Results 61-80 of 10,506 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien in 'Written Answers'

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not generally keep a record of qualifications held by staff members, and accordingly there may be staff working in various roles who have a qualification in Archaeology but applied for different positions. However, at the end of March 2024 we had 41.73 WTE staff employed in my Department in roles where a qualification in archaeology is a requirement. There were 38.33 and...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ (CRTiS) scheme was introduced on 1 April 2023 for tenants in private rental homes who are at risk of homelessness because a landlord has served a valid Notice of Termination due to an intention to sell the property. The Local Authority conducts the initial assessment for eligibility of the tenant for this scheme and refers potential cases to the Housing Agency,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme is deemed to be a social housing support under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014. As a long term housing support, an assessment of housing need must be completed in order for a household to qualify for HAP. Any household with an identified housing need is eligible for HAP. In order for housing assistance to be provided under the Act...

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

Darragh O'Brien: A review mechanism is provided within the 2022 Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022, which allows me, as Minister, to increase the overall grant scheme cap of €420,000 a year after the Act has been commenced by no more than 10%, in accordance with the conditions of Section 11 of the Act. Following a request from my Department, the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI)...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. A grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The appointment of Presiding Officers at electoral events is a matter for Local Returning Officers. Returning Officers are independent in the discharge of their duties. Section 95 of the Electoral Act 1992 provides for the appointment of Presiding Officers and Poll Clerks at polling stations at Dáil elections. Similar provisions apply in respect of all other legislative codes...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 381 and 395 together. 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. The grants are focused on the areas of greatest environmental priority and are available only in...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested pertains to operational matters within individual State bodies and, as such, it is not available in my Department. However, in line with the ‘Protocol for the Provision of Information to Members of the Oireachtas by State Bodies under the aegis of Government Departments/Offices’, my Department ensures that all relevant State bodies are aware of the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is currently preparing legislation to put in place a statutory remediation scheme for owners of certain apartments affected by fire safety, water ingress and structural defects. This legislation will establish supports for the remediation of these defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013. It is expected the draft...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department takes its obligations under the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022 very seriously and is strongly committed to supporting people to speak up about their concerns of wrongdoing, as defined in the legislation. At all times, it is central to my Department’s protected disclosures policy that the reporting person’s identity will be treated confidentially in...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 385 and 386 together. My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and AHBs in each local authority area. This data is available to the end of 2023 and is published on the statistics' page of my Department’s website at the following link:...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 388 and 387 together. Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 54,000 affordable homes, including 36,000 affordable purchase and 18,000 cost rental homes, by 2030, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks. ...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My role as Minister is to lead the development of policy and legislation relating to the provision of affordable housing generally and to support local authorities in delivering affordable homes by providing funding to subvent schemes from the Affordable Housing Fund. In line with the Affordable Housing Act 2021, the planning and development of affordable housing schemes in response to...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is being compiled and will be provided to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

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

Darragh O'Brien: 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). Details of the number of units and funding of the Social Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Strategies (9 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In response to the developing risks associated with climate change - including changing weather patterns and an estimated sea level rise of up to one metre by the year 2100 - the Government established an Inter Departmental Group to prepare a scoping report for a National Coastal Change Management Strategy. The purpose of the Group was to scope out an approach for the development of a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (9 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The General Government Balance (GGB) measures the fiscal performance of all arms of government. It provides an accurate assessment of the fiscal performance of a more complete government sector. The GGB does not reflect the position of commercial State sponsored bodies as these agencies are classified as being outside the General Government sector. As to date, the LDA have been capitalised...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (9 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade and is the first multi-annual fully funded housing plan in the history of the State. The Plan is supported by an investment package of over €4 billion per annum, through an overall combination of €12 billion in direct Exchequer funding,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to my answers to Question No. 689 on 9 April 2024 and Question No. 290 on 8 May 2024 which set out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 194 together. Data on the repair and leasing scheme in respect of all local authorities to end Q4 2023 is published on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provis ion/#repair-and-leasing-scheme-rls. While my Department issues general guidance on the scheme, it has no direct...