Results 101-120 of 10,278 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Conservation (10 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 75 together. In 2021 a new holistic approach was applied to the Energy Efficient Retrofit Programme (EERP), designed around the Programme for Government's commitment led by the Department for the Environment, Climate and Communications that calls for the 'retrofit' of 500,000 homes to a B2 (BER)/Cost Optimal Equivalent standard by 2030, of which,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 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: Legislative Programme (10 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government is committed under Housing for All to developing a roadmap to implement minimum Building Energy Rating (BER) standards, where feasible, for the private rental sector. This action is aimed at both improving the quality of housing stock available to rent and contributing to meeting our overall national climate targets in relation to emissions reduction. It will increase energy...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (10 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Regeneration Programme targets the country’s most disadvantaged communities; those defined by the most extreme social exclusion, unemployment and anti-social behaviour. My Department supports an ambitious programme of regeneration projects which seek to address the causes of disadvantage in these estates through a holistic programme of physical, social and economic...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (10 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 to 83, inclusive, and 85 to 89, inclusive, together. 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 fully acknowledge the difficulties that homeowners are facing and the Government...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (10 Apr 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 housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities. To assist in ensuring that homeless services provided...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (10 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: It is open to any person over 18 years of age to apply for social housing support at any stage, subject to meeting the eligibility and need criteria at the point at which they apply. Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 591, 592, 594, 595, 596, 606, 607, 614, 625, 627, 659, 665, 711, 714 and 724 together. On 25 April 2023, the Government approved additional measures under the Housing for All Action Plan to incentivise the activation of increased housing supply and help reduce housing construction costs, including the introduction of temporary time-limited arrangements for the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Public ownership is a core principle governing the development of water services and the Government has given its full commitment to holding a referendum on ownership of water services. It should also be noted that the establishment of Uisce Éireann in public ownership is already firmly secured under the Water Services Acts 2007 to 2022. I have previously committed to bringing forward a...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Where my Department approves additional staff for a local authority, it is then a matter for the Chief Executive, who is responsible under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001 for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible, to progress the appointments as appropriate. My...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 598, 615, 616 and 617 together. Since 2013, Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) to support local authorities with the retrofit of local authority owned homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Over the period 2013 to the end of 2023, local authorities received over €308...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants of local authority houses which are available for sale under the scheme. All applications for the Scheme must satisfy the requirements outlined in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015. Changes to the scheme took effect from 29...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Tailte Éireann is the State agency formed on 1 March 2023 following the merger of Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Property Registration Authority and the Valuation Office. All the functions previously carried out by the Property Registration Authority, the Valuation Office, and Ordnance Survey Ireland are now being performed by Tailte Éireann. Tailte Éireann is independent in...

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

Darragh O'Brien: At its core, Housing for All seeks to significantly increase the supply of quality, affordable housing. To this end, it includes a range of measures to ensure a balanced delivery of homes for private ownership, social housing and private rental over its lifetime, including apartments for rent and sale. Since its launch in 2021, there has been a substantial uplift in the quantum of new...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of amenities and services is a core element of the statutory plan-making process and is key to promoting the development of balanced and sustainable communities. Section 10 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 requires planning authorities to include objectives in their development plan to integrate social, community and cultural objectives with planning for residential and...

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

Darragh O'Brien: In 2021, as one of the successful applications under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund's (URDF) second call for proposals, I announced a preliminary allocation of €7,140,000 towards Wicklow County Council's proposal for the regeneration of the Bray Harbour Area. The proposal, made up of 6 individual projects, includes amenity and public realm works, a promenade boardwalk...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (9 Apr 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 including progressing appointments that have been sanctioned by my Department as appropriate. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government...

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. The new scheme is now open to applications in four counties: Clare, Donegal, Limerick and Mayo with comprehensive information of all aspects of the Scheme available on my...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Details of ministerial travel costs paid for by my Department are available and regularly updated on my Department's Open Data website: data.gov.ie/dataset/ministerial-travel-costs-2024. The total costs of some of the visits have not yet been finalised. Outstanding invoices will be submitted in due course through the Department of Foreign Affairs for reimbursement by my Department, and...

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

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