Results 461-480 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: The Government approved the merger of Galway City Council and Galway County Council on 18 June 2018. However, the elements of the Local Government Bill 2018 that provided for this merger were not ultimately passed by the Oireachtas. At the current time, all local authorities are experiencing financial challenges. In order to support the local government sector generally, my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Expenditure (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: In 2020, total funding of €73.75 million is available for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme, in respect of private houses. This is made up of €59 million Exchequer funding, which is an increase of some 3.5% on the 2019 provision, with the balance of €14.75 million being contributed by the local authorities. Increasing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: Housing First enables homeless individuals with high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation with the provision of intensive housing and health supports to help the individuals concerned maintain their tenancies. The National Implementation Plan for Housing First was published in September 2018. The Plan includes an overall target of 663 tenancies in the period...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: An increase in the rate of Employer PRSI from 11.05% to 15.75% for staff in my Department who pay a Class A1 PRSI contribution would cost an additional €13,276 for the portion of salaries in excess of €100,000.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: House Purchase Schemes (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1280 and 1282 together. My Department has supported local authorities in the acquisition of second hand properties for social housing purposes on the basis that the priority under Rebuilding Ireland has always been on newly constructed homes and that acquiring existing properties should be focused on priority situations, while ensuring that such activity...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan (RIHL) was launched on 1 February 2018. When the RIHL was initially being developed, it was estimated that the drawdown of loans under the scheme would be approximately €200 million over three years. The RIHL proved to be more successful than initially anticipated and following discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: There are a number of variables involved in estimating the cost of providing homes for social housing purposes, such as the form of delivery, size of unit, land, financing mechanism, location, etc. In terms of construction and 'all-in' costs, the national averages as sought across various sized units, based on full capital costs, are set out in the following tables. Houses ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department has operated an Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme for local authority social housing since 2013 and data below is in respect of that programme. Data in respect of the broader housing stock, for example with support from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. The local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: Over the period 2016 to end Quarter 3 2019, over 90,000 additional households across the country had their housing needs met through a Rebuilding Ireland supported scheme. Detailed statistics in relation to social housing delivery are published on a quarterly basis and the most recent data, up to Q3 2019, are available on my Department’s website at the following link: . Data to end...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Costs (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1287 to 1290, inclusive, together. Tenants are required to pay rent to their landlord during the COVID-19 emergency period and, in the event of tenants having difficulty doing so, they are encouraged to engage with their landlords at the earliest opportunity. They should also engage with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: With effect from 27 March 2020, new emergency measures were introduced into law to protect tenants during the COVID-19 emergency period. Tenants cannot be forced to leave their rental accommodation during this period, other than in exceptional circumstances. Initially, these emergency legislative provisions will last for a period of 3 months, but they may be extended if the Government...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2019 set out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants in the private rented and approved housing body sectors. The Acts apply to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy, subject to a limited number of exceptions. The Acts make no reference to animals. Any house rules that might be agreed between a landlord and a tenant at the start of a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Guidelines (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: Under Project Ireland 2040, including the National Planning Framework (NPF), the Government has taken a lead on moving away from development sprawl to more compact urban growth as a key mechanism to support proper planning and sustainable development as well as action on climate change and congestion. Project Ireland 2040 restates the commitment to implement statutory planning guidelines on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment Administration (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: Limerick City and County Council provide a highly effective transactional shared service on behalf of all local authorities in the administration of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme. The HAP Shared Services Centre (SSC) manages all HAP related rental transactions for the tenant, local authority and landlord. Once a HAP application has been received and confirmed as valid by the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Contracts (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: In June 2018, as part of the first tranche of approvals under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, Sligo County Council was approved a provisional allocation of €1,236,000 in respect of its planned O’Connell Street Enhancement project. While my Department works closely with applicants on the development of their projects, the advancement and completion of each...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. 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 criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Protected Disclosures (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: Section 22 of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 requires each public body to publish an annual report setting out the number of protected disclosures received in the preceding year and the action taken. The annual reports for my Department are available on the Department's website at the following link: . Since the introduction of the Act, no protected disclosures have been received from...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Estates (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: In July 2019 my Department launched the multi-annual Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme 2019-2021. Bids were sought from local authorities for funding under the programme and the closing date for bids was 18 September 2019. Nineteen local authorities with Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure in estates in their areas made applications for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of public water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels and has a dedicated Drought Management Team which it activates during periods of shortages and droughts to assess and monitor demand on water supplies. Irish Water has, this week, commenced a public information campaign to urge the public to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (13 May 2020)

Eoghan Murphy: My Department has operated an Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme for local authority social housing since 2013. The programme improves the insulation standards and overall energy performance of local authority housing stock, which can benefit those at risk of fuel poverty, as well as contributing to Ireland’s carbon emissions reduction and energy efficiency targets. Since the...