Results 5,441-5,460 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (10 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I refer to the reply to Question No. 89 of 8 May 2018. The final decision on loan approval is a matter for each local authority and its Credit Committee on a case-by-case basis.  Decisions on all housing loan applications must be made in accordance with the statutory credit policy that underpins the scheme, in order to ensure consistency of treatment for all applicants.  Loan...

Questions on Promised Legislation (9 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for the question. I have no role in individual planning decisions made by local authorities. In Project Ireland 2040, we have signalled some new aspirations for the country concerning where and how we build our houses. There have been some changes and some comments at the European level that are being reflected by the Department at the moment but until such time as those...

Questions on Promised Legislation (9 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy. We had discussed this at a previous meeting of the Government in regard to what potential new changes have to be brought in to take into account new ways of advertising and of promoting oneself in public life in regard to elections and referendums. My Department and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, under the Minister, Deputy Naughten, are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (9 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is a flexible and immediate housing support that is now available to all eligible households throughout the State. There are currently just over 36,000 households having their housing needs met via HAP and some 20,000 separate landlords and agents currently in receipt of HAP payments. A weekly average of 357 HAP tenancies are been...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Data (9 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The annual planning statistics compiled by each planning authority for collation and publication by my Department do not include information related to judicial reviews of decisions made by planning or local authorities in the performance of their functions under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, or the Planning and Development Regulations made thereunder. Accordingly,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (9 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Since 2009, my Department has made financial support available to assist local authorities in meeting the costs of clean-up and necessary immediate works associated with the response to significant severe weather emergency events. This is in recognition of the exceptional nature of the activities carried out by local authorities in responding to these types of emergencies and the fact...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Guidelines (9 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 277 and 280 together. Neither section 179 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, nor Part 8 of the Planning and Development Regulations made thereunder, relating to proposed development by a local authority that does not require environmental impact assessment or appropriate assessment, provide for a second round of public consultation in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (9 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 24 and 25 of 8 May 2018.  While tenancy arrangements are a matter for individual housing authorities, as indicated in the reply referred to, the issues arising in relation to the misclassification of certain households as homeless have not yet been fully addressed, so I am not in a position to provide a complete account in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tank Inspections (9 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2013, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas library, brought into operation a grant scheme to assist with the cost of remediation of septic tanks and domestic waste water treatment systems which are deemed, following inspection under the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Inspection Plan, to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (9 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department provides current funding, under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988, to housing authorities towards the cost of providing accommodation and related services for individuals experiencing homelessness.  Housing authorities are also required to provide at least 10% of the cost of any service they are funding.  Funding in respect of homeless services is allocated on a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Supported Residential Accommodation Provision (9 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Government policy, as expressed in the Programme for Government and in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness, is to support older people to live in their own home with dignity and independence for as long as possible. In this context, my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Health, is currently exploring policy options including supported...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (9 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: To date, my Department has not engaged external consultants or outside bodies to undertake research or analysis on this issue. However, I am aware that the AHB sector have independently engaged their own research into the matter, and my Department is evaluating the work that has been undertaken in that regard. As the Deputy will be aware, the Minister for Finance has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (9 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Through the supports made available from my Department, funding is available to all local authorities to deliver additional social housing through new construction projects, through the acquisition of new and previously owned houses/apartments and through working with approved housing bodies under a range of delivery options. Details on the number of new social homes delivered...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (9 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 285 and 286 together. The National Homelessness Consultative Committee (NHCC) was established in April 2007. The Committee included representatives from my Department and a number of the NGOs working in the area. It was established to provide a forum for a dialogue between the Department and NGO members in relation to policies to address homelessness.While an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (9 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: Water Charges Refunds (9 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: In keeping with the spirit of the provisions for the refund of domestic water charges under the Water Services Act 2017, and the earlier recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services on this matter, all reasonable efforts have been made to refund in full relevant domestic Irish Water customers the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Capital Expenditure Programme (9 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 290 to 292, inclusive, together. The capital allocation for my Department as announced in the National Development Plan 2018-2027 for the period 2018-2022 amounts to €10.232 billion.   The annual breakdown of funding is as follows: Capital Allocations 2018-2022 (€m) 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Housing, Planning & Local...

Other Questions: Housing Assistance Payment Administration (8 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department and I are constantly monitoring housing assistance payment data and other key information relating to the private rental market. Indications are that the current HAP rent limits and the flexibility to exceed those rent limits provide local authorities with sufficient capacity to assist households in securing rented accommodation that meets their needs. Indeed, increasing the...

Other Questions: Housing Assistance Payment Administration (8 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for the question. I recognise that in Dún Laoghaire, which is the area he represents, there is a particular difficulty in securing HAP tenancies. I can see that when I look at the data. We have a place-finder in place to assist those who are trying desperately to find tenancies as well as offering one month's deposit and the first month's rent. There is a potential...

Other Questions: Wind Energy Guidelines (8 May 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 wind energy development guidelines. As part of the overall review, a strategic environmental assessment, SEA, is being undertaken on the revised guidelines before they come into effect. This is in accordance with the requirements of EU Directive 2001/24/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on...