Results 13,761-13,780 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016.  The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (24 Jun 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, pending the enactment of primary legislation when it will be established as a commercial State agency.  The LDA Bill 2021 focusses on the establishment of the corporate form and financial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Construction Industry (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Social housing construction projects (as with all publicly funded construction projects), must be competitively tendered, in accordance with the public procurement guidelines, to ensure transparency as well as value for money for the tax-payer and must comply with the Government’s Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF). The CWMF is for use by contracting authorities involved in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 64 together. This Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society and this is reflected in the Programme for Government. Over €3.3 billion has been made available in 2021 for housing - the largest budget in the history of the State. This year alone we are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Increasing the supply of public, social and affordable homes is priority of this Government.  The Programme for Government includes a commitment to deliver 50,000 new social homes with a focus on new build homes. This commitment was underpinned by investment of €3.3bn towards housing programmes in Budget 2021. Subject to the impact of COVID-19, this investment will fund the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF), since its inception, the maximum funding available towards the cost of facilitating infrastructure is €50,000 per affordable home delivered.  However, the Programme for Government 'Our Shared Future' contained a commitment to improve the delivery of affordable homes and to extend the SSF in this regard. To inform a review process of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Ballincollig-Carrigaline Local Electoral Area (LEA) was designated a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) on 27 January 2017 under section 24 of the Residential Tenancies Acts (2004-2021).  New Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts were signed into law on 31 January 2019 for Cork City and County (which took into account the expanded Cork City boundary) for the May 2019 local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency. The provisions of the Act apply only to dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave consequent on the presence of reactive...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area are provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recent summary, conducted in November 2020, shows that 61,880 households were assessed as qualified for and being in need of social housing support. This represents a decrease of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government, commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system. The Affordable Housing Bill 2021, the first ever stand-alone legislation providing for affordable housing measures, is currently before the Oireachtas, and provides for three schemes delivering on the Programme for Government commitment to put affordability at the heart of the housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources.  Statutory Instrument (S.I.) 682 of 2020 prescribed Dublin City Council-National Building Control Office (NBCO-DCC) as a competent authority to carry out the functions of a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Construction Industry (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Increasing the supply of housing is a priority for the Government and for my Department in particular. I am fully aware that the Construction Sector has faced a number of considerable challenges over the past year, not least the restrictions on construction activity introduced to combat the spread of COVID-19 and the impact of Brexit and related supply issues. Throughout this period, my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: A range of work is ongoing to deliver Cost Rental housing, with State support, through a number of avenues. My Department is utilising the expertise of Local Authorities, the Land Development Agency (LDA), and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to deliver projects in a variety of ways, in order to prove the concept of this important new sector. This is in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Firstly, it is settled Government policy to support older people to live in their own homes and communities with dignity and independence for as long as possible, as this has the best outcomes both for the individual and for society as a whole. My Department, in conjunction with the Department of Health, is developing policy options for supported housing/housing with care in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The former Chief Executive of Galway County Council retired on 4 July 2014.  A temporary Chief Executive was appointed at that time, pending a permanent appointment. The  temporary Chief Executive remained in place until 23 May 2021.  In accordance with statutory provisions, I  appointed a new temporary Chief Executive to Galway County Council with effect from 24 May...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government - 'Our Shared Future', commits to improve the security of tenure for tenants, through legislating for tenancies of indefinite duration, increasing Residential Tenancies Board enforcement and examining incentives for long-term leasing.  Proposals for further amendments to the Residential Tenancies Acts are currently being developed, for inclusion in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: To support the delivery of the homes that will be made available by local authorities for purchase, €310 million was made available under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF).  This fund subvents the cost of facilitating infrastructure and a maximum SSF funding amount of €50,000 is available per affordable home. This funding is being made available in areas where local authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: There have been a number of deaths, in recent months, of people who had been sleeping rough or accessing homeless services. Each of these deaths is a tragedy and I again extend my sympathies to the families concerned. It is important that we respect peoples privacy while working to establish the facts concerning the circumstances involved, and that we base our response on the best knowledge...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Domestic Violence (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims of domestic violence rests with my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and I understand that the delivery of these services are managed by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. It is open to anyone to apply for social housing support, applications for which are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Banking Sector (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware that the Central Bank recently announced it will conduct a deeper review of its mortgage measures framework over 2021 and 2022.  However, I understand the first step of the framework review will be a consultation process with individuals and households who experience the effect of the mortgage measures first hand. Therefore, no engagement has taken place...