Results 13,281-13,300 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Domestic Violence (21 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department supports local authorities to provide capital funding towards the development of new refuges, while operational policy in relation to the refuges is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Provision of capital funding towards the development of new refuges, via the Capital Assistance Scheme, is demand-led so it is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (21 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the statutory role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation rests with individual housing authorities. The purposes for which housing authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (21 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The table at the link outlines responses to the recommendations included in the Oireachtas Committee pre-legislative scrutiny report on the Maritime Area Planning Bill. A copy of this table was also provided to the the Clerk of the Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the 10th of September 2021. MAP

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (21 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Affordable Housing Act 2021 was signed into law by the President on 21 July 2021. On 18 August, I signed the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (Commencement) (Parts 1 and 3) Order 2021, which commenced Parts 1 and 3 of the Act from 19 August. This brought into operation the Cost Rental element of the Act. On 19 August 2021, I made the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (Cost Rental Designation)...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (21 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Irelandwas launched earlier this month. The plan will increase new housing supply to an average of at least 33,000 new units per year over the next decade. This will include over 10,000 social homes each year over the next five years, with 9,500 of these being new-builds, and an average of 6,000 affordable homes for purchase or rent. This Plan...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (21 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has recently engaged with the local authority - Westmeath County Council - in relation to the Killare Group Water Scheme. The matter is now in the hands of Westmeath County Council.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Government Communications (21 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I do not use text for Government business. As I have stated publicly, any text message which I receive in relation to Government business, or my role as a Minister, I redirect to my email so that a record is created. Emails in relation to Government business or my role as a Minister are not deleted by me or by my officials.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (21 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of public water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels, including in relation to the the operation of communications. Under the Drinking Water Regulations 2014, as amended, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the supervisory authority for water supplied by Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (21 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Indecon Report on the Taxation of Vacant Residential Property(2018) recommended that a major programme of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO) should be activated by Local Authorities to purchase vacant properties, even when these dwellings are not suitable for social housing. In this regard, Housing for All: A new Housing Plan for Irelandprovides for such a programme of CPO acquisitions,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (21 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Scheme enables credit-worthy first-time buyers to access sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new or second-hand properties in a suitable price range, where they cannot obtain sufficient mortgage finance from a commercial lender. As with the previous local authority loan offerings, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is currently available to first-time...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (21 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The right of local authorities to set and collect rents on their dwellings is contained in section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. The making or amending of such schemes, subject to broad principles laid down by my Department, is an executive function and each local authority makes its own differential rent scheme. The various differential rent schemes provide for rents that are linked to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (21 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The oversight and practical management of housing waiting lists, including the allocation and transfer of tenancies, is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated regulations. Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 requires all local authorities, as a reserved function, to make an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (21 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department introduced a multi-annual capital investment programme in 2019 to facilitate the progressive resolution, in a sustainable manner, of developer provided water services infrastructure in housing estates and to enable the taking in charge of these estates by local authorities. The programme is focused on housing estates which are not taken in charge by local authorities and do not...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (21 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Amendments to Part V of the Planning & Development Act 2000 were introduced via the Affordable Housing Act 2021, which was passed by the Oireachtas in July 2021. These amendments were made on foot of the commitment in the Programme for Government to explore expanding Part V to encompass affordable purchase and cost rental units. In the course of determining what amendments should...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policies (16 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level.  Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities.  Under the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Hare Coursing (16 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 and 210 together. Since the initial discovery of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease 2 (RHD2) in wild rabbits and hares in August 2019, National Parks & Wildlife Service staff of my Department have continued to monitor for the disease with the assistance of colleagues in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM). Reports of suspected cases...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (16 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Construction Products Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 (CPR) sets out rules for the marketing of construction products in the EU. Where a construction product covered by a harmonised standard is being placed on the EU market, the CPR requires the manufacturer to draw up a ‘declaration of performance’ and affix a ‘CE’ marking to the product. In order to do so,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (16 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department continues to supply both medical and non-medical facemasks to staff, as required, and communicates the importance of wearing such masks while circulating in our workplaces. We have implemented strict visitor and contractor protocols also, to ensure that mask wearing practices are carried out by everyone who visits our offices. For those other staff returning to the offices this...

Maritime Area Planning Bill 2021: Second Stage (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: That will be on Committee Stage. It is comprehensive legislation and has gone through pre-legislative scrutiny.

Maritime Area Planning Bill 2021: Second Stage (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I would be more than happy to read through each of the sections.