Results 6,081-6,100 of 25,799 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (17 Jan 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 local authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual local authorities. I have no...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Compulsory Purchase Orders (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: An Bord Pleanála (the Board) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts. Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Communications (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department chairs the National Bathing Water Expert Group, which advises on the implementation of the Bathing Water Regulations, and collaborates with relevant bodies on addressing significant issues as they arise. The Environmental Protection Agency and Uisce éireann are represented on this group. In parallel, my Department is represented on the Bathing Water Task Force, which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Uisce éireann, as a single publicly-owned national water services authority, takes a strategic, nationwide approach to asset planning and investment, and meeting customer requirements. Under Part 5 of the Water Services (No.2) Act 2013, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is the economic regulator of Uisce éireann, and is responsible for setting the total level of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Correspondence (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I am advised by the relevant local authority that a non-statutory master plan has been developed for the site in question and agreed with the local community. This master plan has been reviewed and revised a number of times over the years. This master plan includes the construction of over 800 homes. To comply with statutory and regulatory requirements, the local authority will need to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Multi-annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP) is the main funding stream providing capital funding to address the challenges facing the Rural Water Sector and in particular by Group Water Schemes. I can confirm that I launched the MARWP 2024-2026 today, 17 January 2024. Local authorities have been invited to submit applications for funding for priority projects in their areas.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 (the Act) introduced a new measure, the vacant site levy, which was aimed at incentivising the development of vacant, under-utilised sites in urban areas. Under the Act, planning authorities are required to establish a register of vacant sites in their functional areas, beginning on 1 January 2017. Planning authorities were required to issue...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Renewable Energy Generation (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 758, 759, 760, 761, 762, 763 and 764 together. Works eligible under my Department's revised Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme include attic/cavity wall insulation or external wall insulation where required, windows and doors replacement, heat pump installation and ancillary and associated works. The funded measures achieve the B2 or cost optimal...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 24A of the Residential Tenancies Act provides that the Housing Agency, in consultation with housing authorities, may make a proposal to me, as Minister, that an area should be considered as a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ). Following receipt of such a proposal, I, as Minister, request the Director of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to conduct an assessment of the area to establish...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Research and Development (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department engages in collaborative research at an all-island level, through a broad range of partnerships and cooperation mechanisms, as set out below. National Parks and Wildlife Services all-island collaboration Officials in the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department collaborate with colleagues in Northern Ireland on an ongoing basis on shared, all-island nature,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. Under Section 20 of the 2009 Act and Regulation 22(1) of the Social Housing Assessment Regulations...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I fully acknowledge the difficulties that homeowners and residents of many apartments and duplexes are facing, and the stress that is caused when defects arise in relation to their buildings. The Government is committed to helping those whose lives have been impacted by this issue. I received Government approval in January 2023 to draft legislation to establish supports for the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: There are currently three separate Domestic Waste Water Treatment System (DWWTS) grant schemes available to householders. The purpose of the grants is to provide financial assistance to householders to repair or upgrade their defective DWWTS, commonly called septic tanks. Grants are available to householders where a septic tank has been found to be defective following an inspection by the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Ministerial Guidelines - ‘Housing Supply Target Methodology for Development Planning, Guidelines for Planning Authorities’ under Section 28 of the Planning & Development Act, 2000 (as amended), were issued to all local authorities in December 2020. The Guidelines introduced a standardised national approach, based on ESRI data, to be applied by each planning authority in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (17 Jan 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. 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 for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not maintain a schedule of personal data sharing activities over the past 20 years to date. The information sought is not readily available and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work. My Department shares personal data with other public bodies for a variety of reasons including where required by law, where relevant and necessary to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Land Development Agency's (LDA) Business Plan 2024 – 2028, the agency will provide 12,900 - primarily affordable cost rental - homes over the lifetime of the plan. This is a significant contribution to the overall objectives within Housing for All. This emphasis on delivering social and affordable housing means that there has been a significant change in the scale and remit...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Government Fund (LGF) in any given year, comprises of a combination of Local Property Tax (LPT) receipts and Exchequer funding for various supports and programmes. For 2024, the expected expenditure from the Fund will be over €1bn, and the Government is making a significant contribution of €449.9m of Exchequer funding in this regard. The Exchequer funding is made up...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (17 Jan 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 local authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. While responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual local authorities, the administration of homeless services is organised...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: There are currently three separate Domestic Waste Water Treatment System (DWWTS), commonly called septic tanks, grant schemes available to householders. The purpose of these grants is to provide financial assistance to reduce the environmental impact from defective septic tanks and to protect human health. They are available to householders where a septic tank has been found to be defective...