Results 6,161-6,180 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (14 Feb 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, in accordance with the requirements of EU Directive 2001/24/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Status (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of the planning, delivery and operation of water and wastewater services at national, regional and local levels. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Applications (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The detailed operation of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, including the amounts assigned to each scheme from within the overall funds available, is a matter for each individual local authority.  However, my Department has requested that all local authorities establish contact with the hospitals/convalescent homes in their area in relation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Data (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department gathers quarterly data on staff numbers in local authorities.  The information requested for 2016 and 2017 is contained in the following table. Staffing levels for 2018 will be available at the end of each quarter during the year. Staffing numbers for the local authority sector, as well as the broader public sector, are available on the Public Service Numbers...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Renewable Energy Generation (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 658 and 689 together. There are no specific planning guidelines in place in respect of solar farms. 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. Planning applications are made to the relevant local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, it is the Chief Executive of each local authority who is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the Council. Should the need arise for additional staff, a Chief Executive must ensure that there are adequate resources available to his or her local authority prior to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Review (13 Feb 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: Home Loan Scheme (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Following a review of the two existing local authority home loan schemes, the House Purchase Loan and the Home Choice Loan, a new loan offering - the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan - was introduced on 1 February 2018. In terms of self-builds, where a loan applicant is building their own home on a pre-owned site with planning permission, the loan available under the Rebuilding Ireland Home...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department did not incur any expenditure on external agency, public relations or communications advice since 1 January 2016. The engagement of external expertise is generally only considered where the issues involved require expert skills or capabilities that are not readily available within my Department. Press and Public Relations are undertaken by my Department’s Press Office....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Two projects for the construction of new social housing in the area in question, have funding approval from my Department. I am very keen that the Council advances both of these projects as soon as possible. They are listed in the Social Housing Status Report that I publish quarterly, which is available at the following link: . Longford County Council has recently...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector Strategy (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I refer to the reply to Question No. 641 of 6th February 2018 which sets out the position in the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Data (13 Feb 2018)

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

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service Staff (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: International research indicates that the retirement age of 55 is the optimum age to ensure that fire-fighters are capable of satisfactorily performing the tasks expected of them.  The retirement age of 55 years of age was introduced because of health and safety considerations related to the job. Since the enactment of the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act 1989, underpinned by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness is focused on accelerating the delivery of housing, with an investment of more than €6 billion to deliver 50,000 social housing units through build, refurbishment, acquisitions and leasing, over the period to 2021. Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) have an important role to play under Rebuilding Ireland, with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Charges Refunds (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department issued total payments of €177,535,103 to Irish Water in 2017 to cover the costs involved in issuing a refund to some 995,000 domestic customers of Irish Water, who paid water charges in full or in part. This includes a provision of €5,869,630 in respect of administration costs. I understand that as of as of 31 January 2018, Irish Water has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Expenditure (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I refer to the reply to Question No. 526 of 26 September 2017 which sets out, in tabular form, the funding allocated to each local authority in 2017 under the Disabled Persons Grants Scheme. My Department will shortly be asking local authorities to submit details of their work proposals and related funding requirements for this scheme in 2018. Funding allocations will be determined...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Expenditure (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, in respect of private houses. There are three separate grants available and local authorities receive an overall allocation, with responsibility for the apportionment between the schemes being a matter for each local authority. The funding provided in 2017...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 672 to 674, inclusive, together. The conclusions and recommendations of the report referred to by the Deputy are the opinions of a specialist senior counsel who was commissioned by the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to undertake an independent review on a non-statutory basis of the acquisition of land at Charlesland,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I assume the Deputy is referring to the site VS.0001 listed on the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Vacant Site Register. As the owner of the site, Horse Racing Ireland has primary responsibility for any future plans for its development. My Department will continue to work with all State bodies, including local authorities, to ensure, where appropriate, housing is delivered from...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (13 Feb 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 676 and 677 together. The Homeless HAP Place Finder Service operating in the Dublin local authorities, and in Cork City Council, is a targeted support for homeless households who are finding it difficult to secure HAP tenancies. The Place Finder Service has been successfully utilised by the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) across the Dublin local...