Results 561-580 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Data (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 461 and 472 together. My Department publishes information on the sale of local authority houses each year. This information can be accessed on my Department's website at the following link: Data for 2019 sales will be published when they become available. This is expected to be towards the end of quarter 1 2020.  The operation of the current Tenant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area are set out in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recent summary, conducted in June 2019, shows that 68,693 households were assessed as qualified for and being in need of social housing support. This represents a decrease of 3,165 households or 4.4% on the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department publishes a monthly report on homelessness. The monthly report is based on data provided by housing authorities and produced through the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS).  The report captures details of individuals utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. The most recent homelessness...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment Data (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: HAP application processing times within local authorities vary. Once a HAP application has been received and confirmed as valid by the relevant local authority, it is entered on the system by the local authority and then submitted for processing and payment by the HAP Shared Service Centre. If there are delays at the processing stage within a local authority, payment to the landlord will be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff Data (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: 104 new staff were recruited into my Department since January 2019. While some of these were additional staff, others were replacements to fill vacancies that arose.  Information in relation to grades/titles is set out below in two separate tables for general service grades and professional and technical grades.  In addition to these staff one special adviser and one...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) play an important role in the delivery of social homes across the country. Over the period 2011 to 2018 more than 11,000 new social homes have been delivered by AHBs and last year 38% of all the social homes delivered by the Rebuilding Ireland were delivered in partnership with AHBs.  Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Advertising Data (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department has incurred no expenditure on advertising relating to Brexit in 2018 or to date in 2019 . Awareness-raising on Brexit issues related to policies areas under my responsibility has been through direct online communications with those potentially impacted, information resources (e.g. online content, leaflets, editorial content in sectoral publications) as well as stakeholder and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Personal Injury Claims (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Local Authorities are independent statutory bodies responsible, through the Chief Executive and the elected Council, for the execution of executive and reserved functions. Therefore, local authorities are  accountable for all expenditure incurred including for personal injury claims. I have no function in relation to the matters raised and consequently the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Personal Injury Claims (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department is lead tenant in a number of Government Offices, however the properties it occupies are rented or leased by the Office of Public Works, and  are not directly under the ownership of the Department. Office space in the case of Met Éireann for the placement of meteorological equipment and staff accommodation at Dublin, Shannon and Cork Airports is rented rather than...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Scheme is designed to enable credit worthy first-time buyers to access sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new or second-hand properties. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I approved a new funding scheme for on-site wastewater treatment systems (more commonly known as septic tanks) under the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme to replace the current grant which was brought into operation by the Domestic Waste Water Treatment System (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2013.  The grant scheme is also being expanded to support the attainment of water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (18 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department has a wide and diverse business agenda, covering a broad range of functions, including local authority housing, voluntary housing, homeless services, estate regeneration, energy efficiency retrofitting, housing grants, rural water schemes, urban regeneration, and fire services. In order to achieve its business objectives, the Department allocates significant...

Seanad: Microbeads (Prohibition) Bill 2019: Second Stage (17 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I am very pleased to present the Microbeads (Prohibition) Bill 2019 to the Seanad after its successful passage through the Dáil. The Bill represents our determination to be in the vanguard of safeguarding our environment, thus protecting future generations in the coming years. The cross-party support the Bill received in the Dáil was most welcome. It is gratifying to be able to...

Seanad: Microbeads (Prohibition) Bill 2019: Second Stage (17 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank Senators for their contributions. Many people are not aware of the huge amount of work that goes on in my Department in regard to the marine environment. There is not a great awareness of my responsibility in this area, as my public engagements tend to be dominated by the housing crisis. However, from the OSPAR Commission to the British-Irish Council, we are involved in a great...

Seanad: Microbeads (Prohibition) Bill 2019: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The definition in the Bill as it stands provides that plastic retains its final manufactured shape when used. Some solid plastic, such as a plastic fibre, can be flexible. Its intrinsic shape remains and it is a solid, but it is flexible. The amendment, if accepted, would go beyond the scope of what is proposed in the legislation and would require further consultation at EU level. We have...

Seanad: Microbeads (Prohibition) Bill 2019: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: We can discuss exemptions later but I do not intend to make any. I note the point made by the Senator. Plastic fibres will be covered. When we get to the area of polymers remaining in a fluid state, that is separate and it may potentially need to be addressed in future. There is no scope to address it in this Bill. I thank the Senator for raising the point.

Seanad: Microbeads (Prohibition) Bill 2019: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Senators. We discussed this in the Dáil. Water solubility is mentioned because there is a direct pathway to our water systems and we are trying to prevent that. Cosmetic products that are wiped off are not meant to make their way to water courses, although they sometimes do. Education programmes tell people to put the product they use to remove a cosmetic in the bin, for...

Seanad: Microbeads (Prohibition) Bill 2019: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Yes. It is my view that the example mentioned by the Senator would be captured in this legislation.

Seanad: Microbeads (Prohibition) Bill 2019: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Where there is a direct pathway to water, they would be covered. This is why we must keep the science and this legislation under review. Under the REACH regulations we are trying to remove many of the polymers and plastics from any of these products and move to natural and organic materials where there are substitutes. There are such substitutes in so many cases. It is something we are...

Seanad: Microbeads (Prohibition) Bill 2019: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The term "fat soluble" kind of threw me when I looked at the amendments. Is the Senator referring to oil-based products?