Results 6,801-6,820 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Turbary Rights (6 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the legal status of turbary rights, as this would involve interpretation of law, which is ultimately a matter for the Courts. The Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, is concerned with proper planning and sustainable development and does not interfere with other rights relating to land such as turbary rights.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (6 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department, as part of the funding process, conducts spot checks of local authorities’ private rented inspections procedures and records to verify that proper records are being maintained, that money being spent is for the purpose allocated and that value for money is being achieved. Wicklow County Council was among the local authorities selected and a spot check was carried...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (6 Dec 2017)

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: House Prices (6 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Government is committed to a broad range of measures to tackle, among other things, some of the costs associated with the provision of housing. This includes undertaking a detailed analysis, in conjunction with the construction sector, to benchmark housing delivery input costs in Ireland, in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (6 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: On 10 July 2017, I attended the "hand-over ceremony" for the first five of 49 affordable homes delivered by the Ó Cualann Co-Housing Alliance in Ballymun. I was impressed with what I saw and since then, I have met with O'Cualann’s representatives to discuss how the homes delivered in Ballymun can be delivered at greater scale. My Department has also arranged meetings...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation Provision (6 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Based on reports received from the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, there were a total of 676 families accommodated in hotel and B and B arrangements at the end of October; this is a reduction of 195 families, or more than 22%, on the high of 871 recorded in March of this year.  As part of the response to the commitment contained in Rebuilding Ireland that commercial hotels and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation Provision (6 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: In line with commitments in Rebuilding Ireland, my Department issued guidance in January 2017 to all local authorities in relation to assisting victims of domestic violence with emergency and long-term accommodation needs.  This guidance has been developed to support local authorities respond to victims of domestic violence, in the context of their housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (6 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Press and Communications Office of my Department liaise with the media on behalf of my Department as well as all Ministers.  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.  While my Department does not collate data in a manner that would...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 32 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (5 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I welcome the opportunity to discuss with the select committee this afternoon my Department's proposed Supplementary Estimate for 2017. Today, I am accompanied by departmental officials Ms Mary Hurley, Mr. Maurice Coughlan, Ms Nina Murray, Ms Theresa Donohue and Ms Janet Jacobs. The committee will recall that during November, we discussed a Revised Estimate for my Department that did two...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 32 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (5 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for the questions. First, I acknowledge that it is welcome to have the additional funding from central government in the Supplementary Estimate and that we are able to put it to productive use. Other Supplementary Estimates for other Departments cover pay issues, whereas through this Supplementary Estimate we are putting money into building, acquisitions, regeneration and...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 32 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (5 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: It relates to social housing that we take back into stock. This is the first time we have actually singled it out as a funding line.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 32 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (5 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: No. My understanding is that is not the void programme. I will get clarity on that for the Deputy because this is the first time we have detailed this as a line item in the tables. In respect of the regeneration of units less than six years old, there will be approximately 30 in Cork and more than 100 in Limerick and strong delivery in Dublin.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 32 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (5 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: We have a detailed note on exactly where we are going with the regeneration programme. It will give us an update on the past couple of years and then what we are looking at. I can provide that to the committee. That is no problem and it might be helpful.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 32 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (5 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: There is delivery under other subheads in schemes with housing bodies. That is the figure up to September of this year, so it will be additional to that. I am not in a position to give a detailed breakdown of the number above 4,000 today and I do not want to speculate about what it might be. In a few weeks I will be able to do that.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 32 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (5 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Deputy is not getting the figures for the actual units. I can see that is not in the table. Only the expenditure is there. We had a social housing supports target for 2017 under several headings in the tables that are traditionally published and that the Deputy will be familiar with. I will be able to give a definite figure under each when we get to the end of the year. They will...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 32 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (5 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: From the numbers I have seen, I do not think the Deputy's concern is warranted. As the numbers are not confirmed, I do not want to put them into the public domain until we have them. We have done more with HAP than was intended. We have also done more in other areas as well. It is not a question of exceeding 21,000 but being well down, although we are above that in other areas. It is a...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 32 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (5 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: When one looks at the total amount that goes into the subhead and when one takes into account the local infrastructure housing activation fund, LIHAF, and local property tax, LPT, as well, this additional amount of €2 million is more like somewhere between 20% and 25% of total spend. Accordingly, it is not as much as a one third increase. One interesting point is that capital...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 32 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (5 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: That is one interpretation. The numbers will show that, at the end of year, we are doing more than we forecast at the beginning of the year. We are going to exceed our targets in 2017 when it comes to social housing supports. The Deputy will be able to see exactly where we have exceeded them and how, as well as what value we have got for that spend, when we publish the figures soon.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 32 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (5 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: When we had a housing summit in September, local authority chiefs brought it to my attention about bank-led vacancy, where there was vacant stock in the possession of the banks which they felt they could bring into use for social housing. When I spoke at the conclusion of the housing summit about turning our focus away from acquisition to build by local authorities, it was to stop them...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 32 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Supplementary) (5 Dec 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I raised this issue with the Housing Agency when I met its representatives. I have not seen the list. I deferred to the agency's judgment because it is the expert in ensuring that it acquires properties at good value. Not all the units that were offered on the list would have been good value for local authorities to purchase. With regard to publishing the list, there might be privacy...