Results 10,961-10,980 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 372 and 388 together. On 19 January 2022, the Government announced a Covid-19 recognition payment for front-line 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of Q2 2022, over 104,700 HAP tenancies had been set-up since the scheme commenced, of which there were over 60,700 households actively in receipt of HAP support. Administration of the HAP scheme is a matter for the relevant local authority. To support local authorities in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Following receipt and consideration of the report of the working group I established to examine defects in housing, I have established an inter-Departmental and agency group to bring forward specific proposals to Government by the end of the year with a view to providing support to homeowners of purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013 with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Nov 2022)

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: Departmental Schemes (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, launched on 7 July this year, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. Full details of the First Home Scheme, including details of the price ceilings, are available on the scheme website: www.firsthomescheme.ie. The First Home Scheme DAC is responsible for the operation, and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Tenants in the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme are required to sign a rent contribution agreement to pay a weekly rental contribution to the relevant local authority, in line with the local authority’s differential rent scheme. As set out in the rent contribution agreement, this weekly rental contribution must be paid by them so that they remain eligible for the HAP scheme. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Inquiries (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The analysis by my Department of the complaints referred to by the Deputy, which were received by my Department in June 2016, has been completed. The matters that were the subject of the complaints mostly occurred over the period 2002 to 2004. My Department found that many of the complaints had previously been considered or reviewed by an appropriate statutory body. Some of the matters...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: There have not been any outright refusals since 2020 of Stage 1 proposals made by local authorities to my Department in respect of social housing construction projects. My Department adopts a consultative and supportive approach to the work by local authorities on such projects, including their work on areas such as site investigations, needs assessment, planning under Part 8 including...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department currently publishes data on a monthly basis on the number of homeless persons accommodated in emergency accommodation funded and overseen by housing authorities. These reports are based on data provided by housing authorities, produced through the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS). The reports are collated on a regional basis and are available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 385 and 393 together. I am not currently considering changes to the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme vis-à-vis inclusion of Part V properties provided for social housing support. The Part V provisions seek to promote social integration and secure mixed tenure, sustainable communities. Accordingly, Part V properties secured for social housing are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I am currently considering potential changes to the social housing income eligibility model. In the meantime, I have approved proposals to scope and develop options for a new income eligibility model. This work will commence shortly under the aegis of the Housing Agency who have been tasked with commissioning it and I expect that the work will complete by end Q4 2022. I have also...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Policy (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding to local authorities for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme. These schemes assist eligible applicants living in privately owned homes to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs, with Exchequer funding of €65 million available nationally in 2022. As part of the annual budgetary process the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate form of social housing support for people with a long-term housing need. Any household assessed by their local authority as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. These households must find their own accommodation in the private rental sector. The HAP scheme started in 2014 and at the end of Q2 2022,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 390 to 392, inclusive, together. Action 20.4 of the Government's Action Plan on Housing - Housing for All commits to "the development of new regulatory controls requiring short-term and holiday lets to register with Fáilte Ireland with a view to ensuring that houses are used to best effect in areas of housing need”. As an interim measure and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Following on from the Government decision of the 30 November 2021 in respect of the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme, the Government approved the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022 on 21 June and the Bill passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas and was subsequently signed into law by the President on the 23 July, 2022. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 396 and 397 together. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022, to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants. A dispute may be referred to the RTB under Part 6 of the Acts - please see...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government backed mortgage scheme for those on modest or low incomes who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the exercise of his functions under the Valuation Act 2001, as amended. The making of valuations for rating purposes as well as determining the ratability or not of a property is the sole responsibility of the Commissioner and I, as Minister, have no function in decisions in this regard. The Valuation Act provides that all buildings used or...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (RTA) regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector and set 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 resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (8 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 409 to 411, inclusive, together. 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 vibrancy and provide new accommodation in those areas. The...