Results 8,101-8,120 of 25,858 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system, with an ambitious target of 300,000 homes by 2030 for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing. As part of this plan, 18,000 Cost Rental homes will be delivered between now and 2030, to be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 739, 793 and 794 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Policy (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: A Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) is a dwelling where the nearly zero or very low amount of energy required is covered to a very significant extent by energy from renewable sources, including energy from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby. Where social housing commenced construction after 31 October 2019 and where substantial work was completed after 31 October 2020 it is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 741, 747, 762, 806 and 816 together. 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 743 and 758 together. The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. The scheme is governed by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015. The regulations provide for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Citizens' Assembly (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I strongly welcome the publication of the report of this Assembly and am grateful to members of the Assembly for their dedication and commitment to the process. The Assembly agreed 159 recommendations, including 73 high level and 86 sectoral specific recommendations, reflecting the depth and breadth of the topics discussed. The recommendations of the assembly will now be deliberated by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (18 Apr 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 and 54,000 affordable 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are independent, not-for-profit organisations. They provide affordable rented housing for people who cannot afford to pay private sector rents or buy their own homes; or for particular groups, such as older people or homeless people. Local authorities are the statutory housing authorities for their respective areas and, as such, are responsible for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Communications (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The draft Planning and Development Bill 2022 was published in January and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage has undertaken a significant pre-legislative scrutiny process on it, over the past three months.  I expect to receive their report shortly and will fully consider its recommendations, along with submissions on the Bill received from...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) can access a range of funding streams to assist with the delivery of social housing, made available by my Department, through local authorities, for example the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) with a Payment and Availability Agreement (P&A) or the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS). The terms and conditions, including nomination rights and rent...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Issues (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 754 to 756, inclusive, together. Ireland has identified and protected more than 600 Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives. These are known as European sites and, taken together, form Ireland's Natura 2000 network. In addition to these European sites, there are 148 Natural Heritage Areas in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s Vote 34 REV provision and total gross expenditure by subhead are provided in tabular form in the attached PDF. In each of the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, the provisions provided in the tables reflect the final REV for the Department in that year i.e. post any Supplementary Estimates and the totals include the relevant capital carryover amounts.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department is responsible for the implementation of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, both of which prohibit the spreading of invasive species. There is a legislative framework in place for dealing with invasive alien species, including Japanese Knotweed. Public bodies,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector, and set out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 apply to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy, subject to a limited number of exceptions. The dwellings to which the Act does not apply are set out in section 3(2)...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan was launched in January 2022. It is a Government backed mortgage for those who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It is available to first-time buyers and "fresh start" applicants to purchase a new or second-hand property, or to self-build. In accordance with scheme's rules, the Local Authority Home Loan has an upper...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 768 and 776 together. I have no function in relation to the matters raised in the Question. My Department does not provide specific funding to local authorities for implementing measures proposed in Noise Action Plans. Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities, having full responsibility under law for the performance of their...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (18 Apr 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 fire authorities through setting general policy, providing the legislative...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: 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. However, in this instance Uisce Éireann as part of the Ministerial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (18 Apr 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 housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 772 and 774 together. €425,000 of my Department's 2023 marine environment budget has been set aside for specifically marine protected areas development. Of this, €327,000 has been allocated to undertake sensitivity analyses of the Irish Sea to expedite early identification and designation of Marine Protected Areas in that region at the...