Results 7,461-7,480 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (12 Dec 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 statutory role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of emergency accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Postal Voting (12 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Electoral law provides for postal voting for a number of different categories of people including the following - whole-time members of the Defence Forces, members of An Garda Síochána, Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses/civil partners, electors living at home who are unable to vote because of an illness or a disability, electors whose occupation, service or employment...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (12 Dec 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 (12 Dec 2023)

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. In July 2022 the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched to support bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. From 1 May 2023, a grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (12 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 451 and 452 together. Exchequer funding of €3.8 million is being provided to the Land Development Agency (LDA) in 2024 to cover expenditure associated with their non-commercial functions. This is further broken down into €3m for Capital and €800,000 for Current funding. These functions are detailed under Section 29 of the LDA Act...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Grant Payments (12 Dec 2023)

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. In July 2022 the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched to support bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. From 1 May 2023, a grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of addressing building defects. It commits to an examination of defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing’s report "Safe as Houses?” In response to the difficulties that homeowners are facing due to the presence of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing First recognises that a stable home provides the basis for recovery in other areas. With Housing First, the priority is to support a person who has experienced homelessness into permanent housing as quickly as possible, without any preconditions around addiction or mental health treatment. Then, intensive work continues on these issues once they are housed. Housing First is a key...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: On 24 October 2023, the Government approved the General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill for priority drafting and publication during this Oireachtas session. The Bill proposes, inter alia, a number of technical amendments to enhance the operation of the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2022, the outcomes thereunder and the operational efficiencies of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (12 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Since the publication of Housing for All, the Government has focused on the activation of permissions and land for housing. The Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) is a new tax introduced in Finance Act 2021 which seeks to increase housing supply by encouraging the activation of lands which are suitably zoned and appropriately serviced. Draft maps were published by local authorities on 1...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme is deemed to be a social housing support under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014. As a long term housing support, an assessment of housing need must be completed in order for a household to qualify for HAP. Any household with an identified housing need is eligible for HAP. In order for housing assistance to be provided under the Act...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (RTA), to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants and as such, the registration of tenancies is an operational matter for the RTB. My Department does not hold the details sought...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Land Development Agency will deliver hundreds of homes this year. It was not delivering any homes when we took over after coming into government. Deputy Boyd Barrett opposed the legislation to establish the Land Development Agency when we voted on it, so we would not have a land development agency. It has committed €1.25 billion in equity.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I am sorry, but it is doing that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: We come in at every opportunity. We legislated for the LDA, we capitalised it and it is delivering homes. We want it to deliver more and we are going to further capitalise it to deliver more. The Deputy is earnest in his remarks but when the solutions to these issues are brought forward, like a State construction firm, the LDA, he votes against them.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Naughten for raising these issues related vacancy and the other measures we brought forward to enable us to release further housing stock and accommodation capacity. I especially thank the Deputy for his engagement on that because he was very helpful and constructive as regards the establishment of the vacancy grant, which we have done. I am pleased to say that over 5,300...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I assure the Deputy it will be addressed and we will work with him on that. The Department of Health is working on the matter and we are concluding the drafting of the legislation. For the information of the House, as of 1 October last, there were over 1.6 million medical card holders and over 595,000 GP visit card holders. This means more than 42% of the population has access to free GP...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: This Bill is a major step forward and that is why it is important that we work together to get it passed as expeditiously as possible. There were some who accused us of rushing this Bill but we have not done so. We have engaged with stakeholders in the planning forum and right the way through. We had detailed pre-legislative scrutiny of this Bill but Committee Stage will be important. I...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: It is not.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: It is not. I will come back in.