Results 13,841-13,860 of 28,221 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (22 Mar 2022)

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: Covid-19 Pandemic (22 Mar 2022)

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: Defective Building Materials (22 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 315, 317, 318 and 339 together. The Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of addressing building defects. It commits to an examination of defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing’s report "Safe as Houses?". Housing for All, the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: An official from the National, Regional and Urban Planning Policy Unit within my Department attended two webinar events and one video conference call with representatives in relation to the World Economic Forum.  1. SCSI Event re: Future of work and cities post-Covid - 02/12/2020 2. Dublin Economic Workshop - 13/09/2021 3. Informal call with Alice Charles (Lead, Urban Transformation,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: As provided for in Housing for All, the National Homeless Action Committee (NHAC) was established in Q4 2021. The overarching objective of NHAC is to ensure that a renewed emphasis is brought to collaborating across Government to implement actions in Housing for All, along with bringing better coherence and coordination of homeless-related services in delivering policy measures and actions to...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Building Control Act 1990 provides, inter alia, for the making of Building Regulations in respect of the construction of buildings. The aim of the Building Regulations is to provide for the safety and welfare of people in and about buildings. The Building Regulations apply to the design and construction of a new building (including a dwelling) and certain works to an existing building. ...

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

Darragh O'Brien: In April 2018, a working group - the Rural Water Working Group - was established to conduct a review of the wider investment needs relating to rural water services. The Group's aim is to recommend measures to ensure an equality of outcome between those who receive water services from Irish Water and non-Irish Water customers.  The terms of reference of the review provide for a...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The oversight of social housing provision in any area is the responsibility of the relevant local authority which has statutory responsibility for these matters.  This responsibility includes housing provided in the operational area of a local authority by an Approved Housing Body (AHB), as the local authority will hold the mortgage for such AHB housing.  Local authorities have...

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

Darragh O'Brien: In 2013, NAMA established a special purpose vehicle (National Asset Residential Property Services Limited ‘NARPS’), to take ownership of suitable residential units directly from NAMA debtors and receivers in areas where there was an established demand for social housing and then lease these units on a long-term basis to an approved housing body (AHB) or local...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Affordable Housing Act 2021, the provisions of which I commenced in August and September 2021, laid the foundation for two new affordable purchase schemes: the first to be delivered via Local Authorities and the Land Development Agency, and the second a national 'First Home' shared equity scheme supporting purchases in the private market. Together these two schemes will support the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The current cost guidelines for the acquisition of houses and apartments for social housing use were updated and issued to local authorities in May 2021. A copy of these, in tabular format will be provided to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders. The guidelines are generally reviewed annually and the intention is to conduct a further review in Q2 of 2022.

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 341 and 355 together. As they did throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, local authorities will play a full and vital role in the national response to the humanitarian crisis created by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, particularly in helping to address the needs at local level of Ukrainian refugees who come to Ireland to escape...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government commits to ensuring that Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) levels are adequate to support vulnerable households, while we increase the supply of social housing. Maximum rent limits for HAP were set for each housing authority area in 2016, in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection (DSP). In reviewing the rent limits, my Department worked closely with...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland was published in September 2021 and, as part of a broad suite of social housing reforms, committed to reviewing income eligibility for social housing. The review, which examined inter alia the efficiency of the current banding model and income limits applicable to local authorities, was completed in Q4 2021. I am...