Results 81-100 of 10,506 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien in 'Written Answers'

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 195 and 196 together. 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...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 197 and 198 together. Addressing 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...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on social housing delivery activity in all local authority areas on the statistics page of its website. The data requested in relation to funding provided by the State for HAP tenancies in 2023 broken down by local authority area, can be found on my Department’s website at this link: ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (9 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 local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual local authorities. My Department does not fund any homeless service directly...

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

Darragh O'Brien: In line with commitments made in Programme for Government and Housing for All, a national Youth Homelessness Strategy was published in November 2022. The Strategy aims to help young people aged 18-24 who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. It sets out 27 key actions to prevent youth homelessness; improve the experiences of young people accessing emergency accommodation; and assist...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 requires all local authorities, as a reserved function, to make an allocation scheme determining the order of priority to be accorded in the allocation of dwellings to households qualified for social housing support and to households approved for a transfer, the allocation of which would, in the opinion of the authority, meet the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under the HAP scheme, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. My Department is aware that some HAP recipients are making payments directly to their landlords beyond the amount of HAP...

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

Darragh O'Brien: All development proposals require planning permission unless they are specifically exempted under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act) or the supplementary Planning and Development Regulations, 2001, as amended (the Regulations). In addition, national planning policy, guidelines and legislation do not dictate the types of materials that must be used for housing, and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (9 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. Section 36 of the Act provides that the Government may make a further Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) scheme for the purposes of enabling a designated local authority or an...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Since I received Government approval in January 2023 to draft legislation to establish supports for the remediation of fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in apartments and duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013, my Department has been advancing the steps to put the remediation scheme on a statutory footing as a matter of priority. Given the complexity of the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: It is assumed that the judgment that the Question is referring to is the first module of a case that has been divided into two modules. As no judgment has been delivered in the second module, the matter remains before the Courts and it would not be appropriate, therefore, to comment on the case. The assessment of wind energy developments is covered by the 2006 Wind Energy Development...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 212, 213 and 214 together. The Housing Finance Agency (HFA) plc is a non-commercial semi-State company under the aegis of my Department, limited by shares under the terms of the Housing Finance Agency Act 1981. My Department does not hold the information sought in the questions. However, the Housing Finance Agency has a dedicated email address to assist...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All the Government will deliver 54,000 affordable homes between now and 2030, targeting an average of 6,000 affordable homes to be made available every year for purchase or for rent by Local Authorities, AHBs, the Land Development Agency (LDA) and via the First Home Scheme. The LDA represents a crucial lever in the Government’s delivery of affordable and social...

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

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

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (8 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 breakdown of such units delivered on an annual basis since 2016. Alongside the acquisition and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (8 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). Long term lease arrangements can be entered into by either local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 268 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (8 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes quarterly progress reports which are based on quarterly performance reports submitted by the nine regional lead authorities responsible for the administration of homeless services at local level. The quarterly performance reports include details of the numbers of individuals prevented from entering emergency accommodation, and those exiting emergency accommodation,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (8 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In recent years, the main source of funding to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for social housing delivery, is through borrowings and support from local authorities through the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) and Payment and Availability (P&A) programme. The P&A-CALF model has shown itself to be an integral part of social housing delivery and has contributed...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (8 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. Terms of Reference are being developed in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General to progress the appointment of a Senior Counsel to review the role of the...