Results 6,641-6,660 of 25,799 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Ó Broin. If a minority report comes forward that is fine. It is a good thing and it shows that people are taking the matter seriously. The commissioners are drawn from all different walks of life and perspectives. It is a small number of members and the vast majority are in agreement with the report as it is. I want to be clear that I have had no information on any...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Planning Issues (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy O'Callaghan for his question. Since the publication of Housing for All, the Government has focused on the activation of permissions, which we are seeing happen now. I will go through that in some more detail. The residential zoned land tax is a new tax, introduced in the Finance Act 2021, which seeks to increase housing supply by encouraging the activation of land which is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Planning Issues (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: What is happening on the ground can be seen across the country, including in Deputy O'Callaghan's constituency in Dublin. We have not seen anything like the number of homes and apartments under development since 2007. Progress is being made. The residential zoned land tax is a big change in how we manage land and how we will deal with reducing speculation on land and people hoarding land....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Planning Issues (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: No one is delaying it. One has to get it right. This is a really-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Planning Issues (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: This is really extensive work.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Planning Issues (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Across every single local authority, all maps were published. We had to allow the public to make submissions if they wanted to request a dezoning of land too, where land was zoned residential, they had no intention of developing it and did not want to develop it. We had to engage with all relevant stakeholders to allow that public information campaign and for public consultation to happen....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fire Safety (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I too welcome those homeowners affected by this serious issue, which the Government is committed to helping resolve. Since the receipt of Government approval in January of this year, I have made considerable progress on the various programmes of work that are required to place the apartment remediation scheme on a statutory footing. We all agree it is important that this happens. As the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fire Safety (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In my initial answer I wanted to inform the Deputy, the House and most importantly residents that there is work ongoing on this on a daily basis. We have appointed the programme manager in the Housing Agency, who will be speaking to residents next week when we have a further webinar on 14 November. I am pleased to inform homeowners that the interim scheme addressing essential fire safety...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fire Safety (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The legislation will be detailed and we need legislation to underpin this scheme. We have worked collaboratively on this. The Housing Agency is the lead agency on this and it has extensive experience in that regard. The legislation will be published next year and with the co-operation of Members across the House we can work together to get that through as expeditiously as possible. This...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fire Safety (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Agency will be central to that scheme.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fire Safety (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: It will manage the scheme and we will work through that. Our focus, as my direct engagement with residents has been, is to get the interim scheme set up and I want to get that done and open for applications by the end of this month.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 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 and is the first multi-annual fully funded housing plan in the history of the State. The Plan is supported by an investment package of over €4 billion per annum, through an overall combination of €12 billion in direct Exchequer funding,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In 2022 10,263 new social homes were delivered, including 7,433 new-build homes which represented the highest delivery of new build social housing since 1975. In the first half of 2023, 2,298 new social homes were delivered, including 1,401 new-build homes. Social housing delivery is traditionally weighted to the second half end of the year so we do expect to see a significant increase,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The approach taken under the Pyrite Remediation Scheme was considered in the development of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme. However, due to the different scale of both schemes and the flexibility sought by homeowners the DCB Grant scheme required a different approach. The enhanced scheme, as legislated for by the Oireachtas, is now up and running. It is a significantly...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Tackling vacancy is a key priority for this Government. Housing for All, sets out a suite of measures to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. The Vacant Homes Action Plan, which I launched in January, outlines the significant progress that has been made in addressing vacancy, along with the actions that are being pursued to return as many vacant properties...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Flood Risk Management (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 106, 111 and 117 together. Local authorities are designated as lead agencies for coordinating the local response to flooding emergencies as per the Government decision relating to the “Framework for Major Emergency Management” (2006). The arrangements for emergency management are seen as having worked extremely well, in particular the responses...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 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: Housing Provision (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) has been identified as a key measure to address increased housing delivery and methods to support increased use of MMC are set out in Pathway 5 of Housing for All. The development of MMC will improve productivity in construction and increase efficiency in residential construction. The Housing for All Action Plan Update and Quarter 3 2022 Progress Report,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110 and 138 together. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 provided for the development of a deposit protection scheme to be operated by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). However, significant changes have taken place in the rental market since this Act and in order to inform decisions on the commencement of this measure, work is underway in my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 116 together. 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, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. The 54,000 affordable home interventions that will be delivered between now and 2030 will...