Results 13,481-13,500 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Land Development Agency (LDA) was established on an interim basis in September 2018, by way of an Establishment Order made under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971. The Land Development Agency Act was recently signed in law and, on commencement, the LDA will be established as a commercial State agency. The LDA are currently progressing the development of a HSE...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government agreed an enhanced €2.2bn Defective Concrete Block scheme on 30 November 2021. The comprehensive changes include: - The current 90% maximum grant will be increased to a 100% grant for all remediation options 1-5 - The maximum grant cap for option 1 (demolition and rebuild) will be increased to €420,000 from €247,500 - The grant calculation methodology will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 24A of the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004, as amended, provides that the Housing Agency, in consultation with housing authorities, may make a proposal to the Minister that an area should be considered as a Rent Pressure Zone. Following receipt of such a proposal, the Minister requests the Director of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to conduct an assessment of the area to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In response to concerns raised by homeowners in Donegal and Mayo regarding the terms of the existing Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme, I established a timebound and representative Working Group to consider and report on the issues. I have acknowledged that the current scheme was challenging for all stakeholders and did not operate as intended for homeowners. I have listened to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities when processing Rebuilding Ireland Home Loans (RIHL) must lend mortgages on a prudent basis, taking into account the most recent income and employment data available. It would not be appropriate to lend when there is an identifiable risk that the person’s income and ability to pay might not return to the level required to support the borrowing requested. This is both...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The 2021 Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA) process is currently underway and the results will be published towards the end of Quarter 1, 2022. The SSHA is a point in time snapshot of demand for social housing support in local authority areas and does not necessarily reflect continuous entry to and exit from the housing waiting lists. The most recently published summary, conducted...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Applications for social housing support are assessed by local authorities in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 (as amended). As social housing support is intended to address a household’s long-term housing need it is expected that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 303 and 312 together. 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 housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of emergency accommodation and related services for homeless...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 307 and 310 together. My Department received a submission from Clare County Council, dated 23 July 2021, requesting the extension of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme to County Clare. A response issued to the Council on 3 August 2021 indicating that my Department would review the submission and it also sought a detailed breakdown of costs...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department informed those local authorities requesting an extension to the Defective Concrete Block Scheme, that before any extension can be considered, the same rigorous analysis as that put in place prior to the rollout of the scheme to the counties of Donegal and Mayo would have to be undertaken. Local authorities are to take a lead role in determining, in accordance with the IS:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the counties of Donegal and Mayo to carry out the necessary remediation works to dwellings that have been damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks. Whilst the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It is important to note that the work of the Defective Concrete Block working group completed earlier this year with the final meeting of the group taking place on 29 September 2021. I received the final output report in early October which is available on the Departments website No commitment was given to extend the participation of the Working Group to persons or groups residing outside...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tax Exemptions (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Property Tax (LPT) exemption formulated by the Department of Finance only applies to homes which have received a Stage 1 approval – Confirmation of Eligibility letter under the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme. Homeowners outside of Donegal and Mayo are not currently entitled to apply for a Stage 1 approval and therefore an LPT exemption. If the Defective Concrete...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department sought clarification from the Deputy’s office regarding the meeting referred to in the Question and the response received stated it referred to a meeting on 19 November between a representative from my Department and Clare County Council officials. Neither I nor my Department are aware of this meeting. I can confirm however that officials from my Department did meet...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The provisions of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 establish the basis for 4 new affordable housing measures. These measures will deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to put affordability at the heart of the housing system and prioritise the increased supply of affordable homes through: - delivering affordable homes for purchase on local authority lands; - the introduction of a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on social housing delivery activity on a quarterly basis. Details on the number of social housing units provided by local authorities is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/6d316-local-authority-housing-sche me-statistics/?referrer;...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department launched the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme in 2013 with the aim of funding retrofit of social homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013 over 73,500 units of social housing stock have been retrofitted with a total exchequer spend of €161 million under the scheme. Homes owned by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 321 and 322 together. The Housing Agency is a non-commercial State agency under the aegis of my Department. The Housing Agency’s Projects, Procurement and Programmes (PPP) Team supports local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in housing delivery through the provision of specialist advice in a range of areas, including design, regulatory...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Dec 2021)

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. Measures to deliver this housing are supported by over €4 billion in...