Results 8,781-8,800 of 25,880 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (21 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 324 and 326 together. Financial decision-making and the accountability of local authorities is a matter for the elected members of a local authority who have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which includes adopting the annual budget. Section 103 of the Local Government Act, 2001, as amended, provides for the local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (21 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The design and construction of buildings is regulated under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2020. The Act provides for the making of Building Regulations and Building Control Regulations. The Building Regulations set out the minimum legal performance requirements for the construction of new buildings and certain works to existing buildings. The purpose of the Building Regulations is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ukraine War (21 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has no role in the provision of direct supports to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection from Ukraine (BoTPs) but is supporting the whole of Government response to the humanitarian situation that has arisen as a consequence of the invasion. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is the Department with lead responsibility for the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (21 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Ireland proposed and notified 2 new offshore Marine Special Areas of Conservation for designation in 2022. These are Porcupine Shelf cSAC 002267 and Southern Canyons cSAC 002278.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Legal Cases (21 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (21 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: There is no statutory provision dealing with the issues as outlined in the Question. Such issues are managed by local authorities on a case-by-case basis as part of their day-to-day administration of the social housing system. My Department has no role in this regard.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Conservation (15 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: As a rule, published Site Specific Conservation Objectives (SSCOs) for Natura 2000 sites do not contain lists of conservation measures, rather they are composed of a series of targets for the attributes of each of the qualifying interest habitats and species at the site, which, taken collectively, describe the ecological requirements for that site. The SSCOs for the River Boyne and River...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Records (15 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: There are a number of steps that must to be completed in the process before the documents referenced in the details of the question can be issued to Mayo County Council. My Department is currently working through this process which I expect to be completed in the coming months.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (15 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The aim of the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022 is to afford time for housing supply to increase and to reduce the burden on homelessness services and the pressure on tenants and the residential tenancies market. To assist in managing demands on housing services after the winter emergency period and ensure that there is no cliff...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (15 Feb 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 local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities. Under the Housing Act...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (15 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 285 of 14 February 2023 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (14 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department launched the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme (EERP) in 2013 with the aim of funding retrofit of social homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013, over 77,500 local authority social housing dwellings have been retrofitted with a total exchequer spend of over €251 million. In 2021 a new holistic approach was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (14 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In May 2022, Government approved a three-year Strategic Action Plan for renewal of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Building on the substantial investment under the Plan, which comes to an additional €55 million across three budgetary cycles, there are a range of funding initiatives managed by the NPWS to support individuals or groups to assist with the conservation of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (14 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (14 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Legislative reforms to regulate the short-term letting sector through the planning code, in areas designated as “rent pressure zones” (RPZs), were introduced under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) which came into effect on 1 July 2019. Under this legislation applicable in RPZs: - Short term letting...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Meetings (14 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Both the Programme for Government and Housing for All commits to strengthening the Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme and ensuring that it is helping those who need it. Building on the significant amendments already made to the scheme in 2017, the 2021 Review, which was published on the 24 January 2022, examined the impact of these changes and what further changes would benefit those in need of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support available for people who have a long-term housing need. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. Eligible households can source their own accommodation in the private rental sector which should be within the HAP rent limits provided to them by the local authority. In order...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Construction Industry (14 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In response to the many building failures that have emerged over the past decade, my Department introduced the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014, which require greater accountability in relation to compliance with Building Regulations in the form of statutory certification of design and construction by registered construction professionals and builders, lodgment of compliance...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (14 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The terms for gratuity payments to elected members of local authorities are as set out in the provisions of the Local Authority Members (Gratuity) Regulations 2002-2006. The calculation of the gratuity is based upon the Representational Payment that was in place when the Principal Regulations were given effect and this is adjusted in proportion to any adjustments made to the salary of a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (14 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I can confirm that the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department is happy to work with the organisation concerned to come to a resolution and is currently working on registering a new domain name.