Results 8,121-8,140 of 25,858 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: As a matter of priority, my Department is currently engaged with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to draw up a Bill to provide for the designation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to protect, conserve and, where appropriate, restore threatened species, habitats and ecosystems. These will complement our existing network of de facto MPAs consisting of marine Special Areas of...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Homeless HAP is an adjunct to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme rather than a separate scheme in itself. It comprises additional financial supports and access to the Place Finder service. As a demand-led scheme, HAP does not allocate specific funding to local authorities. Instead, costs accrued in the operation of the scheme are paid via a shared services centre administered by...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 777 to 780, inclusive, and 826 together. Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. The Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund is a key initiative which underpins the policy objectives set out in Pathway Four of Housing for All. In July 2022, the Vacant Property Refurbishment...

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

Darragh O'Brien: There are no substantive changes to provisions in the draft Planning and Development Bill 2022 (the Bill) pertaining to public rights of way compared to the provisions in the current Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) (the Act of 2000). Section 242 of the Bill restates section 206 of the Act of 2000 without substantive modification, which allows for public rights of way to be...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The ongoing management and maintenance of Approved Housing Body (AHB) properties is a matter for the each AHB in conjunction with the relevant local authority. It is critical that local authorities take an active oversight role on the condition and tenanting of all AHB properties in their area, as it is they who manage the allocations for such properties with the AHBs, including responding to...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 785 and 791 together. 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...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS), my Department provides up to 100% funding to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for the capital development costs for new social homes in the priority categories of age-friendly housing and housing for people with disability. Lesser amounts of capital funding are also provided under CAS depending on the AHB’s preferred arrangement with the local...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 787 and 788 together. Condition 9 of the Section 34 licence to capture hares states that any hare captured pursuant to the licence may not be coursed or trialled more than once on the same day, and that all necessary arrangements shall be made to ensure that hares that have been coursed or trialled can be readily identified to ensure that this condition is...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I understand the Question refers to housing estates with Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure (DPI). I can confirm that my Department provides funding to progressively address DPI issues under the Multi-Annual Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme and that I have announced funding for specific projects across ten separate local authorities. Further...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (18 Apr 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. Many areas of cities, towns and villages of all sizes face the blight of vacant properties, which, if brought back into use, could add real vibrancy and provide new accommodation in those areas. The Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund is a key initiative which underpins...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Responsibility for housing people with severe intellectual or physical disabilities in line with HIQA requirements is a matter for the Department of Health. However, my Department has published a Design Manual for Quality Housing which is available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/b3e02-design-manual-for-quality-ho using/. The Manual is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (18 Apr 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. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of overall local government sector employment levels. To...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Pollution (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. The Government is aware that significant and sustained investment is...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is currently preparing Ireland’s third-cycle River Basin Management Plan, which will be a strategic government plan that will outline the national policies and high-level goals that will protect and restore our natural waters. The aim of the next plan is the identification and implementation of the “right measure in the right place”, with targeted measures...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The primary responsibility for the monitoring, management, protection and improvement of water quality is assigned to local authorities under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts and related legislation. Bathing water quality continues to improve nationally, with 97% of the 148 identified bathing waters meeting or exceeding the minimum required standard. During the winter,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme 2016 provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, or joint tenants, of local authority homes available for sale under the scheme. The Scheme was amended by the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2021. These amendments came into effect on 1 February 2022. From that date, the tenant or, in the case of applications...

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

Darragh O'Brien: On being appointed Minister in 2020, I undertook a review of co-living development as provided for in the 2018 apartment guidelines document, under the ‘Shared Accommodation’ heading. I concluded that given the scale, location and potential impact of co-living development permitted at that stage, that there were sufficient shared accommodation/co-living units either permitted or...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011 falls under the aegis of the Department of Justice and any such engagement would in the first instance, be a matter for the Minister for Justice to consider.

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 has been amended in recent years to greatly enhance tenancy protections for students. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 provides for relevant obligations and rights under residential tenancies legislation to apply to tenancy and licence agreements in student-specific accommodation, provided by public educational institutions or by private...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Data on the repair and leasing scheme in respect of all local authorities to end Q4 2022 is published on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provis ion/#repair-and-leasing-scheme-rls. While the Department issues general guidance on the scheme, it has no direct role in deciding on individual applications. Local...