Results 341-360 of 11,067 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: In January this year local authorities were invited to submit applications for funding under my Department’s Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2024-2026 (MARWP) with a closing date of 12 April 2024. An Expert Panel has been put in place to support the application evaluation process. In addition to providing an expert perspective, the Panel brings independence, openness and...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme was introduced in 2012. It offers households with acute, unsustainable mortgage arrears, who have little or no prospect of a significant change in circumstances, the chance to surrender a property to a lender and in turn become a social housing tenant whilst staying in their own home and community. The MTR scheme is targeted at those households in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Rural Water Programme provides financial assistance to households in specific circumstances where capital works are required to rectify defective Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (DWWTS), including septic tanks. The policy of providing grant funding to households for work on DWWTS arises from the need to address damage being done to water quality in sensitive areas in...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage for those who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build. It is the successor to the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 446 and 447 together. Tackling 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 Homes...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board, or RTB, was established as a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 to regulate the rental sector; provide information to tenants and landlords; maintain a national register of tenancies; resolve disputes between tenants and landlords; and conduct research and provide information to inform policy. The remit...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, the Government is committed to increasing supply and protecting renters while trying to keep small landlords in the system. The Housing for All Action Plan Update (November 2023) includes Action 21 – Publish the review of the private rental market. My Department is currently finalising a review of the Private Rental sector which will inform Government on a...

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

Darragh O'Brien: In accordance with both the Programme for Government and Housing for All commitments, the Government provided for Tenancies of Unlimited Duration through the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2021. All new tenancies created on or after 11 June 2022 will become tenancies of unlimited duration after six consecutive months in occupation under the tenancy, without a valid notice of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All is the Government’s housing plan to 2030. It is a multi-annual, multi-billion-euro plan which will improve Ireland’s housing system and deliver more homes of all types for people with different housing needs. The plan will increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year to 2030. Over 300,000 new homes will be built by the end of 2030, including a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: On 7 December 2023, I announced the successful applications that are approved funding under the waste water collection and treatment needs of villages without access to public waste water services measure of my Department's Multi-annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP). My Department has written to each of the local authorities that submitted applications for funding advising of the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Governments commits to funding Uisce Éireann’s capital investment plan for water and wastewater infrastructure on a multi-annual basis. There will be record levels of investment in water services by Uisce Éireann in the period 2021-2025, with commitments of almost €6 billion in capital investment of which over €4.5 billion will be voted...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation list prepared by Tailte Éireann under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2022. Tailte Éireann has independent responsibility for all valuation matters, except appeals of valuation procedures set out under the Valuation Acts...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2023, is available on my Department's website at the following link:...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Social housing provision via the purchase of private units can be a good source for new Social Housing delivery when appropriately located and meeting local housing need. In this regard, my Department provides local authorities with advice on the provision of new build housing through turnkey acquisition in order for them to appropriately pursue this source, alongside all the other delivery...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department currently does not operate any specific helplines. There is a central switch desk which will route calls to relevant sections as appropriate. These calls are not recorded. My Department is committed to providing high quality, courteous and timely services to all of its customers in accordance with the Customer relations is managed through the Quality Customer Service system....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (4 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 309 and 310 together. The provision of fire services in local authority areas, including the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of premises, is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (4 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 321 and 322 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 €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (4 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The price discount availed of by a homebuyer in an affordable home purchase arrangement is a function of the gap between the purchasing power of the approved affordable housing purchaser and the open market price of the property concerned. The provision of affordable purchase housing by local authorities is supported by a Government capital subvention of €50,000, €75,000 or...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (4 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 325 and 326 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 million in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electricity Supply Board (2 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Since 2014, Exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department's Voids...