Results 41-60 of 10,506 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (16 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (RTA) regulate tenancies in the residential rental sector covering private renters, cost renters, social renters with Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), and regulates tenancies and licences in student specific accommodation. The Acts set out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (16 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, fire safety and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. These Regulations apply to all properties let or available for let....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (16 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All commits to increasing the housing options available to older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence, including the development of a policy on rightsizing. The Housing for All policy objective to make more efficient use of existing housing stock includes tasking my Department with the development of a national policy on rightsizing and to explore...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (16 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: There are many existing avenues of engagement between the public and local authorities that influence budgetary decisions, including through SPCs, public consultations on LPT decisions and a range of community engagement structures. As part of the Programme for Government, there is a commitment to incentivise local authorities to bring forward pilot participatory budgeting projects. I welcome...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (16 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand that the correspondence referred to was forwarded from my office to my colleague Minister Dillon, as Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning, for direct reply. I can confirm that a reply was issued on 8 May 2024 (under reference number MOSD-00076-2024) Under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act ), I am...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (15 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The relevant details are being compiled and will be provided to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (15 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to my reply to Question No. 356 on 20 February 2024 which set out the position on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (15 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Water Services Acts, it is the responsibility of the property owner to ensure that their Domestic Waste Water Treatment System (DWWTS) is fit for purpose, operational and kept in good order. My Department's Rural Water Programme provides financial assistance to households in specific circumstances where capital works are required to rectify defective DWWTS to protect human health...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (15 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The policy of providing grant funding to households for work on Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (DWWTS), including septic tanks, arises from the need to address damage being done to water quality in sensitive areas in particular. There are three grants available and funding is provided under the Department’s Rural Water Programme, which is administered by the local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Approved Housing Body (AHB) sector in Ireland plays a significant role in the delivery of social housing. Under Housing For All, the sector has a target of providing up to 40% of all new social homes nationally. In general an independent AHB may appoint to their Board individuals as they deem fit and will endeavour to appoint members with relevant experience, competence and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: There are currently three defects remediation schemes operating; namely the Pyrite Remediation Scheme, the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme and the Interim Remediation Scheme to fix emergency fire safety issues in apartments and duplexes that were built between 1991 and 2013. Only the remediation of apartments and duplexes will operate with public monies delivered to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (14 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department continues to invest in water and waste water infrastructure to support the development of those rural villages that are not currently served by Uisce Éireann. Under the National Development Plan more than €243 million of capital funding, over the period 2021 to 2025, has been provided for non-Uisce Éireann investment in rural water infrastructure. This...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (14 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended, set down a standard procedure for assessing applicants for social housing support. Under this procedure, a household may apply for support to one housing authority only, which may be the authority for the area in which the household normally resides or with which it...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (14 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Social Housing is delivered through a range of local authority and Approved Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (14 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) are the lead Department with responsibility for the provision of accommodation for both BoTP’s from Ukraine and International Protection (IP) applicants. My Department is fully committed to supporting the whole of Government humanitarian response to the invasion of Ukraine and is specifically supporting...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (14 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 366 and 367 together. The moratorium on recruitment in the public service, introduced in 2009 following a Government decision to implement savings measures across the wider public service as a response to the financial crisis facing the State, was ended with effect from 2015. Since then, a delegated sanction from the Department of Finance and later on from...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (14 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All, the Government’s housing plan to 2030 is a multi-annual, multi-billion euro plan which will improve Ireland’s housing system and deliver more homes of all types for people with different housing needs. The Plan will increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year to 2030. Over 300,000 new homes will be built by the end of 2030, including a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (14 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Applications for social housing support are assessed by local authorities 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. It is a matter for each local authority, as part of its housing management functions, to determine the conditions...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Policy (14 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (14 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Given the enforcement roles discharged by certain staff in the National Parks and Wildlife Service, for reasons of operational security, my Department does not provide details of staffing in the manner requested. Currently there are in excess of 100 Conservation Rangers stationed right across the country, and it is my intention to further increase this number, up to 120 Rangers. A...