Results 7,701-7,720 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Identified as a key action in the Government's housing policy statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, the Sustainable Communities Fund provides revenue funding to local authorities for a range of practical pilot initiatives, including community regeneration initiatives and actions to address anti-social behaviour, which have potential for wider replication among housing...

Written Answers — Strategy on Homelessness: Strategy on Homelessness (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department recoups 90% of expenditure by local authorities for the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons under section 10 of the Housing Act 1988. Funding to local authorities for homeless persons under section 10 has increased significantly in recent years and will exceed €53 million in 2008. My Department is not aware of any issues relating to the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am aware of the importance of the arrangements provided for in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2007 whereby eligible persons due to transfer to the Rental Accommodation Scheme [RAS] can return to full-time employment or take up a training position and continue to remain eligible for rent supplement. It is a matter for individual housing authorities, in this case Dublin City Council, to...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Under the social housing reform agenda, as set out in the Government's Housing Policy Statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, there is a commitment to the reform of housing allocation policy. Proposals for a new allocation policy have been developed by my Department in consultation with the County and City Managers' Association, and have been discussed and endorsed by the...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: While insulation works are generally eligible for support under the Housing Aid for Older People Scheme, administration of the scheme including the processing and approval of individual applications, is a matter for the relevant local authority and is one in which my Department has no direct function. I have been advised by Dublin City Council that an application has not been received from...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is a function of each local authority to manage the administration of its affordable housing schemes, including consideration of any issues that may arise in relation to legal powers. My Department was aware of the approach being considered by the City Council which has, I understand, been discussed by the elected members on a number of occasions. I further understand that, following a...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The making and amending of rent schemes is the responsibility of local authorities as an integral part of their housing management functions, subject to broad principles laid down by my Department in Circular letter HRT 3/2002 of 6 March 2002. Decisions on whether or not to disregard either a proportion of income or particular sources of income, including the living alone allowance and the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The allocation in each of the past five years is as follows: Kildare County Council Athy Town Council â'¬ million â'¬ million 2007 45.0 3.0 2006 36.0 2.5 2005 26.0 2.0 2004 19.0 1.0 2003 19.0 0.3 I will shortly announce the housing allocations for 2008.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Government's long-established policy on housing is to enable every household to have available an affordable dwelling of good quality, suited to its needs, in a good environment and, as far as possible, at the tenure of its choice. Our approach to achieving this policy objective is that those who can afford to do so should provide for their own housing, with the aid of certain fiscal...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Detailed information on the number of houses built by housing authorities is available in my Department's Annual and Quarterly Housing Statistics Bulletins, copies of which are available on my Department's website www.environ.ie and in the Oireachtas Library. The 2005 assessment of need for social housing indicated that there were 43,684 households on local authority housing waiting lists....

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: All housing authorities have transferred cases from Rent Supplement to the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) since the commencement of transfers in September 2005. To date, over 11,400 households with long-term housing need have been accommodated in either voluntary, or other social housing options or in private rented accommodation, with the latter meeting the needs of some 3,246 of these...

Written Answers — Voluntary Sector Funding: Voluntary Sector Funding (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Following the provision of grant assistance of €70,000 in 2007, my Department has received an application from the organisation concerned for further funding in 2008 under the grant-in-aid scheme which provides funding towards the administrative and general expenses of certain non-profit, voluntary housing bodies which conduct research or provide information, advice or training in relation...

Written Answers — Housing Inspections: Housing Inspections (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: In the course of the discussion on Question No. 16 of 27 February 2008, reference was made to levels of inspections and the percentage increases in inspections year on year. As some confusion arose, particularly in ascribing data to specific years, I would like to take the opportunity to set out the position clearly. Some 9,835 inspections of private rented accommodation were reported by...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: A lease is defined in the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 as an instrument in writing, whether or not under seal, containing a contract of tenancy in respect of a dwelling and, therefore, comes within the jurisdiction of the Act. Tenancy registration is a matter for the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB), which is an independent statutory body established under the Act. Section 134 of...

Local Authority Housing. (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Government's housing policy statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, and the National Development Plan 2007-2013 reflect the strong commitment to expand social housing provision contained in the social partnership agreement Towards 2016. Under the social partnership agreement, local authorities are to deliver 21,000 social housing starts over the period 2007-09. Good progress...

Local Authority Housing. (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I do not envisage that there will be any cutbacks. If one considers the allocation for this year, while we are investing €1.7 billion, an increase of 16% on the 2006 figure, the HFA and other agencies will also invest €800 million. As a result, the total spend in the social housing market will be €2.5 billion. On our achievements to date, in 2006 the total figure for house completions...

Local Authority Housing. (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is expected that we will have resources available for the remainder of 2008 and for 2009 which will allow us to achieve the substantial target of 18,000 social housing starts. Having met our target in 2007, we have every reason to be confident that we can do so for the 2008 and 2009. The Deputy inquired about affordable housing. I intend to have discussions with the Dublin city manager...

Private Rented Accommodation. (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 79 and 116 together. While responsibility for enforcement of the private rented accommodation standards, as prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 1993, rests with the relevant local authority, I am committed to ensuring that a robust framework is in place to promote improved standards in this part of the residential sector. The...

Private Rented Accommodation. (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The issues brought to light by the "Prime Time" programme were of great concern to all of us. However, it must be remembered that the issues the programme raised were on the basis of rent supplement, which is the remit of the Department of Social and Family Affairs and is operated by community welfare officers. Before the programme was broadcast I was very aware of people going into the...

Private Rented Accommodation. (22 Apr 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As usual, the Deputy is misinformed.