Results 3,281-3,300 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (5 Nov 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 Grant Scheme applies to the owners of dwellings located in designated local authorities, which are damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks and provided the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (5 Nov 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All commits to developing proposals to review the existing differential rent system and to provide for a standardised, national local authority social housing rent model. The objective is to develop and implement a model that provides the best blend between fairness, progressivity and sustainability. My Department has completed an initial scoping exercise to determine the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will just say this, a Cheann Comhairle. Reversing the designation from safe country is not going to process those claims. If anything, the claims will be in process for longer.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy can be assured that I will. I know he has raised this at the parliamentary party as well, and he is a strong and active advocate on behalf of Scoil Chiaráin. He can be assured that, following what I am sure is not going to be his last intervention here in Dáil Éireann, I will raise this directly with the Minister, Deputy Foley, to ensure this project proceeds as a...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I welcome the task force report. I will agree with the Deputy on this. There are things in it we were doing already and there are things in it we know we need to do. I have visited most of the flat complexes in this city. I know the Deputy was at one of the visits with me and we had good engagement with the residents there. We have had some very good regeneration projects completed in...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The local authorities have more funding now than they have ever had. I have to say that the leadership of the new chief executive of Dublin City Council, Mr. Richard Shakespeare, and the focus he has brought to bear on housing is very welcome. Dublin City Council is delivering some fantastic new schemes and on the refurbishment and regeneration. There are in excess of 100 refurbishment and...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We need to see how we can expedite that, and we will, certainly.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Go raibh maith agat as ucht an cheist ar an ábhar tábhachtach seo. It is good to hear the report is concise. I guarantee the Deputy that, on receiving it, the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, and I will review it. The Minister of State has delegated responsibility in this area. I am pleased that our capital budgets for the provision of Traveller accommodation have been fully...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I agree with the Ceann Comhairle. It is appalling and tragic to think we only know now about a child who has been missing for two years. It really beggars belief. I join Deputy O’Dowd in urging anyone with information to contact An Garda Síochána, regardless of whether he or she believes the information is of any or of little significance. I have read the media reports...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to the Cork event centre. That is an important part of the decision it made this week. The Taoiseach and I submitted a memo on it to the Cabinet and it had the full support of all its members. We will see an expedited and truncated procurement process. Costs have increased. The Government has already committed €57 million in grants for...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of special needs school bus escorts. I will raise it directly with the Minister for Education, having regard to the rates of pay, and then revert to the Deputy directly.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: It is great to see Deputy Ryan has her voice in this House. I am very struck by the fact that there are more former Sinn Féin Members than Sinn Féin Members in the Chamber at the moment. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I do not have a direct answer for her.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We will not go into Deputy Andrews’s history, but he is where he is. You make your bed and can lie in it.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: It is great to see Deputies Ryan and Wynne have escaped. I do not have a direct answer for Deputy Ryan. I will get it for her and respond to her in writing.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We have a fair asylum system here and everyone’s asylum claim is assessed on its merit. I have been to South Africa myself. It is a vast country and there are different areas of it that one would consider safer than others. The designation of a safe country means that the applications are expedited. I encourage anyone on hunger strike – I do know there are people outside on...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We had a good debate this morning and during the week about housing output. The solution is supply, and we are increasing supply substantially. In Louth, the Deputy's county, he sees that and he sees the new builds, cost-rental and affordable homes for the first time and very impressive social housing output. I want any specific example the Deputy has. There is capacity in our emergency...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: That is a fact. That is what I was going to say. The planning Act precludes me from doing that.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I saw that programme as well. It is unquestionable, as the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, has said, that we have seen a significant increase in eating disorders. We are able to see the impact that has on the individuals themselves and their families. In April of this year, as Deputy Pringle will know, the Minister of State announced additional funding for the eating disorders programme...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I was not aware of that. On a personal level, I wish the Deputy and, obviously, his daughter in particular all the very best for a speedy recovery. I am sure that was a traumatic event for her and for the Deputy's family. I do not have the numbers to hand. The Deputy has referred to 30% of children in Wicklow waiting six months or more. I cannot back that up here. I could go through...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will certainly take every point Deputy Nolan has raised and raise them with the Minister for Education and the Minister for Health. We discuss this issue at Cabinet regularly. As regards private assessment of need, that is, being able to utilise the private sector to work through the private assessments, we allocated just under €7 million in May 2024, as the Deputy will be...