Results 11,741-11,760 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The recent increase in homelessness is of great concern to me and to the Government, as it is to all Members of the House. I assure the House that we are doing everything in our power to tackle this problem. As the Deputy is aware, I established the national homeless action committee, which I chair and which is made up of representatives from my Department, all the State agencies and the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I share the Deputy's concerns and I am acutely aware of our responsibilities in this regard. We must accelerate the supply of social homes. We are going to build more social homes this year than in any year since the foundation of the State. This is welcome, but also badly needed. I am also targeting a new voids programme for each local authority that will be fully funded. I have asked...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Sorry, the target for this year is 9,000 new build homes, and this is just on the new build side of things. To speak directly to the issue of the purchase of properties with tenants in situ, I have also established our housing delivery team, which is made up of representatives of our local authorities. I have made it abundantly clear to all of them, and through the County and City...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 13 together. The continuing increase in the numbers accessing emergency accommodation throughout the country is a serious concern. The Government, local authorities and others are making every effort to reduce homelessness. Key to this is the delivery of new social housing and boosting overall supply. The Government is investing significantly in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Jun 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, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes.  Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes; 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing and 28,500...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes; 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing and 28,500 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2026.  In September 2021, I issued social housing targets to each local authority for the period 2022-2026. For 2022, Cavan has a target to deliver 150 new build social homes and Monaghan has a target to deliver...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level, including investment in waste water treatment plants and returning treated waste water safely to the environment in an efficient and sustainable manner. The EPA is the key statutory body for investigating complaints of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: In addition to the initial and active strategic sites the Land Development Agency (LDA) are working on, Housing for All identified a further 20 sites for transfer to the LDA with the potential to deliver up to 15,000 homes. The sites include CIE lands at Inchicore Works, the Broadstone Garage, Conyngham Road Garage and Colbert Station Environs in Limerick. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I wish to re-affirm that a tenant can refer a dispute to the RTB as to the validity of a notice of termination. A tenant, or the RTB itself, can also instigate an RTB investigation into possible improper conduct by a landlord, including in respect of a contravention of tenancy termination procedures, and impose a sanction of up to €30,000, if warranted. Section 35A of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24, 85 and 211 together. The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of 2021, over 100,000 HAP tenancies had been set-up since the scheme commenced, of which there were more than 61,900 households actively in receipt of HAP support. Local authorities have discretion, because of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 77 together. Housing for Allis the Government’s plan to increase the supply of homes to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. Over 300,000 new homes will be built by the end of 2030, including a projected 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. The Plan is backed by historic levels of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Jun 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, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (23 Jun 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. Funding of €81.25 million is available nationally in 2022 which is an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 53 together. I received Government approval for the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022 on 21 June 2022. The purpose of this Bill is to implement and give legislative underpinning to a series of measures to improve and enhance the scheme as agreed by Government on 30 November 2021. Key features of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Jun 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, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes by 2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Policy (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Embodied Carbon in construction materials makes a significant contribution to the lifetime carbon emissions of new buildings. The operational carbon emissions for heating, lighting and other services have been significantly reduced in Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB). These NZEB regulations apply to all new buildings including social and affordable housing developments.  Currently...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34, 40 and 78 together. The Government needs to strike a balance between restricting the level of rents that tenants are paying and keeping ordinary landlords in the system. A blanket rent freeze will simply not grow, or maintain, the supply of much needed accommodation in the rental market. It is highly likely that a blanket ban on rent increases for a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is committed to ensuring that tenants in social housing are provided with adequate housing that meets the standards most recently laid down in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019.  My Department is actively engaging with the local authority sector to promote the preventative maintenance of local authority housing stock and provides significant funding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government supports the uptake of Irish Water's Small Towns and Villages Growth Programme 2020-2024, which will provide water and waste water growth capacity in smaller settlements that would otherwise not be provided for in Irish Water's capital investment plan.  I understand from Irish Water that an allocation of almost €100 million for this programme was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department published the terms of reference (attached) for the Report into the management of conflicts of interest and relevant disclosures by the Deputy Chairperson of An Bord Pleanála in relation to certain Decisions of that Board on the 12th of May 2022. In accordance with the terms of reference, Remy Farrell, Senior Counsel, is requested to provide a report to...