Parliamentary questions

Planning Issues

John Curran

338. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago, the status of the progress made to date on action 3.9 to support the development of online planning services for the local authority sector and An Bord Pleanála; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35083/16]

Planning Issues

John Curran

339. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago, the status of the progress made to date on action 3.10 to implement a root and branch review of the planning system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35084/16]

Housing Policy

John Curran

340. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago the status of the progress made to date on action 3.11 to establish a competition to champion best practice, efficient and cost effective design and new approaches to both affordable and quality residential delivery; the status of the specific call for proposals and their evaluation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35085/16]

Private Rented Accommodation

John Curran

341. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago, the status of the progress made to date on action 4.1 to develop a comprehensive strategy for the rental sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35087/16]

Private Rented Accommodation

John Curran

342. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago, the status of the progress made to date on action 4.2 to legislate to deal with circumstances where there are sales of property with tenants in situ and to address the Residential Tenancies Board's enforcement and dispute resolution powers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35088/16]

Private Rented Accommodation Standards

John Curran

343. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and Homelessness four months ago the status of the progress made to date on action 4.3 to complete the review of the Housing (Standards for Rental Houses) Regulations 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35089/16]

Residential Tenancies Board Remit

John Curran

344. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago, the status of the progress made to date on action 4.4, to extend the role of the Residential Tenancies Board to include a one stop shop; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35090/16]

Private Rented Accommodation Provision

John Curran

345. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago the status of the progress made to date on action 4.5 to examine standards, costs and feasibility of build to rent on a large scale and commission research on ways in which further investment might be encouraged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35091/16]

Housing Policy

John Curran

346. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago the status of the progress made to date on action 4.6 to introduce a new affordable rental scheme; the number of units of accommodation that have been secured under this new affordable rental scheme, in view of the fact this action had a Q3 timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35092/16]

Housing Policy

John Curran

347. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago the status of the progress made to date on action 4.10 to fund a student housing officer; if this officer is now in position as the timeline for this action was Q3 of 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35096/16]

Housing Provision

John Curran

348. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago the status of the progress made to date on action 4.12 to carry out an assessment of scope for provision of additional student accommodation on local authority or other publicly owned lands; when this assessment will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35098/16]

Housing Policy

John Curran

349. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago the status of the progress made to date on action 4.13 to enable student accommodation projects for 100 units or more to go straight to An Bord Pleanála; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35099/16]

Social and Affordable Housing Provision

John Curran

350. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago the status of the progress made to date on action 5.1 to develop a national vacant housing re-use strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35100/16]

Social and Affordable Housing

John Curran

351. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago the status of the progress made to date on action 5.2 to review the disparate systems of differential rents for social housing across local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35101/16]

Social and Affordable Housing Provision

John Curran

352. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago the status of the progress made to date on action 5.3 to work with local authorities to speed up the refurbishment and where possible the re-letting of vacant social housing units; the number of vacant units in each local authority and the average length of time units are vacant in each local authority in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35102/16]

Housing Policy

John Curran

353. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago the status of the progress made to date on action 5.4 to introduce a choice based or equivalent allocation system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35103/16]

Tenant Purchase Scheme

John Curran

354. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago the status of the progress made to date on action 5.5; whether the review of the tenant purchase scheme is ongoing or will only take place after a year of operation of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35104/16]

Housing Agency Portfolio

John Curran

355. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago the status of the progress made to date on action 5.6 to directly fund the housing agency with €70 million to acquire suitable portfolios of vacant properties for social housing; the number of units of accommodation that have been acquired under this action to date; the number that will be acquired by year end and in the first two quarters of 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35105/16]

Social and Affordable Housing Provision

John Curran

356. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago the status of the progress made to date on action 5.7; the details of the pilot repair and leasing initiative he has initiated; and the timeline to expand this initiative and, in particular, to establish it in Dublin where the housing crisis is most severe. [35106/16]

Care of the Elderly Provision

John Curran

357. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago the status of the progress made to date on action 5.8 to explore ways in which to promote the availability of step down specialist housing for older persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35107/16]