Results 6,381-6,400 of 25,799 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Projects (28 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand that St. Finian's Hospital site in Killarney, Co Kerry is in HSE ownership. It is open to the HSE to engage with the Local Authority or the Land Development Agency (LDA) to deliver on the housing potential of any vacant or underutilised state land. I am informed that, to date, the site has not been offered to the LDA by the HSE for consideration as a potential site to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (28 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Since the receipt of Government approval in January of this year, I have been working hard to progress the various programmes of work that are required to place the apartment remediation scheme on a statutory footing. Bespoke legislation is needed to underpin the remediation scheme, the cost of which is estimated at more than €2 billion. The Government are entirely focused on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (28 Nov 2023)

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). For 2023, the Government has agreed that there will be increased provision for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Freedom of Information (28 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department received a total of 542 Freedom of Information requests in 2022 , with 522 received to date in 2023. To clarify, an FOI request is never "rejected", but is accepted and decided upon based on it's merits. Attached is a breakdown of this Department's decisions covering 2022 and 2023 to date. My Department publishes FOI disclosure logs on a routine basis, in line with the Model...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (28 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Gross Total allocations for Met Éireann under my Department in the years 2022 to 2023 are set out in the Revised Estimates for Public Services published by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDR) and is available at gov.ie - The Revised Estimates Volumes for the Public Service (www.gov.ie) Met Éireann is a division of my Department and therefore...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reviews (28 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Dáil Question No. 138 of 9 November 2023. The position remains unchanged.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (28 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 317, 318 and 319 together. 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 a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (28 Nov 2023)

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 2022, is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-ass essments/ The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Horticulture Sector (28 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, (the 2000 Act) all development, unless specifically exempted under the Act or associated Planning and Development 2001 Regulations (the 2001 regulations), requires planning permission. Under the 2001 Regulations, peat extraction: (i) in a new or extended area of less than 10 hectares or (ii) in a new or extended area of 10 hectares or...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (28 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Legislation enacted in December 2022 amended the Planning and Development Act. The provisions under sections 3, 13 and 14 of the Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Act 2022 which insert section 179A into the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, have commenced. These provisions provide that housing development by, on behalf of, or in partnership with a local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Tenants in the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme are required to sign a rent contribution agreement to pay a weekly rental contribution to the relevant local authority, in line with the local authority’s differential rent scheme. As set out in the rent contribution agreement, this weekly rental contribution must be paid by them so that they remain eligible for the HAP scheme. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (28 Nov 2023)

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 a local level. Section 2 of the Housing Act 1988 outlines how local authorities can form an opinion on whether or not an individual/household shall be regarded as homeless, while section 10...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Advertising (28 Nov 2023)

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

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Communications (28 Nov 2023)

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

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (28 Nov 2023)

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. Section 36 of the Act provides that the Government may make a further Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) scheme for the purposes of enabling a designated local authority or an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (28 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The public consultation on proposed amendments to Part B of the Building Regulations and the associated Technical Guidance Document relating to fire safety closed on 21 April 2023. The proposed changes aim to improve fire safety in new buildings and support the re-use of existing buildings by simplifying, clarifying and rationalising fire safety requirements. Work is nearing completion...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In July 2022 my Department launched the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, which supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. From May 2023, 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 also for properties which will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme, designed to help bridge the gap for eligible first-time buyers, eligible homebuyers, and now self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). Details are available on the First Home Scheme website, www.firsthomescheme.ie. The First...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (28 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Matters in relation to the allocation of social dwellings, including the transfer of sitting tenants to other dwellings, are the responsibility of the respective local authorities. I have no function in this matter. There is no legislative or policy provision preventing a tenant in an AHB social dwelling, who was drawn from the local authority's social housing waiting list, from applying...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (28 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Awaiting reply from Department