Results 8,161-8,180 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (9 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Funding provided to local authorities, through the Private Residential Tenancies Board, from the proceeds of tenancy registration fees in respect of functions relating to private rented accommodation standards and rent books, increased from €1.582m in 2005 to €2.026m in 2006, an increase of some 28%. Returns in relation to enforcement of the regulations have been received in respect of...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (9 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has received no specific proposals on this matter.

Written Answers — Rural Renewal Scheme: Rural Renewal Scheme (9 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: An inspection with a view to issuing a Certificate of Reasonable Cost, if in order, will be carried out as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (4 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is aware of an issue which has arisen whereby some applicants who have bought sites under the low cost sites scheme have experienced difficulties in obtaining mortgages from certain financial institutions. This arises where a financial institution objects to a local authority having the first charge on the property for clawback purposes. My Department has advised authorities...

Markets in Financial Instruments and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: I thank all the Deputies who attended for this debate. I particularly thank the Whips for agreeing to give priority to this Bill, in recognition of the requirement to activate some of its provisions from 1 November next. Deputies raised many interesting points, some of which were of a general nature rather than specific to the provisions of this Bill. I shall try, nevertheless, to respond...

Markets in Financial Instruments and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Next Tuesday, subject to the agreement of the Whips.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Applicants for affordable housing under Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2006 or the Affordable Housing Initiative satisfy the income eligibility requirement if the mortgage repayments for suitable accommodation available in the market would exceed 35% of their net income. There are no plans to change this approach, which provides a mechanism for taking into account up to...

Seanad: Social Welfare Offices (3 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: I thank Senator McCarthy for his good wishes. The Department of Social and Family Affairs delivers a frontline service to its customers through a network of 59 local offices and 66 branch offices countrywide. The main services provided from these offices include jobseeker's payments, one-parent family payment and a customer information service. The 59 local offices are staffed by...

Seanad: Social Welfare Offices (3 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Both Senator McCarthy's and my concerns will be conveyed to the Minister.

Seanad: Planning Issues (3 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: I thank the Senator for his good wishes. We will probably meet in Killarney again soon. The European Commission wrote to the Department on 27 June this year seeking its views on whether the so-called local needs test contained in a number of county development plans for the granting of planning permission for one-off dwellings in rural areas is compatible with Articles 43 and 56 of the...

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (2 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: The administration of the Essential Repairs Grant scheme, including the processing and approval of individual applications, is a matter for the local authority concerned and is one in which my Department has no direct function.

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (2 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: The revised housing adaptation grant schemes for older people and people with a disability, which were announced earlier this year as part of the Government's new housing policy statement Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, will be implemented on 1 November 2007. All applications made under the Disabled Persons' and Essential Repairs Grant schemes before 1 November 2007 will be...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (2 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has not received any such request.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (2 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Approval was given to Westmeath County Council in May 2005, under my Department's Remedial Works Scheme, for a pilot project which consisted of refurbishment works to 10 houses in the estate in question at a cost of €1.2m. In March of this year, the Council submitted proposals in respect of further works. The Department met with the Council in May 2007 to discuss their proposals. It is...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (2 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Decisions in relation to the eligibility of individual applicants for local authority housing and in relation to the allocation of such housing are matters for the local authority concerned and ones in which my Department has no direct function.

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (2 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is a matter for each local authority to administer house purchase loans having regard to housing needs, local market conditions and individual circumstances. In approving a shared ownership transaction, local authorities must consider, inter alia, the ability of applicants to make the necessary mortgage and rent payments and satisfy themselves that the borrower's income is sufficient to...

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (2 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Details of the interest rates payable under the shared ownership scheme, including mortgage protection insurance, since 1 January 2007 to the present are set out in the table below: Rate of Interest % Period Applicable 5.098 1 January 2007 to 31 March 2007 5.348 1 April 2007 to 30 June 2007 5.598 1 July 2007 to present Under the scheme, the rate of interest is variable for the...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (2 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 499 to 506, inclusive, together. A statutory assessment of housing need is undertaken by local authorities on a triennial basis. The most recent assessment of need for social housing was undertaken by local authorities in March 2005. In that context data in relation the number of applicants on individual authority waiting lists in 2006 are not available in...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (2 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Wicklow Town Council undertook a feasibility study in respect of a proposed remedial works project at the estate in question. While the feasibility study indicated issues in respect of the existing water and sewage infrastructure and road network, it also included proposals to address these matters. Infill houses are proposed in areas to minimise or avoid any unsupervised open space which...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (2 Oct 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: The estate in question has been designated for funding under my Department's Remedial Works Scheme. The pilot phase of the project has been completed. The overall proposals for the remaining dwellings are now being examined in my Department in relation to their scope and suitability as well as indicative costings and implementation, and a response will be made to the Town Council as soon as...