Results 1,161-1,180 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The chair is a lecturer, author and former principal officer in my Department. There is a senior lecturer from the school of law in UCD, the chief executive of the Scottish housing regulator, a banking analyst from the Department of Finance, a CEO from the Irish Council for Social Housing, an assistant secretary from my own Department and a director of services from one of the county councils.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: There was a tenants' representative and it has not been possible to replace that person.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I think so. There are a few other positions that I have been working out in my head and would be good, including a disability representative. That is what I would look for. I would go to PAS and say that we are looking for people with particular skill sets or backgrounds to be appointed to a certain position. PAS would then bring forward people who meet that criteria.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: This is an important Bill, and I appreciate the spirit in which everyone has addressed, the time Deputies have put into it, and their amendments. It would be fantastic if we could get it through Report Stage before the end of the year. I do not know how that might be arranged with the committee, but I will push it as a priority with the Chief Whip's office.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I do not want to speak about a Deputy who is not here, but if Deputies miss out on tabling their Committee Stage amendments, sometimes Report Stage can become something of Second Stage again.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I appreciate that. Normally towards the end of the year, a large queue builds up and people try to have Bills addressed. We can schedule less time for Report Stage on this Bill than normal, seeing as how we are almost there.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Okay.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (14 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank Deputy Ó Broin for the follow-up questions. I will make a couple of points and will come back to his specific questions in a moment. Irish Water has achieved a 44% reduction in the amount of untreated and inadequately treated wastewater being discharged to our rivers, lakes and seas since it was established in 2014. It is doing good work in this regard. If we look at the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (14 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and for providing an opportunity to give an overview of the Environmental Protection Agency's latest report, Urban Wastewater Treatment in 2018, which was published yesterday. The EPA issues this report on wastewater each year, as referred to by the Deputy, and it is an important piece of work. The EPA plainly sets out the significant issues in our...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Superannuation Schemes (14 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The administration of the Local Government Superannuation Scheme (LGSS) is a matter for each employing local authority as an individual Trustee of the LGSS.  In the particular case in question, the Scheme member should request the specific information from his/her employer with regard to his/her superannuation entitlements under the provisions of the LGSS.  In the event that any...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (14 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 184 and 185 together. When the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan scheme was initially being developed, it was estimated that the drawdown of loans would be approximately €200 million over three years.  However, this loan product has proved to be more successful than initially anticipated. In the context of the scheme’s success my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (14 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department is aware of the two High Court Judgements referred to and has sought legal advice in relation to their implications. Further to the legal advice, my Department is currently engaging with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment - which oversees the sectors most impacted by the Judgements i.e. the telecommunications and energy sectors - with a view to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (14 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines in line with the “preferred draft approach” which was announced in June 2017 by the then Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, in conjunction with the then Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment. The review is addressing a number of key...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (14 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The number of residential completions for 2019 will not be known until early 2020. However, trends indicate the continued expansion of supply. For example, in the year to end September 2019, the number of new homes becoming available for use increased further to 23,554, a 15% increase on the same period last year. In the year to the end of September 2019, the number of new homes in respect...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (14 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: In accordance with the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 Irish Water collects charges from customers for providing service connections to premises. The charging regime for the provision of connections is determined by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) acting in accordance with that Act. The CRU is required to perform its functions in a manner that best serves the interests of...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for her question. In response to her sentiments about how we are trying to provide for development, I completely agree, but as the matter is under appeal, it would not be proper for me to comment on it. A number of projects are under appeal. We are working through them in a sequential manner. We are not waiting for them all to be resolved in one go. As soon as this one...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Grants (13 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Work is at an advanced stage of development for two new schemes to replace existing schemes which assist householders, in certain circumstances, in the provision of on-site domestic water supplies (individual wells) and waste water treatment systems (septic tanks).  The changes that I have approved to the individual wells grant scheme are as follows: - a maximum grant...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: It is important to note that online and offline political advertising includes advertising by people who wish to change politics, referendums or the Constitution. It is not just political party advertising. All such advertising needs to be regulated online, as is the case offline. The Government has agreed to bring forward legislation in the first half of next year to provide for such...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Nov 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The Housing Agency is looking at the income thresholds for social housing eligibility. There are a number of reforms that we need to make about how we manage social housing homes, including in the areas of rents, succession rights, tenant purchase and income eligibility thresholds. For those reforms to make sense, they must be connected to each other. That work is awaiting the outcome of a...