection dropped in the middle of her contribution for a few moments but I hope I got the gist of what she said and, if not, she can ask me a second question. One of the key recommendations in the national disability strategy was to have a steering group in each of the 31 local authorities. They are aware of the demand in each...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Housing Policy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank the Deputy. I assure her that the Government is determined to tackle and resolve the housing crisis, as shown by the budget of €3.3 billion, a record budget, in the Department. We have a huge hill to climb, however. The reality, as seen from the new housing needs and demands assessment, is that there is a requirement for 33,000 units per annum. I am very conscious that no...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Housing Policy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: The Deputy hit the nail on the head in terms of allowing people to live independently and supporting them to do so. That is the first choice for people. They want to be kept in their homes. I acknowledge that 80% of the grant aid comes from the Department, with 20% a key allocation from the local authority. We will, towards the end of this year, review the thresholds. The various grants...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Housing Policy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: My thanks to Senator Higgins for raising those important points. The Minister will be setting the affordability criteria by regulation in respect of the Land Development Agency. This will be a key driver in delivering affordable and social homes. Reference has been made to liaising with the local authority. The local authority will be driving this with the Land Development Agency as the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Housing Policy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: My thanks to Senator Seery Kearney for her comprehensive outline of the needs we have to meet. That is important to say. One of the priority actions under the national disability plan is action 1.1. As I mentioned before, this led to the establishment of a steering committee within each of the local authorities. It places an obligation on the local authority to put forward a five-year...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Housing Policy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank the Deputy. I appreciate her comments and her understanding of the situation. As one who has come from the local authority sector, she can really see first hand the challenges that are faced. I have articulated the various schemes and the increased allocations we have made, but one can always say it is never enough because we are speaking about the most vulnerable people who...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Housing Policy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Hourigan for her questions. The Deputy well articulated the pressure points we face. On Government policy on design, the design guidelines issued for the construction of apartments state 50% of any developments of nine apartments or more must have a minimum of 10% increased, oversized space. There are also clear guidelines that developments have lift access and that floors...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Housing Policy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: Deputy Murnane O'Connor referred to the type of housing required in terms of bedrooms and units. For the first time under the national planning framework, the Department has a tool called the housing demands and needs assessment tool. That will shape the delivery plans of our local authorities regarding the type of housing required in specific jurisdictions and areas. That will,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Housing Policy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: I will bring Ms Feeney in on that point in a moment. I drilled down into the figure earlier on in terms of the current list nationally. There are approximately 5,002 approved applicants with a disability, and I cited that is around 8% of the national housing list. I referred to how we are providing 12% solutions. In terms of our allocations, we are prioritising, as much as we can, those...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Housing Policy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: I would be happy to do that. This is an area for which I have responsibility. An expert review produced 32 recommendations. Our programme board met for the first time last week to implement these recommendations to deliver and unlock accommodation for Travellers. We approved the caravan loan scheme last week so there is much good news in that space.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Housing Policy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: I am happy to take the Chairman's comments on board. There will be a review later this year of the various grant schemes. I appreciate, understand and know the value and importance of these schemes. We can bring that in with our engagement with the HSE in terms of the Chairman's remarks on section 39 organisations. It is very important that we have cross-communication because there are so...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Housing Policy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: I can revert to Deputy Tully on that.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank all the Members who spoke. I genuinely appreciate the valuable responses that have been made, as the Acting Chairman noted.It is important that we have this debate. I acknowledge the frustration with the speed of the Bill's progression. We offered extensive oral and written briefings and carried them out with the joint committee. Common threads in the contributions that have been...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: I acknowledge the genuine and well-meaning nature of the contributions. In response to Senator Craughwell, this is strictly on the advice of the Attorney General. He is the constitutional officer from whom the Government must take its advice. He is trying to balance the property rights in the Constitution with the rights of very vulnerable people who are renting and have experienced a loss...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2021: Second Stage (26 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: I am grateful to the Acting Chairperson and all of the Senators for facilitating debates under this very urgent legislation in Seanad Éireann before the Easter recess. I also record my thanks to the Chief Whip and to members of both the Business Committee and the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage for enabling the Residential Tenancies Bill 2021 to be...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2021: Second Stage (26 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: It is not.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2021: Second Stage (26 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank the Senators for contributing on this very important Bill and acknowledge their contributions. I acknowledge the speed at which the joint committee allowed us to go forward with the Bill and apologise as I know it is not ideal. However, the threat of Covid-19 and the trajectory of the pandemic means nothing is ideal about the circumstances in which we work, unfortunately. I value...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (25 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 (the Act) introduced new streamlined arrangements to enable planning applications for strategic housing developments (SHDs) of 100 housing units or more, or student accommodation or shared accommodation developments of 200 bed spaces or more, to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála (the Board) for determination. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policy Functions (25 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: My Department is concerned with the housing of people with disabilities under the National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2016-2021, which is a joint Strategy with the Department of Health setting out the Government’s broad framework for the delivery of housing for people with disabilities through mainstream housing policy.  The Strategy was developed as part...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (25 Mar 2021)

Peter Burke: Local authorities are required by law to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015.  The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority.  The annual rate on valuation (ARV) is...