Results 1-20 of 429 for going forward speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (30 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Bhí mo chomhghleacaí, an tAire Stáit, an Teachta Noonan, ag labhairt liom faoi na daoine atá sa Ghailearaí ó Ghaelscoil Osraí i gContae Chill Chainnigh. Cuirim fáilte rompu go léir go dtí Teach Laighean inniu. I ask Deputy Gould to give the details regarding the case he outlined and we will look at it for him. I am happy to help. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (30 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ...borne out by looking at the first-time buyer activity. We have more than 500 first-time buyers per week now drawing down mortgages and buying their homes using the very supports we have brought forward, namely, the first home and help-to-buy schemes, which the Deputy opposes and would scrap. He has put nothing forward that would replace them, only some loose leasehold arrangement that is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ...recommendations have already been implemented. An example is the 20% provision of social and affordable housing, which I changed. I reversed the decision of a previous Labour Party Minister to go from 20% to 10%. We have gone back to 20%. Having said that, to answer the Deputy's question directly regarding revised targets, I have always said we would publish revised targets once we...

Housing for All: Statements (21 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I welcome the opportunity to provide Teachtaí with an update on housing and the Government’s progress since the publication of Housing for All back in September 2021, just over two and a half years ago. While challenges undoubtedly remain and we continue to operate in an ever-changing environment, real progress has been made. It is important to take time to reflect on this and...

Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (8 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: If Deputy Ó Broin has put forward the motion as a plan, he should put some detail behind it. Will he provide clarity on whether these homes would be eligible for mortgages due to the first-charge and leasehold concerns? What restrictions would be placed on the property? We know that people would not be able to freely sell their home in a leasehold position, but would Sinn Féin...

Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (8 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: .... I have always acknowledged, as I will continue to do, that times are still very challenging for those who are struggling to buy a home or pay rent, and that is why the measures we have brought forward are so important, such as delivery through the Land Development Agency, the supports through the first-home scheme, the help-to-buy grant and social homes at a scale we had not seen in...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for the Labour Party amendments and her comments in introducing them. I agree with her wholeheartedly on uplift and Kenny-style measures. That is why we are bringing forward the land value sharing, LVS, Bill. The Deputy asked me about that in the Dáil. The LVS Bill will soon be available for publication. It is undergoing final checks in the Attorney General's...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We need a bit of time to assess it. The amendments put forward by the Labour Party will form part of our review in this regard. I think all of us believe the CPO system and process need to be improved. I am committed to doing this, but we have not gone through all the implications of the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission report. We will come back to them, but I am going to do...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: .... We discussed the term "undue" in the context of amendment No. 896. The provision is from the 2000 Act, so it is very clearly understood by local authorities. It is working well and I am not going to accept the amendment. We had a long discussion on it. The issue the Deputy referred to was previously relevant but is no longer relevant because it does not arise anymore. The State is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Reports (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ...fast and loose with money from time to time but, in fairness, it is Exchequer funding and we have to be careful with it. The scheme has taken hold. I know it is a grave disappointment to the Deputy. Just go and meet the householders who have benefited from this and the many thousands more who will. We are committed to it and will drive it forward. To get to the Deputy's question,...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ...applications. It would reduce the period set at five years to two. There are certainly issues with extensions of permissions, and the Deputy will see in this grouping that I intend to bring forward amendment No. 729, which is about limitations on the extension of duration of permissions. That would mean that you could only seek an extension of duration once for that period, and it must...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will respond first to Deputy Boyd Barrett because his amendment was put forward, then to Deputy Bacik and other Deputies. In regard to multiple applications clogging up the system, Deputy Boyd Barrett's amendment does not restrict the duration. For example, if the planning permission was for two years and could be extended by another two years, it does not preclude further extensions....

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: To go through this, Deputy Ó Snodaigh's comments at the end helped me to answer the question I wanted to put even when Deputy Boyd Barrett was here. The completion is within the planning permission period. You have to build and operate within a planning permission period. If you start building and you have a five-year permission, the permission is for five years. It is not that you...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ...previously caused some uncertainty, particularly in the courts, and by referring to works being commenced brings certainty to it. As I said to Deputy Ó Snodaigh, what we will be doing is bringing forward regulations. I appreciate that Deputy O'Callaghan cannot see the regulations now. It would not be normal to have the regulations running side by side when the Bill is being...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ...will be appointed to the committee without delay. In fairness, the Minister of State played an active role in the committee and I wish her my best. I thank the Deputies for the amendments. Going right the way back to the introduction of this Bill, one of the key points was about transparency. This section is about transparency and clarity as to who can bring forward further...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank both Deputies for the amendments. I can see some merit but we would have to balance this. If we recall our discussion a number of weeks ago on the role of councillors and decisions that are made, a design could go out in draft form, as it does, and if public submissions are then received, the Part 8 can, and in many instances is, amended on the basis of those public submissions....

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ...consultation and the councillors' interaction, a playground is added. If we made this amendment, and I do not want to be dumbing down on it, that would mean even what is deemed a positive change goes back out to another Part 8. We are going back again asking, potentially, a different question but back to the same members. This is an important role that our councillors have. They...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I have seen ones that were going to be brought forward and, on the basis of advance consultation, modifications were made to designs and things like that. It is extremely rare. I have been involved in elected politics since 2004 and, in my experience, I have certainly never seen a draft Part 8 proposal being brought in by officials without anyone having had sight of it. I take the point....