Results 12,661-12,680 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (29 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All recognises the need to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to initiate, design, plan, develop and manage housing projects. It also commits to making additional resources available to local authorities to further build housing delivery teams. During 2021, the Housing Delivery Coordination Office (HDCO) engaged with each local authority to identify their additional...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Official Engagements (29 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Since my appointment in June 2020, my diary and those of my Ministers of State are routinely published on my Department’s website at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/5f6f1-ministers-diaries/#. The information requested predates my appointment as Minister. This information is being compiled from our archives and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Farm Inspections (24 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities currently inspect farms under the Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Waters regulations and for compliance with other environmental codes. The Environmental Protection Agency reports periodically on the work local authorities carry out in its Focus on Local Authority Environmental Enforcement Activity Report, most recently in 2021. On the 11 March 2022, I...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (24 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes a detailed monthly report on homelessness, based on data provided by housing authorities. The Report outlines details of individuals utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. The Reports are available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/80ea8-homelessness-data/ and via...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 203 and 204 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. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (24 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands Region is a strategic national project to help meet the future water supply needs for housing, commercial and industrial growth in an area comprising 40 per cent of Ireland's population. The preferred scheme for the project involves an abstraction of water from the lower River Shannon at Parteen Basin in Co. Tipperary, with water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (24 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Following two serious incidents in September 2021 at the drinking water treatment plants in Ballymore Eustace, serving parts of Dublin City and in Gorey Co. Wexford, I requested Irish Water to immediately undertake audits of the largest water treatment plants across the country. Both of these incidents were quickly rectified. Irish Water has confirmed that it has completed audits on 37...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Construction Industry (24 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The CSO Wholesale Price Index (WPI) shows the annual increase for building and construction materials to be 16.7% to the end of January 2022. The latest data shows that productivity in the construction sector remains below 2010 levels and is less productive than EU average. Construction costs have risen considerably over recent years through a combination of the increased cost of regulatory...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: As set out in the Housing for All strategy, this Government is committed to supporting 54,000 new affordable homes by 2030, of which 36,000 will be for purchase and 18,000 for rental. The Affordable Housing Act 2021, the provisions of which I commenced in August and September 2021, laid the foundation for three new affordable housing schemes: 'Cost Rental' housing, the 'Local Authority...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (24 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (23 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has engaged the services of this company since 2018, primarily for the provision of the translation of material to Irish and occasionally for translation services in other languages. The attached table sets out the number of engagements and the total costs. Note that an engagement, in this context, represents a distinct translation service. Year Number of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rail Network (23 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Call 2 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), €9,281,250 has been provisionally allocatedfor Galway County Council’s successful Call 2 project - Oranmore Railway Station. This project involves three distinct but related projects to promote sustainable growth around Oranmore Train Station. The projects will maximise the benefit of the rail infrastructure in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (23 Mar 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 levels, including the delivery of water services capital infrastructure, while the local authorities remain responsible for private water supplies. Under the Drinking Water Regulations 2014, as amended, the Environmental...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (23 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has no contracts with the company in question.

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability facilitates older people and people with a disability to remain living independently in their own homes. These schemes assist eligible applicants living in privately owned homes to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The grants available operate on a sliding scale with the highest percentage...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy is branching out.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy has gone national.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (22 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible.  My Department will continue to work with the local government sector in respect of its involvement in the response to the Ukrainian situation.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (22 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s Rural Water Programme provides funding under an annual subsidy to group water schemes towards their operational and management costs of supplying water for domestic use. The day-to-day administration of the Programme, including for subsidy payments, is devolved to local authorities. Kerry County Council, which is the local authority for the schemes named in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (22 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 through setting general policy, providing the legislative...