Results 11,421-11,440 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 618, 647 and 654 together. Housing for All (published in September 2021) provides a new housing plan for Ireland to 2030 with the overall objective that every citizen in the State should have access to good quality homes through a steady supply of housing in the right locations, with economic, social and environmental sustainability built into the system....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department introduced a revised social housing application form in March 2021 in consultation with the local authority sector. The application form already provided for applicants to identify housing requirements arising from a disability or medical condition, but now also includes an identifier for persons requiring 'wheelchair livable' accommodation. The Summary of Social Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government backed mortgage 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. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build. It is the successor to the Rebuilding Ireland Home...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: There are two members of staff who are seconded to another body and whose salaries are covered in full by my Department. One member of staff at the grade of Assistant Principal is seconded to the Department of Foreign Affairs and serves in the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union in Brussels. Their role is to represent my Department across a range of functions...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Apprenticeship Programmes (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is not directly engaged in the training of apprentices at present. In recent years we have participated in cross Departmental apprenticeship programmes run by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in the area of ICT and also in cooperation with Accounting Technicians Ireland in respect of apprentices in that discipline.  The details requested in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing for All Strategy delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system, with an ambitious target of 300,000 homes over the next decade for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing. 54,000 affordable home interventions will be delivered between now and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: There are 6 members of staff  employed in my Department with a rate of pay below the living wage of €12.30. These staff are employed on a part-time basis in the National Parks and Wildlife Service under an joint agreement with Ability West, a non-profit organisation who provide services and supports to adults with an intellectual disability.   My Department does not...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities to support the Housing Adaptation Grant for Older People and People with a Disability schemes. These grants schemes are available to assist eligible applicants living in privately owned homes to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs to remain living independently in their own homes. My...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All: A New Housing Plan for Ireland (September 2021) is a whole-of-Government Plan, and includes a detailed set of actions, across each of the four pathways to a sustainable, housing system. Each action has an agreed delivery timeframe and is assigned a lead actor with responsibility for implementation. In terms of progress to date, of a total 213 actions in Housing for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of addressing building defects. It commits to an examination of 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is set out in the tables below. 1January 2020 to 26 June 2020 Name Salary Expenses Minister Eoghan Murphy TD €40,053.25 €1,231.24 Minister of State Damien English TD €19,538.96 €8,094.08 Minister of State John Paul Phelan...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 632 to 634, inclusive, 674 and 686 together. In relation to the questions posed, I can inform the deputies that I am aware of the allegations which have been made and understand that those allegations are denied by the Board member concerned. A Senior Counsel is being appointed to provide a report to inform my consideration of the matter. I also...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 636 and 644 together. My Department currently hosts 13 staff on full time secondments from other public sector organisations, mostly from the Local Authority sector.  As the receiving organisation my Department either pays the salaries of these staff directly or recoups their parent organisation for their salary costs.  There are no secondments...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Issues (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: An application to register unregistered lands in the Land Registry can be made to the Property Registration Authority (PRA) by lodging a First Registration Application.  On completion of a First Registration Application, a folio number is assigned to the property by the PRA. There are differing types of First Registration Applications that may be lodged, including applications based...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: No interns are currently engaged by my Department.  However, my Department does facilitate internships by students engaged in full-time or part-time further and higher education courses from time to time depending on business needs and the requirement for short term specific expertise.  In general such internships are unpaid but on occasion some such internships have been...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (26 Apr 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: Defective Building Materials (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of addressing building defects. Housing for All, the Government’s national plan on housing to 2030, reiterates these commitments. I brought a Memorandum to Government on an enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme on 30 November 2021. It included an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are making an important contribution to social housing delivery, as envisaged under current Government policy.  My Department operates a number of funding programmes that assist local authorities to work in partnership with AHBs to construct or purchase new homes and make them available for social housing. One such programme that AHBs progress...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I have no function in regard to the management of playgrounds. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth provided grant funding for refurbishment of playgrounds, however the management of playgrounds is a matter for the local authorities directly.  Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Issues (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Through the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO), my Department is currently providing €295,688 in funding to the Rivers Trust Resilience Pilot Project. Run in collaboration with the Rivers Trust Ireland, this project provides funding to the Inishowen Rivers Trust in County Donegal and the Maigue Rivers Trust in County Limerick to each employ a Project Officer for a period of...