Results 1-20 of 10,506 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 and 206 together. Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. My Department does not have any responsibility in relation to dog wardens. Responsibility in relation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of Dublin City Council’s (DCC’s) housing stock is strictly a matter for the Local Authority. DCC have advised that the Council has been undertaking works to improve the living conditions of the residents as well as the structure of the complex. On an ongoing basis there are four caretakers assigned to the complex. Their duties include maintaining...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines, which only apply to onshore wind energy development. The review is addressing a number of key aspects of the Guidelines including setback distance, noise, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. My Department, in conjunction with the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Advertising (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department frequently uses digital media platforms as part of information campaigns to bring important information to the public’s attention. Increasingly, my Department has chosen online advertising to create an effective awareness of schemes, initiatives or important public information across many areas of work. For example, online and digital media platforms are used to raise...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: An Bord Pleanála is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts. An Bord Pleanála is required to adopt a Code of Conduct for its members under section 150 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: On the 7 December 2023, I announced the successful applications that are approved funding under the Waste Water Collection and Treatment needs for villages without access to Public Waste Water Services of the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP). My Department has written to each of the local authorities that submitted applications advising of the decisions made including to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Part 8 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 sets out the procedure for a local authority when carrying out development, including social and affordable housing, on its own land. Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 ensures that a local authority gains a portion of the increase in the land value resulting from the local authority granting planning permission for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Energy Rating (22 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 to 99, inclusive, together. The Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) aims to retrofit a local authority home to a BER of B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent. It is expected that 36,500 local authority owned homes will be retrofitted under this programme out to 2030. A breakdown of the funding provided and the output per local authority since 2013 to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Budgets (22 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Performance budgeting aims to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of public expenditure by linking funding allocations of public sector organisations and the results they deliver, making systematic use of performance information. As part of this process, key high-level Performance Metrics for each Department are published in the Revised Estimates for Public Service prior to each year....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (22 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has not received any correspondence in relation to this matter or the property referred to, at this time. My Department continues to support local authorities in administering the various Social Housing programmes. As is standard practice, any queries or correspondence received from local authorities will be responded to, in a timely manner.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (22 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing for All strategy commits to delivering 18,000 Cost Rental homes over the period to 2030, and significant funding is being made available to support provision by Approved Housing Bodies, Local Authorities, the Land Development Agency, and now also private providers under the new Secure Tenancy Affordable Rental (STAR) investment scheme. Last year the Government approved...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (22 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I published the Final Report of the Housing Commission today, 22 May. The report sets out the Commission's conclusions and recommendations on measures and reforms to build on Housing for All and support long-term housing policy post-2030. The report may be viewed on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/f3551-report-of-the-housing-commis sion/.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (22 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government and Housing for All commit to maintaining the right of social housing tenants to purchase their own home, subject to a number of reforms. The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme was reviewed in 2021 and 2023 in line with these commitments, to ensure there is a balance between maintaining the right of tenants to purchase their homes and the replenishment of social...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities are encouraged to acquire vacant/derelict properties to be upgraded as new, value-for-money social homes via the Buy & Renew Scheme. Since it was introduced in 2016, in excess of 900 properties have been delivered under this arrangement. The table below shows the number of such units delivered as new social homes per annum since 2016 and the total cost. The costs...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (21 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 do not qualify for social housing supports and are at risk of homelessness because a landlord has served a valid Notice of Termination due to an intention to sell the property. The primary tenant eligibility condition for accessing Cost Rental housing also applies for...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this end,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: An Bord Pleanála (the Board) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts. There are now more people working at the Board than at any time previously. Since October 2021,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), all development, unless specifically exempted under the Act or associated Regulations, requires planning permission. Exemptions from the requirement to obtain planning permission in respect of specific forms of development are provided for when they are considered to be consistent with proper planning and sustainable...

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. Local authorities have responsibility for the administration of the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme. This includes the initial validation of applications,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (21 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). For 2023 and 2024, the Government agreed that there would be increased provision...