Results 6,581-6,600 of 25,799 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (16 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: There are currently three grant schemes available to householders relating to Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (DWWTS) commonly known as Septic Tank Grants. The purpose of the grants is to provide financial assistance to households to carry out works to defective septic tanks. The grants are focused on the areas of greatest environmental priority to protect human health and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (16 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 local level. While responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities, the administration of homeless services is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (16 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. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual local authorities. The named organisation informed the DHRE, and my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (16 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is responsible for, inter alia, ensuring that there is a suitable social housing legislative and regulatory framework as well as making funding available for the delivery of social and affordable homes. Local authorities are the statutory housing authorities and their responsibilities are set out across the Housing Acts 1966 to 2022. The overall day-to-day operation of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (16 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support available for people who have a long-term housing need. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. Eligible households can source their own accommodation in the private rental sector which should be within the HAP rent limits provided to them by the local authority. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Correspondence (15 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The role of my Department in the provision of accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection is a supporting role which forms part of the whole of Government response. This Department is supporting the whole of Government effort on Ukraine across 3 strands; 1. Emergency Refurbishment (Ukraine) Project ; 2. “Offer a Home” call; and 3. Supporting the Identification...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (15 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: Water Services (15 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I have no role in water operational matters, Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual projects is a matter for Uisce Éireann and is approved through its own internal governance structures. Uisce Éireann has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (15 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. 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: Mortgage Interest Rates (15 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme introduced in 2012 is targeted at those households in mortgage arrears who have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process. In order for a borrower to qualify for the MTR scheme, the mortgage, property and household must meet detailed eligibility criteria. As part of the normal...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (14 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The purpose of the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023 is to provide for the number of Members of Dáil Éireann, the revision of constituencies and the number of Members to be elected for such constituencies in light of the results of census 2022. In broad terms, the Bill provides for the total number of Members of Dáil...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (14 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (14 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, local authorities are legally responsible for the management and maintenance of their housing stock including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (14 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (RTA) to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. From 4 April 2022, landlords are required under the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 to register their tenancies with the RTB every year,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (14 Nov 2023)

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 by 2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 36 of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Act 2022 provides that the Government may make a scheme for the purposes of enabling a designated local authority or an Approved Housing Body (AHB) to remedy damage caused to dwellings by the use of defective concrete blocks in their construction. The grant rates for this local authority and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (14 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In April 2022, I announced a new funding measure, under the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme, for the waste water collection and treatment needs of villages that do not have access to public waste water services. Funding of €50 million has been specifically allocated under the National Development Plan 2021-2030. The first round of funding is intended to follow a demonstration...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Constitutional Amendments (14 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937 sets out the current legislative provisions governing the election of university senators to Seanad Éireann. In a recent judgment the Supreme Court determined that sections 6 and 7 of that Act, which provide for the election of members of the Seanad by certain university graduates, are unconstitutional because they are not consistent...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (14 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In April 2022, I announced a new funding measure, as an advance stage of the upcoming Multi-annual Rural Water Programme, for the waste water collection and treatment needs of villages that do not have access to public waste water services. Funding of €50 million has been specifically allocated under the National Development Plan 2021-2030. The first round of funding is intended to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (14 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides grant funding to assist householders dependent on an existing private water supply (Individual private well) with the costs incurred in providing a supply of water for domestic purposes or carrying out improvements to an existing supply. The grant is administered by local authorities. An applicant may be considered eligible for a grant if, in the opinion of the local...