Results 361-380 of 10,466 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Apr 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). The social housing new build target for 2024 is 9,300 homes and the overall...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Apr 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. Under the Housing for All plan, leasing delivery targets for 2024 are 800 units under Long Term Leasing and 200 units under Short Term Leasing (RAS Type agreements). The Targeted Leasing Initiative...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All sets out the range of actions necessary to increase the supply of housing out to 2030 comprising of 54,000 affordable homes to be delivered by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through the First Home Scheme, which is a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks. The overall target for Affordable and Cost...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, launched on 7 July 2022, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market, or building their own home, through the use of an equity share model. Full details of the First Home Scheme are available at: www.firsthomescheme.ie The Scheme is overseen and managed by the First Home Scheme Ireland Designated Activity Company (First Home...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, launched on 7 July 2022, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market, or building their own home, through the use of an equity share model. Full details of the First Home Scheme are available at: The Scheme is overseen and managed by the First Home Scheme Ireland Designated Activity Company (First Home DAC), on behalf of...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Government has developed the Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ (CRTiS) scheme for tenants in private rental homes who are at risk of homelessness because a landlord intends to sell the property but who are not in receipt of social housing supports. The scheme was established on a temporary administrative basis from 1 April 2023 and is managed by the Housing Agency, pending further policy...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The policy intent of developing a Cost Rental sector in Ireland is to support the housing needs of those on moderate incomes for whom high open market rents are unaffordable and who do not qualify for social housing supports. All Cost Rental providers are legally obliged to make Cost Rental homes available in line with the provisions of Part 3 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Apr 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 as homes. 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...

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

Darragh O'Brien: There is no grant assistance available of the type referenced. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, which was introduced in 2022 under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, supports the refurbishment of vacant and derelict properties, bringing them back into use as homes. The Grant is available to individuals or households for which the property will be their principal private...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (9 Apr 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. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The social housing project at Deerpark, Ennistymon received Stage 2/Pre-Planning funding approval from my Department in October 2022. We now understand from Clare County Council that this project is currently on hold as they are looking to advance the provision of a new waste water treatment plant. Further information on the advancement of this project is available from Clare County Council.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (9 Apr 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Pollution (9 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: This is an operational matter and my Department cannot interfere in regulatory processes. Since 1 January 2014, Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels and my Department has no function in relation to this matter, under section 7 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013. The EPA is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (9 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s Rural Water Programme provides capital and operational funding to group water schemes. The day-to-day administration of the Programme is devolved to local authorities. An annual subsidy is payable by local authorities to group water schemes towards their operational and management costs of supplying water for domestic use. This is provided that the scheme meets the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has 11 divisions, each led by an Assistant Secretary. Each division consists of several business units with each business unit overseeing a functional area under the wide and varied brief of this Department. The attached list represents a moment in time, as the functions, structure and personnel in any department are subject to change. An upcoming transfer of functions process...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Section 34(2) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), provides that when making its decision on a planning application, the planning authority shall be restricted to considering the proper planning and sustainable development of the area having regard to the provisions of the local development plan as well as a number of other factors including any guidelines issued by...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I established an Implementation Steering Group for the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme and the sub-group the Question refers to was established within this existing group structure, to examine an emerging issue relating to financial aspects of the scheme. I expect the next meeting of this sub-group will take place in the coming weeks. In the meantime, my Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (9 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 719 and 720 together. My Department does not collate information relating to deaths of homeless individuals. On 16 January 2024, the Health Research Board published its report on deaths among people who were homeless based on 2020 data. The research applied the methodology used to compile the National Drug Related Deaths Index, which is a census of...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of Q4 2023, there were more than 56,800 households actively in receipt of HAP support. Under HAP, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented market. However, additional supports are available under HAP for homeless households or households at risk of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (9 Apr 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. I understand the question relates to the calculation of grant amounts under the enhanced grant scheme, which are determined in accordance with the Act and the Regulations. ...