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Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised) (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I welcome the opportunity to discuss with the select committee this morning my Department's further Revised Estimate for 2017. I am accompanied by Ministers of State Deputies Damien English and John Paul Phelan and Department officials Mr. John McCarthy, Ms Mary Hurley, Ms Maria Graham, Ms Lorraine O'Donohue, Mr. David Walsh, Mr. Maurice Coughlan, Ms Theresa Donohue and Ms Janet Jacobs. ...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised) (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: In respect of the Deputy's concern about the transfer of the community function to the new Department under the Minister, Deputy Michael Ring, and that urban element of it, the Minister, Deputy Ring, and I have a very close working relationship. We both deal with local authorities. Local government comes under my Department but given the role that the Minister, Deputy Ring, has in the new...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised) (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: On the local development committees, the Minister, Deputy Ring and I had a number of engagements on this as we began this transfer process, to make sure that we were both clear about where the responsibility would lie and that there would not be any difficulties or interruptions to that important work. It is something on which we continue to liaise. The matter of bringing in the new...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised) (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: As the question has been asked, I would like to answer it, if the Chair agrees. One of the most important assets that Irish Water has is its staff, the people who transferred to that organisation to do the very important work that needs to be done up and down the country. Obviously, service level agreements were put in place. These originally went to 2025, not 2026. Irish Water has come...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised) (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I will respond to Deputy O'Dowd's point. I believe we have a duty of care to the staff in Irish Water who are public sector workers. I believe Members of the Dáil berate the organisation too casually, but in doing so berate the staff. We saw during Storm Ophelia how the staff of Irish Water stepped up to the plate in a very big way. In the Dáil when Deputies were responding to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Under Rebuilding Ireland, funding is available to all local authorities, to deliver additional social housing stock through both new construction projects, through the acquisition of new and previously owned houses/apartments and through working with AHBs (approved housing bodies) who also deliver important elements of social housing. I will shortly be issuing new targets for social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department does not hold information on the number of unoccupied houses awaiting acceptance of offer in each county council area. The allocation of social housing supports to qualified households is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with its allocation scheme made in accordance with section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department provides 100% funding to all local authorities to progress turnkey projects. There are consistent approaches to funding of turnkey projects to minimise the risk to public funding. In the case of Cork County Council I understand that it has identified an approach to allow some advance funding to secure the public investment against the land. My...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (15 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department introduced the Voids Programme to provide additional support to assist local authorities in remediating vacant local authority housing. Between 2014 and 2016 this programme remediated approximately 7,100 units. A key priority of this scheme is to rehouse homeless families to the fullest extent possible in homes that have been restored to an energy efficient condition. The...

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: If and when the Water Services Bill 2017 concludes in the Seanad this week, all liabilities under that Bill will be extinguished, as per one of the provisions in the Bill. The tenant purchase scheme is under review and we will, hopefully, conclude the review in the next couple of weeks and I hope to make an announcement on that in December.

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Yes, we will bring forward legislation on overcrowding and other issues regarding the rental sector as part of our change management plan for the Residential Tenancies Board in the first half of next year.

Order of Business (14 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: As I announced in September, I will bring forward a definition. We are at the final phases of clarifying that at present to close that loophole. If that needs to be put on a legislative footing, we will do that as well.

Seanad: Housing and Rental Market: Statements (14 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: I want to thank Members of the Seanad for providing the opportunity this evening to discuss the report of the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government on the impact of short-term lettings on Ireland’s housing and rental market and our plans in Government to address this. I want to thank the committee for its work in preparing the report on the sector. I am pleased...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Appeals (14 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: Under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, I am specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála is or may be concerned. Public participation is a crucial element of all substantive decision-making processes under the Planning and Development Acts, having...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (14 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The terms and conditions governing the operation of the standard annuity House Purchase Loan provided by local authorities to first-time buyers were set out most recently in the Housing (Local Authority Loans) Regulations 2012. To support local authorities in operating their housing loan scheme in a consistent and efficient manner, the Housing Agency provides a central credit...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Solar Energy Guidelines (14 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: 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 planning authority with a right of appeal to An Bord...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Solar Energy Guidelines (14 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive specifies projects which, by virtue of their nature, size or location, are likely to have significant effects on the environment and should be subject to EIA. The Directive requires projects listed in Annex I of the Directive to be subject to mandatory EIA and provides that Member States may determine whether projects listed in Annex II of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (14 Nov 2017)

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: Vehicle Registration (14 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: To be taxed as a commercial vehicle, a vehicle must be constructed as a goods vehicle and must be used solely in the course of trade or business.  Licensing authorities have an obligation under Article 3 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 1992 to be satisfied that a vehicle is correctly taxed and it is therefore open to a motor tax office to seek...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Inspections (14 Nov 2017)

Eoghan Murphy: The Strategy for the Rental Sector, published in December 2016, set out a series of measures to be introduced to ensure the quality of private rental accommodation by strengthening the applicable standards and improving the inspection and enforcement systems. On 1 July 2017, updated regulatory standards, the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2017, came into effect....