Results 9,061-9,080 of 25,880 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Water Services Act 2007, as amended, required all owners of premises served by an individual domestic waste water treatment system to register the system with their local authority by 1 February 2013. Having a strict cut-off date to register, together with appropriate sanctions for non-compliance, helped to ensure that an estimated 95% of systems were registered. The Domestic Waste...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 216 and 218 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The NDP allocation for the Department was agreed in mid-2021, supporting very ambitious targets for delivery of Capital infrastructure across all areas of my Department. In September 2021, the Government published Housing for All, a new 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of addressing building defects. These include a commitment to examine defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing’s report Safe as Houses?Housing for All, the Government’s national plan on housing to 2030, reiterates...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has not directly conducted or commissioned research into premature deaths of persons experiencing homelessness. However, a review of homeless deaths was undertaken on behalf of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) by Dr Austin O’Carroll. The review analysed the available data concerning deaths in homeless services for 2020 to identify learnings for homeless and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: On 19 January 2022, the Government announced their decision to make a Covid-19 recognition payment for frontline healthcare workers to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. This once-off payment is ring fenced to staff who were ordinarily onsite in Covid-19-exposed healthcare environments within the period from 1 March 2020 to 30 June 2021. It applies to eligible staff in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (26 Jan 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 Schemes (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Pathway 4 of Housing for All a blueprint is set out 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The relevant details are being compiled and will be provided to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) supports the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities for the leasing of houses and apartments, including Part V leasing. The average lease cost is calculated based on claims for operational new units submitted by local authorities and recorded on my Department’s SHCEP financial management...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The relevant details are being compiled and will be provided to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Constituency Commission (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Electoral Reform Act 2022 ('the Act') provides for, among other matters, the establishment of the Electoral Commission - which will be titled An Coimisiún Toghcháin. In addition, the Act provides for the review of Dáil and European Parliament constituencies to be undertaken by the new Coimisiún following its establishment. Under the provisions of the Act, the Report...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 45(5) of the Local Government Act 2001 (as amended) provides that a local authority may, by standing orders, regulate the right of members of the public and members of the media to be present at meetings of the local authority. This provision includes the making, by standing orders, of rules in relation to the recording or relaying of the proceedings as they take place or at a later...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: 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. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Electoral Reform Act 2022 ('the Act') was enacted on 25 July 2022 and section 1(5) provides that the provisions of the Act are subject to commencement orders being made. The Electoral Reform Act 2022 (Commencement) Order 2022 and the Electoral Reform Act 2022 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2022 provided for the commencement of a number of the provisions of the Act. Both statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: On 20 January 2023, I launched a three-month public consultation on proposed amendments to Building Regulations relating to fire safety. The proposed changes aim to improve fire safety in new buildings and support the re-use of existing buildings by simplifying, clarifying and rationalising fire safety requirements. The review is also a key action of the government’s Housing for All...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All commits to increasing the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 new homes per year. It has secured and sustained levels of State investment of over €4bn a year, giving the construction sector the certainty it needs to help ensure the ambition of the Plan is realised and 300,000 new homes are built by 2030. Supply is increasing. The 2022 target of 24,600 homes will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area is provided in the annual Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2021, is available at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/f6119-summary-of-social-housing-as sessments-2021-key-findings/ . While the average waiting...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 235, 237, 238, 239 and 242 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In November 2022, following an updated assessment by An Bord Pleanála of resourcing issues likely to emerge as a result of planning applications in respect of proposed developments under the National Development Plan and other infrastructure projects, of the Board’s new marine functions, as well as a number of new senior positions approved under the Action Plan for An Bord...