Results 21-40 of 10,506 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage for those who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build. It is the successor to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Compulsory Purchase Orders (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Tackling vacancy is a key priority for this Government. The Vacant Homes Action Plan, which I launched in January 2023, outlines the significant progress that has been made in addressing vacancy, along with the actions that are being pursued to return vacant properties back into use as homes. Last month, I launched the Vacant Homes Action Plan, Progress Report April 2024 which sets out...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 349 and 350 together. The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) supports the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities for the leasing of houses and apartments. Dwellings under the scheme come from a number of different sources including private owners, Part V and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Long term...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 63 of the Housing Act 1966 deals with overcrowding and inter alia establishes effective limits on the numbers of people that can occupy the same bedroom. Accordingly, a property will be considered overcrowded when the number of people normally sleeping there and the number of bedrooms are such that any two people, if they are older than 10 years old and of the opposite gender, must...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand the Question is referring to the Unit Cost Ceilings, now referred to as Basic Unit Costs (BUCs), which specifically relate to social housing build projects developed directly by local authorities or AHBs on LA/AHB owned lands, using Public Works forms of contract. Updated BUCs are regularly issued to local authorities with the most recent dating from April 2023. Work is nearing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. The Regulations provide that households may apply for support to one local authority only. Usually,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 160 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides the Minister with the power to declare qualifications of such classes and descriptions as he or she thinks fit for a specified employment under a local authority or for such of the employments as belong to a specified class, description or grade. Orders made under section 160 of the Local Government Act 2001 declaring qualifications for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Process (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The general scheme of the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) Bill was published in December 2022. Following the scrutiny of the Joint Oireachtas Committee, my Department has been working in close collaboration with parliamentary drafters to develop this Bill. While it was initially hoped to publish in 2023, the legal, technical and scientific complexity associated with this ground breaking...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) has policy responsibility for improving access to high quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare. My Department does not record the data requested, and has no function in this regard. The current Guidelines for Planning Authorities relating to Childcare Facilities were...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Circulars (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Part V mechanism is intended to achieve integrated development and reduce housing segregation by facilitating a mix of a tenure types, that is social, affordable and cost rental housing, in applicable developments on any land that is zoned residential (either exclusively or mixed use) or is granted planning permission for houses as a material contravention of the development plan. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Websites (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The fixyourstreet.ie website was a shared service of local authorities, operated by South Dublin County Council on behalf of all 31 local authorities, which ceased operations from 5 August 2022. Following the closure of fixyourstreet.ie, service issues should be reported to each individual local authority. While my Department managed the funding for shared services in the set up phase via...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. Arising from the Government Decision of 30 November 2021 in respect of the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) grant scheme, the National Standards Authority of Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities. While responsibility for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Requests for housing transfers are considered solely by the relevant local authority concerned in accordance with that authority’s allocation scheme, which is made by the elected members under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and in compliance with Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011, as amended. Allocation schemes shall apply to dwellings owned or...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Directive (EU) 2023/2413 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 Oct 2023, known as the Renewable Energy Directive III ('RED III') for the promotion of energy from renewable sources, entered into force in November 2023. RED III amends Directive (EU) 2018/2001, Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 and Directive 98/70/EC and repeals Council Directive (EU) 2015/652. The Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 requires private developers to ensure that a specified percentage of land zoned for residential and other uses is reserved for social and affordable housing. Local authorities negotiate Part V agreements with the developer in line with a range of guidelines and supports aimed at assisting them in maximising the benefits of Part V in the context...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: A flagship element of Project Ireland 2040, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) was one of four new funds established under the National Development Plan (NDP) 2018 – 2027. Launched in 2018 with committed Exchequer funding of €2 billion the review of the NDP in 2021 extended the URDF to 2030. To date, there have been three rounds of funding provided under the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The flexibility of HAP as a social housing support is one of the scheme’s key characteristics. Households eligible for social housing support are provided with the opportunity to avail of HAP in any local authority area; subject to the current Social Housing Eligibility Income Bands or confirmation that the applicants’ income is below the threshold in the new local authority. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All targets the delivery of 54,000 affordable homes by 2030, divided between affordable purchase homes and Cost Rental homes in the ratio of 2:1. A strong pipeline is in place and under continuous development. In the case of Cost Rental homes, in August last year the Government increased the income thresholds for new tenancies, with net household income limits rising to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Donegal County Council currently has a 29-unit social housing project under construction at Gallows Lane in Lifford. I expect that allocation of the social homes will be carried out in advance of the construction completion date in order for tenancies to commence as soon as the homes are fully completed and signed off. This is a matter for Donegal County Council. Further information on...