Results 1,861-1,880 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (2 Jul 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: CSO data has confirmed that there were 316 housing completions in Mayo in 2018, which represented an increase of 31% on 2017 levels. Excluding single dwellings the numbers of new dwellings completed totalled 78 in 2018 compared to a total of 50 in 2017. There were also commencement notices for 380 dwellings submitted in Mayo in 2018, which represented an increase of 18% on 2017...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Finance Agency Funding (2 Jul 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: When the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan (RIHL) scheme was initially being developed, it was estimated that the drawdown of loans would be approximately €200 million over three years. The RIHL has proven to be more successful than initially anticipated, with some €140 million drawn down to the end of March 2019. The first tranche of funding has not been exhausted. My...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (2 Jul 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The flexibility of HAP as a social housing support is one of the scheme's key characteristics and was one of the primary benefits envisaged at the outset of the scheme. With this in mind, guidelines on inter authority movement were introduced in 2017 to allow for local authorities to facilitate movement of HAP households from one local authority area to another in cases where a HAP tenant,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Funding (2 Jul 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The maximum grant amounts payable under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme were reviewed in 2013 and I have no plans at this point for a further review. The average individual amount paid under this scheme is currently lower than the maximum permitted and the current arrangement seeks to spread the benefits of the available funding to a higher...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reviews (2 Jul 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Details of the live studies, reviews and research undertaken or commissioned by my Department and the currently envisaged timeframe for completion of each, are set out in the table. Title of live Study/Review/Research Completion Timeline Irish Affordable Cost Rental Housing Market (Being commissioned by the EIB/URBIS on behalf of the Department) End 2019 Traveller Accommodation Expert...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (2 Jul 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Details of the policy documents and strategies published in 2016 and 2017 by my Department are included in the Department's Annual Reports. These reports can be found at the following link on the Department's website: The publications in any given year are listed in an Appendix at the end of each Report. The 2018 Annual Report will be published shortly and will again set out...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (2 Jul 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Data in relation to social housing delivery, including build data, across all local authorities, for the period 2016 to end March 2019 are published on my Department's website at the following link:  . My Department also publishes comprehensive status reports on a quarterly basis of all social housing construction schemes for all local authority areas. The most recent of these reports...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Rents (2 Jul 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 701 and 702 together. The right of local authorities to set and collect rents on their dwellings is laid down in section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. The making or amending of a rent scheme is an executive function and is subject to broad principles set out by my Department including that – - the rent payable should be related to income and a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Review (2 Jul 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015 set 1 January 2016 as the commencement date for the introduction of the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme for existing local authority houses. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (2 Jul 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Details of the number of properties that have been acquired by local authorities for social housing, including by Kerry County Council, in 2018 and to the end of Quarter 1 of 2019, are published and available on my Department's website at the following link: . Further details for 2019 will be published on a quarterly basis as the year progresses. The funding provided to Kerry County Council...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Charges (2 Jul 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I refer to the reply to Question No. 210 of 20 June 2019 which sets out the statutory position in relation to charging arrangements for relevant customers of Irish Water, who may be able to assist further with this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (27 Jun 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: There are circa 138,000 social housing units nationally in the ownership of local authorities. My Department has been funding an Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme for these properties since 2013. The Programme has 2 Phases - Phase 1, which comprises the bulk of the work undertaken to date, has focused on the lower cost improvements such as cavity wall and attic insulation, while...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (27 Jun 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Housing First enables people who may have been homeless and who have high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation, with intensive supports, to help them maintain their tenancies. The National Implementation Plan for Housing First, published in September 2018, contains targets for each local authority, with an overall national target of 663 tenancies to be delivered...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (27 Jun 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The Rebuilding Ireland home loan (RIHL) scheme was launched on 1 February of last year. When the scheme was initially being developed, it was estimated that the drawdown of loans would be approximately €200 million over three years. The RIHL has proven to be more successful than initially anticipated, with some €140 million drawn down to the end of March 2019. The first...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Jun 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The national housing market is complex; it is composed of numerous sub-markets, specific to geographies, tenure types and housing unit characteristics, and involves a range of specific dynamics, particularly the well documented lags between increased demand and the supply response and the links to land, funding availability and construction industry capacity. Given the complexity...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Funding (27 Jun 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department provides funding on an annual basis under the Disabled Persons Grants (DPGs) scheme to local authorities for adaptations and extensions to the existing social housing stock to meet the needs of local authority tenants. The scheme applies to works that are necessary to address the needs of older people or people with a disability. This may involve minor adaptations, such as...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Vacant Properties (26 Jun 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Senator for raising this important issue and giving me an opportunity to set out the extensive range of measures the Government has introduced to allow for the reactivation of long-term vacant residential dwellings into the liveable housing stock. An overarching action within Pillar 5 of Rebuilding Ireland is a commitment to develop a national vacant housing reuse strategy, which...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Vacant Properties (26 Jun 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Senator for her follow-up remarks. I hope the information I provided is useful in terms of actual numbers. The reason we can provide that is that we have vacant home action plans for, and vacant home officers in, each of the local authorities. As I said in my initial response, Mayo was involved in this pilot programme. When we get high level numbers around vacancy - we see...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Vacant Properties (26 Jun 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Of the 1,000 properties inspected, 61 are what we would consider to be truly vacant homes, which Mayo County Council believes it can bring back into liveable stock. It will engage and do that now, which is important. The council has also received 80 prepare and lease applications. That is another 80 vacant homes it can bring back into use, which is separate from the applications it...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (26 Jun 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. In May 2018, the Government approved the Water Services Policy Statement 2018-2025 and, shortly afterwards, Irish Water submitted its Strategic Funding Plan 2019-2024 to my Department. The Strategic Funding Plan, which I...