Results 13,981-14,000 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (2 Nov 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 only, to carry out the necessary remediation works to dwellings that have been damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (2 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The recently published Housing for All strategy is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. The annual targets include the delivery 88,400 new social homes and 53,800 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (2 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: While the appointment of project managers for Social Housing projects is a matter for the Local Authority, funding is available for such costs from my Department. Dublin City Council (DCC) has advised my Department that they recognise the benefit of a programme management approach to enabling delivery of their ambitious housing delivery target under Housing for All. To this end they are in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (2 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides both capital and current funding to local authorities across a range of funding initiatives to assist them in providing homes for families and individuals on their social housing waiting lists and to support affordable purchase and cost rental tenures. To provide transparency for new social housing projects being advanced, each quarter my Department publishes a Social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (2 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The European Union (Award of Public Authority Contracts) Regulations 2016, gave effect to Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement. My Department can find no evidence of contracts of an indefinite period entered into prior to the enactment of the EU Procurement Directive.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (2 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All is the most ambitious housing plan in the history of our State, backed up by an unprecedented financial commitment of over €4bn per annum. As detailed in Housing for All under ‘Pathway to Supporting Home Ownership and Increasing Affordability’, affordable purchase and the home loan scheme will be primarily targeted at first time buyers. However, the plan...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regional Assemblies (2 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The legislation providing for the establishment, constitution, functions, membership, etc, of the Regional Assemblies is the Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Assemblies) (Establishment) Order 2014, S.I. No. 573/2014. Article 5 of the Regulations sets down the number of members of each Assembly and arrangements for their appointment. As per Article 5(2), "every member of a regional...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Emergency Accommodation (21 Oct 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 Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (21 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan (RIHL) scheme remains open for business. Local authorities are receiving and processing RIHL applications and are incorporating increased flexibility to accommodate applicants during the COVID 19 Pandemic.  As is the case with any lender, local authorities must lend mortgages on a prudent basis, taking into account the most recent income and...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Provision (21 Oct 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 Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Provision (21 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Decisions on the qualification of specific persons for social housing support and the allocation of that support are matters solely for the local authority concerned. As Minister, I am precluded by housing legislation from intervening in relation to the procedures followed, or decisions made, by local authorities in the provision of social housing support in individual cases. Applications...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Water Quality (21 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Primary responsibility for the monitoring, management, protection and improvement of water quality is assigned to local authorities under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts and related legislation.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Office of Environmental Enforcement, exercises general supervision in relation to the performance of these functions by local...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Nitrates Usage (21 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authority functions, including enforcement activities, are set out under Part 6 of the European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2017. Under these regulations, local authorities are required to undertake inspections to determine on-farm compliance with the provisions of the regulations on farms within their jurisdiction. The Environmental...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Road Projects (21 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The funding for roads infrastructure is not a matter for my Department, but is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Transport.  

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Disability Services (21 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of respite beds is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Health. In terms of housing for people with a disability more generally, the Government is determined to ensure that housing policy addresses the needs of those who experience exclusion in our society. There is ongoing and extensive engagement with all local authorities across all delivery streams to...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Defective Building Materials (21 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 seeking a detailed breakdown of costs associated with the Report.   A...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (20 Oct 2021)

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

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (20 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All sets out a number of objectives with the aim of improving the functioning of the planning system including the comprehensive review and consolidation of planning legislation.  The review is being overseen by the Attorney General and he has established a working group of professionals with planning law expertise to assist him in this work. The review forms one of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (20 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government’s new housing plan Housing For All (HfA) will see an increased provision of social housing with a much greater emphasis on new build by Local Authorities and an ending of long-term leasing of private accommodation by Local Authorities through phasing out new leasing projects and focussing on new-build to provide social homes.  During the lifetime...

Rental Sector: Motion [Private Members] (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It would do that. That is fine but come out and say it. What is the party's alternative for those 1,300 families next year? I have shown a pathway out of leasing and I have shown the way in which we are going to increase our social housing delivery to a level never seen before in this State, starting in 2022. Sinn Féin has also said, in predictable criticisms that have been put...