Results 8,481-8,500 of 25,880 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board, or RTB, was established as a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 to regulate the rental sector; provide information to tenants and landlords; maintain a national register of tenancies; resolve disputes between tenants and landlords; and conduct research and provide information to inform policy. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104, 136 and 155 together. The continuing increase in the numbers accessing emergency accommodation is a serious concern for me and for the Government. We are doing everything in our power to tackle this problem, both by increasing housing supply and investing in homelessness prevention. The budget for 2023 makes provision for €215m in funding for...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All was published 2 September 2021 and the Government published its first annual update of the plan's actions on 2 November 2022. Progress reports are published quarterly. The sixth of these reports, covering progress in Q4 2022 was published on 7 February 2023. These reports can be accessed my Department's website at the following link:...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Government is committed to ensuring that the local government sector remains vibrant and sustainable and is well equipped and properly resourced to deliver the key functions within its remit. My Department has a wide and diverse business agenda, covering a broad range of functions including local authority housing, voluntary housing, homeless services, estate regeneration, energy...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 108 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. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 54,000 affordable homes between now and 2030, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks. 2022 represented the first year of a very ambitious programme of affordable housing delivery. Significant funding...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110 and 119 together. The Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022 was signed into law on 29 October 2022. This Act provided for a stay on eviction notices of certain residential tenancies that fall, or would fall, during the 'winter emergency period', beginning on 30 October 2022 and ending on 31 March 2023,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 54,000 affordable homes between now and 2030, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks. 2022 represented the first year of a very ambitious programme of affordable housing delivery. Significant funding has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112, 122 and 154 together. The Programme for Government supports the uptake of Uisce Éireann's Small Towns and Villages Growth Programme 2020-2024, to provide water and waste water growth capacity in smaller settlements that would otherwise not be provided for in Uisce Éireann's capital investment plan. I understand that funding of almost...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I previously announced funding for individual projects across ten local authorities including for estates in Cork. This was a first tranche of funding under the Multi-Annual Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme. Details can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/98ed6-developer-provided-water-ser...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115, 144 and 150 together. The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Since 2014, Exchequer...

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

Darragh O'Brien: On 30 January, I announced details regarding a third round of funding under the URDF programme. Supporting key objectives of Housing for All, Town Centre First and the Vacant Homes Action Plan, this round of URDF support has been specifically designed to addresses long term vacancy and dereliction across URDF eligible cities and town. A revolving fund of up to €150m of URDF...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mortgage Resolution Processes (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme was introduced in 2012 for borrowers of commercial lending institutions and is targeted at those households in mortgage arrears who have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP), who agree to the voluntary surrender of their home and who have very limited options, if any, to meet...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I have not yet received the report referred to in my reply to Question No. 85 of the 26 of January last. I understand that the report is currently being prepared by the Chair of the task force but in order to finalise this, the Chair is awaiting finalisation of the 2022 social housing delivery data which is currently being validated and should be available in the coming weeks. I will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Process (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government – Our Shared Futurecontains a commitment to examine the replacement of by-elections with an alternate list system. The Programme for Government also committed to the establishment of a statutory, independent Electoral Commission. This was established on the 9 February this year and is known as An Coimisiún Toghcháin. Article 16.7 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Mar 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, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The documentation required as proof of income is set out in the social housing application form. There is no distinction made in this regard vis-à-vis applicants employed in Ireland or Northern Ireland. Local authorities have discretion as to the extent of documentation it deems necessary as proof of income for the preceding 12 months. In certain situations, for example, where a...

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

Darragh O'Brien: As part of the conditions associated with the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, there is a requirement that the applicant(s) will live in the qualifying property for a period of at least five years from the date of payment of the Grant. If at any time they sell the property or it ceases to be their principal private residence within ten years, they must reimburse the local authority an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Across all schemes and funding sources, my Department provided €82.9 million in 2020, €85.9 million in 2021 and €83.3 million in 2022 to Galway County Council. Included in this is the unprecedented level of support provided by central Government to local authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Allocations to Galway also included additional one-off allocations to assist...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland is Ireland’s housing plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year to 2030. Over 300,000 new homes will be built by the end of 2030, including a projected 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. The Plan is backed by investment with in excess of €20bn...