Results 8,001-8,020 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Environmental Protection Agency. (14 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is beyond the scope of Deputy Sheehan.

Private Rented Accommodation (14 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 provides that rents in the private rented sector cannot be set higher than the open market rate and that rent reviews cannot normally occur more frequently than once a year. Any tenant who considers that the rent sought exceeds the market rate or who has a complaint about a rent review can refer the issue to the Private Residential Tenancies Board for...

Private Rented Accommodation (14 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Rent is generally set on the open market. It has regard to the rents charged in equivalent properties in its area. If people feel that the rent is excessive, then they have the right to refer the matter to the board, which has the right to order a reduction in that rent. However, only 1% of all cases referred to the PRTB in 2006 dealt with rent, which is an interesting figure. If a cap...

Private Rented Accommodation (14 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: The important issue raised by the Deputy is that of standards. The Department is anxious that the standard of accommodation is raised to improve the lifestyle of those renting. Recently, I increased the amount of funding to local authorities to examine rental properties and ensure they are up to scratch. There has been a significant increase in local authority inspections in 2006 with...

Private Rented Accommodation (14 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: ——and an increase that will take from mid-2007 to June 2008.

Private Rented Accommodation (14 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: This will be an adequate amount of money as deemed in this arrangement.

Private Rented Accommodation (14 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: There is a system already in place that anyone renting private accommodation must be registered. If they are not registered, they are breaking the law.

Private Rented Accommodation (14 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Accommodation that is not up to scratch should be reported to the Private Residential Tenancies Board, PRTB, which will ensure registration and that the property in question meets the required standards. If those are not met, penalties can be imposed by the board.

Private Rented Accommodation (14 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Obviously, the Deputy has not listened to the answer. It specifically states that it is a function of the PRTB to review the operation of the relevant legislation, particularly provisions relating to rent and to make recommendations and amendments that are necessary.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (13 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Houses sold to first time buyers under the various affordable housing schemes at a significant discount from market value contain a clawback provision, in order to prevent short-term profit taking on the resale of the house, to the detriment of the objectives of the schemes. As there is no provision in the affordable housing schemes that allow households switch accommodation from one...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (13 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 495 and 496 together. In April 2005, my Department approved the scheme of letting priorities submitted by Dublin City Council, subject to certain conditions. One of these conditions related to the proposal to award equal points in the allocation of housing to the applicant and their partner. My Department requested the City Council to provide further...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (13 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Question Nos. 506 and 518 together. The design standards for social housing, including the provision of appropriate heating systems, are set out in my Department's recently published guidelines, Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities. My Department has been supportive of a number of initiatives taken by housing authorities in relation to the use of alternative energy...

Written Answers — Genetically Modified Organisms: Genetically Modified Organisms (13 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: The European Commission has, on three occasions, attempted to overturn the Austrian national ban on certain genetically modified maize. The Commission's most recent proposal was considered at the Environment Council on 30 October 2007. On this occasion the Commission sought only to overturn the prohibition on the import and processing of the maize kernels for use in food and feed;...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (13 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: The most recent assessment of need for social housing was undertaken by local authorities in March 2005. The results of this assessment indicated that there were 43,684 households on local authority housing waiting lists. More comprehensive data in relation to the 2005 assessment at an individual local authority level were published in the Annual Bulletin of Housing Statistics 2005, a copy...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (13 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information sought is published in my Department's Annual and Quarterly Housing Statistics Bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas library and on my Department's website www.environ.ie..

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (13 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: There are no grants available from my Department for the provision of burglar alarm systems. However, the Department of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs manages the Scheme of Community Support for Older People, under which funding can be provided for a range of measures aimed at improving the security of older people, including the once-off cost of installing socially-monitored alarms and...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (8 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is designed to cater for the accommodation needs of persons in receipt of rent supplement who have a long-term housing need. It is a collaborative project between my Department, local authorities, the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the Health Service Executive. I am satisfied at this stage that RAS is meeting the objectives set for it by...

Written Answers — Departmental Certificates: Departmental Certificates (8 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: An inspection has been carried out in this case and a Certificate of Reasonable Cost will issue very shortly.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (7 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 274 and 275 together. A review of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, undertaken by my Department in 2002 in consultation with a wide range of interested bodies including local authorities and representatives of the house building industry, professional institutes and voluntary housing providers, concluded that greater flexibility in the operation...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (7 Nov 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: The targets for social housing in 2007 were set with the goal of making reasonable progress towards reaching the social housing targets in the National Development Plan (NDP) 2007-2013. The aim is to commence/acquire some 9,000 new social homes. Activity has increased as the year has progressed and at the end of June the number of starts and acquisitions under the local authority, voluntary...