Results 7,901-7,920 of 25,858 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Culture Ireland (9 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Gabhaim buíochas arís leis an Seanadóir. Táim dóchasach go mbeidh mé ábalta freagra dearfach a thabhairt dóibh go luath. Tá súil agam go mbeidh mé ábalta é sin a dhéanamh i mí an Mheithimh nó i mí na Bealtaine. I am hopeful we will be able to give some good news soon. Henrietta Street is magnificent....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Culture Ireland (9 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I had the pleasure of serving in the Seanad for five years. I fully respect the Seanad and the work that Senators do. Any time that I can come in here, I will. I will happily relay your feedback to my Cabinet colleagues.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Culture Ireland (9 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Tá fáilte romhat.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (4 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, or joint tenants, of local authority homes available for sale under the scheme. To be eligible, applicants must meet certain criteria, including a minimum annual reckonable income of €12,500. The minimum income requirement has a dual purpose. It ensures the scheme remains sustainable and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (4 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In line with commitments made in both the Programme for Government and Housing for All, a national The Youth Homelessness Strategy was published in November 2022. The Strategy aims to help young people aged 18 – 24 who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. It sets out 27 key actions to prevent youth homelessness; improve the experiences of young people accessing emergency...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Whitmore. The targets set were baselines. We have said there will be at least 1,500 homes this year and I assure the Deputy the local authority in Wicklow is excellent. We have well over 1,000 homes in process now. If this figure is exceeded, then we will provide more resources to the local authorities. We were very clear about this in the circular too. The more tenant in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (3 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The public consultation for the review of the Open Seasons Order is open to all to put their views forward on an individual or organisational basis, and the online survey open until 3 May 2023. A productive stakeholder engagement meeting was held in Dublin on Friday 21 April and stakeholder groups were invited across various interests such as hunting, farming, eNGOs and heritage. All of these...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (3 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I received Government approval on 18 January 2023 to draft legislation to establish supports for the remediation of fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013. This legislation will provide a statutory basis for the establishment of a remediation scheme aimed at protecting the safety and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Regulations (3 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 30 of the Wildlife Act 1976, as amended, allows for the granting of permission to hunt protected wild animals and wild birds on or over foreshore belonging to the State. Permits are granted on a five-year basis to individuals and on a one-year basis to gun clubs. The NPWS issued over 4,000 such permits from 2013 to date, of which, 186 were gun club permits. This permit allows you to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (3 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: As independent corporate entities, local authorities have the power to acquire land for the purposes of performing any of their functions, including, for example, to facilitate the implementation of their development plan or housing strategy. The acquisition of land is therefore a function of a local authority. Part 15 of the Local Government Act 2001 (as amended) sets out the ethical...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (3 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Following on from the Government decision of the 30 November 2021 in respect of the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme, the Government approved the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022 on 21 June and the Bill passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas and was subsequently signed into law by the President on the 23 July, 2022. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (3 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer the Deputy to the reply to Question Nos. 825 and 842 of 2022 which sets out the position in this matter. Details on the funding provided to individual Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) is not readily available within my Department. My Department does not fund AHBs directly, rather, the funding is primarily provided directly to local authorities, who in turn advance the funding to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (3 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Through the Domestic Waste Water Treatment grants, financial assistance is provided by my Department to householders to replace, carry out remediation work, repair or to upgrade their domestic waste water treatment systems. The grants are available for properties with environmental needs rather than general in application. I can confirm that my Department is currently reviewing all...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (3 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The sale of homes under the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme are governed by the provisions of the Affordable Housing Act 2021, and its associated Regulations, S.I. No. 20/2023 - Affordable Housing Regulations 2023, and S.I. No. 21/2023 - Affordable Housing (No. 2) Regulations 2023. Section 6 of the Act enables a housing authority to make dwellings available for the purpose of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Valuation Office (3 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 215 together. The Valuation Office (VO) merged with Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) and the Property Registration Authority (PRA) to form a new organisation, Tailte Éireann (TÉ) on 1 March 2023. The Valuation Division of TÉ carries out the valuation activities formerly carried out by the VO. TÉ is independent in the exercise...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (3 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Since the receipt of Government approval in January to draft legislation to establish supports for the remediation of fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013, I have been working to progress the various programmes of work that are required to place the remediation scheme on a statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (3 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. Staff sanction requests for additional staff are considered in light of Government priorities and other requirements when received and consideration is also...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (3 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Public ownership is a core principle governing the development of water services and the Government has given its full commitment to holding a referendum on water ownership. It is important to note that the establishment of Uisce Éireann in public ownership is already firmly secured under the Water Services Acts 2007 to 2022. I have previously committed to bringing forward a...