Results 5,181-5,200 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Charges (31 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The Water Services Acts 2007-2017 set out clearly the arrangements in place for the delivery of water and wastewater services by Irish Water, and for the scrutiny and oversight provisions that apply in respect of these arrangements.  Responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) and the CRU is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (31 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The low rate of fixed interest associated with the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan provides first-time buyers with access to mortgage finance that they may not otherwise have been able to afford at a higher interest rate. One of the key conditions of the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is that prospective applicants must demonstrate that they have had inadequate loan offers from two...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Sites Levy (31 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 introduced a new measure, the vacant site levy, which is aimed at incentivising the development of vacant, under-utilised sites in urban areas for residential or regeneration purposes. Under the Act, planning authorities are required to establish a register of vacant sites in their areas, beginning on 1 January 2017. Planning authorities will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Guidelines (31 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: No guidelines have issued to planning authorities under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 relating specifically to temporary pop-up kitchens and I have no proposals to issue such guidelines.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (31 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Under Action 18 of the Strategy for the Rental Sector, my Department established a Working Group, involving representatives of all major public stakeholders with a policy interest in short-term lettings, to develop guidance in relation to planning applications, changes of use relating to short-term lettings and to examine the need for new regulatory...

Residential Tenancies (Greater Security of Tenure and Rent Certainty) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (30 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: This is not about being pro-landlord; rather, it is about being pro-investment and pro-stability in the rental sector. I beg the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's indulgence for a few moments. The extension of rent pressure zones to the whole country would be unconstitutional. That was made clear when we were introducing the criteria for rent pressure zone designation. Rent pressure zones are...

Residential Tenancies (Greater Security of Tenure and Rent Certainty) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (30 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: If the Leas-Cheann Comhairle wants to take it from the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, that is perfectly okay with the two of us.

Residential Tenancies (Greater Security of Tenure and Rent Certainty) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (30 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: A cost rental system must be put in place. It happens in almost every other European market and at scale. It will take time to deliver but we need to bring it in as a pilot. Cost rental is important, not just for young professionals or young families but for people who are retiring and own their home so they can have certainty about rent payments for the next ten to 20 years of their lives....

Residential Tenancies (Greater Security of Tenure and Rent Certainty) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (30 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputies for tabling this Bill. I assure Deputy Ryan that if I was trying to chase good headlines I would be on a fool's errand. The Government will not oppose the Bill and I will now outline the reasons we will not oppose it, and which measures we can support in legislation that we have already signalled as forthcoming. This week in the House there are two Private Members'...

Homeless Prevention Bill 2018: First Stage (30 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: No.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (30 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: In light of the Programme for Government commitment regarding educational impact assessment on residential zoning to identify potential need for schools, the Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Local Area Plans, published in June 2013, highlight the importance of local authority engagement and co-operation with the Department of Education and Skills, and recommend that local area plans...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (30 May 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, comprising senior representatives from my Department and planning authorities, was established in May 2017 to review and, where necessary, recommend changes to the 2005 Planning Guidelines on Sustainable Rural...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Eligibility (30 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016.  The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (30 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department does not hold information on the allocation of social housing supports to different categories of households on local authority waiting lists. The allocation of such support is a matter for each local authority in accordance with its allocation scheme made under Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated regulations. 

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Data (30 May 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 engineers and the number of architects employed by Cork County Council....

Order of Business (29 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: We are in favour of establishing an electoral commission for referendums and general elections to manage things like voter lists, registration forms and everything else. It is a complex process but we are proceeding with it. When we proceed with legislation, more than likely it will be done on a phased basis over a period rather than doing it immediately at the next referendum.

Order of Business (29 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Thank you a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

Order of Business (29 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The Minister, Deputy Ring, has raised the matter with me and I will communicate directly with the Deputy as to the current plans in place.

Order of Business (29 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for raising his concerns about this issue. I am aware of them as they are held by a number of other Deputies in this House. Having viewed some of the affected properties, it is a very difficult situation for people to be in. The Minister of State, Deputy English, has been dealing with this issue. It is complex and he has not been sitting on his hands. No one in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Water (29 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The Water Services Acts 2007-2017 set out clearly the arrangements in place for the delivery of water and wastewater services by Irish Water, and for the scrutiny and oversight provisions that apply in respect of these arrangements. Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has been designated as the national authority for the provision of public water services, a role previously vested in 34 (now...