Results 9,201-9,220 of 25,880 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: I have no function in relation to the matters raised in the question and the information requested is not available in my Department. Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities, having full responsibility under law for the performance of their functions and the discharge of their governance and other responsibilities. While my Department has responsibility at central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Projects (18 Jan 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 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, €3.5bn in funding through the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (18 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In 2019, under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund’s (URDF) first call for proposals, a preliminary allocation of €1,921,985 in URDF support was issued to Cork County Council in respect of the Midleton Main Street Public Realm Improvements project. It should be noted, while my Department works closely with the successful applicants in respect of project funding,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (18 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand that the Question refers to housing estates that are dependent on developer provided water services infrastructure for the provision of their water services. Under the National Development Plan, for the period 2021-2025, funding of €68.5 million has been allocated to address legacy water services issues including the Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure...

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

Darragh O'Brien: In September 2022, I launched the Ready to Build Scheme as part of the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund. Under this scheme, local authorities will make serviced sites in towns and villages available at a discounted rate to individual purchasers to build a home and live in it as their principal private residence. It is intended that the local authority will either supply existing sites in...

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

Darragh O'Brien: 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 Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides that the Minister may set out a minimum income required to purchase under the scheme. The minimum income requirement has a dual purpose - it ensures the scheme is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Projects (18 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My role with regard to the protection and management of our architectural heritage is set out in the provisions of relevant legislation, as are the roles and responsibilities of local authorities and owners. Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, gives primary responsibility to local authorities to identify and protect the architectural heritage by including...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Election Management System (18 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 111 of the Electoral Act 1992 and Article 73 of the Local Elections Regulations 1995 provide that a presiding officer may, at his or her own discretion, or if required by a personation agent present in the polling station, require any person attending to vote to produce one of the specified documents as evidence of identity. If he or she fails to produce the document or if the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The costs of archaeological work necessitated by development are a legitimate part of development costs. There is no fund maintained by the Department for assistance in such cases. The legal obligation arising in regard to complying with planning conditions or requests for further information by a planning authority falls on the applicant/developer. The licensee holding an archaeological...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Acts to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Appointments to State Boards (18 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: From records available to me, all State Boards, commissions or other such bodies to which Patricia King has been appointed by my Department, from 1 January 2011 to date are set out in the table. State Board, Commission, Body Details Housing Commission Patricia King was appointed as a member of the Housing Commission in December 2021. The...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 548 and 552 together. The planning arrangements in respect of Strategic Housing Developments (SHDs) - allowing planning applications in respect of such developments to be submitted directly to An Bord Pleanala - were introduced under the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016. These arrangements have now been replaced by revised...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ministerial Responsibilities (18 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I am currently considering the matter of the delegation of particular functions to Minister of State Noonan and Minister of State O’Donnell, respectively, both of whom were recently appointed to my Department. Once this work is completed the appropriate Delegation of Functions Orders will be prepared in respect of both Ministers of State.

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has not contracted any company, organisation or person on my behalf to provide media training for me during the period specified.

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

Darragh O'Brien: In accordance with scheme's rules, the Local Authority Home Loan has an upper gross income limit for scheme eligibility, which takes into account all relevant household income. The income limit is €75,000 for joint applicants nationwide. It is €65,000 for individual applicants seeking to buy a home in the Greater Dublin Area, Cork and Galway and €50,000 in the rest of the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: An Bord Pleanála (the Board) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts. Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate...

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

Darragh O'Brien: An Bord Pleanála is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts. A breakdown of the exchequer funding budget allocation for An Bord Pleanála for the years 2016 to 2023...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under section 126(2) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), An Bord Pleanála (the Board) has a statutory objective to determine planning appeals within 18 weeks of receipt of the appeal. In accordance with section 126(3) of the Act, where the Board does not consider it possible or appropriate to reach a decision within 18 weeks (e.g. because of the particular...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 556 and 581 together. 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. The Local Authority...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (18 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 557 and 558 together. 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 homeless services rests with individual housing authorities....