Results 14,061-14,080 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (12 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 to be conducted in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General. It intended that this review will be completed by December 2022. This review forms one of the actions in Housing for All and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 196 and 197 together. Budget 2021 allocated €35m for a new Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) scheme, under which the Government is making loans to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) on favourable terms, for up to 30% of the capital cost of new homes for Cost Rental. Following a Call for Proposals from AHBs in December 2020, a rigorous assessment process was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Following two broad-based Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) calls for proposals to local authorities, funding of almost €200 million was approved in principle in support of 40 infrastructure projects in 14 local authority areas across 9 counties to assist in the delivery of almost 4,200 affordable homes for purchase or for rent. Since then and arising from the Programme for Government...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (12 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). In line with the 2020 exercise, I have directed the local authorities to carry out the Summary of Social Housing Assessments 2021 in November. The process is currently ongoing and once the data...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (12 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 housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of emergency accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. My...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (7 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ‘Housing for All’ delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply, and put affordability at the heart of the housing system. €4 billion in funding annually, representing the highest ever level of Government investment in building social and affordable housing, will, inter alia, support 54,000 new affordable homes between now and 2030, to be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (7 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authority mortgage protection insurance (MPI) scheme has applied to all house purchase loans approved by local authorities after 1 July 1986, including the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan introduced on 1 February 2018. Local authority MPI will also apply to the Local Authority Home Loan when it is intoduced. One of the conditions of the MPI scheme, which is a group policy, is that it...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Investigations (7 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to reply to Questions No. 389 and 390 of 9 September 2021. The position remains the same.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Nitrates Usage (7 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme is a key instrument in achieving good water quality. It is designed to prevent pollution of surface waters and groundwater from agricultural sources and to protect and improve water quality. It is given effect by the Good Agricultural Practice Regulations (SI 605/2017), as amended. The current regulations run to the end of 2021 and a new Nitrates...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The comments made by the Deputy are on the record of the House. We will certainly make sure the Department of the Taoiseach receives a copy of them.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy has raised a fair point. Some people are of the view that we should ban data centres from the country and not allow any more to be built. However, we have to work with them to ensure that we improve our energy security. The Government continues to make major strides in that area in order to ensure our energy supply is secure and, indeed, diverse. Measures such as the Maritime...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Bruton for his support, for his contribution on matters relating to housing and for his commitment in his constituency to delivering affordable homes for people in his area, across Dublin, and the country. Croí Cónaithe is an important fund that will help unlock and deal with the viability issue. We are working through the specific mechanisms around how subsidies...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I am not familiar with this specific case; I genuinely am not. The Deputy knows of the Government's response to the recent, and continuing, crisis in Afghanistan and other countries. We have been open, and rightly so, to giving people safe harbour here. On the repatriation and reunification of families, this is something that Ireland does pretty well. In regard to this specific case, I do...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will raise the matter with the Minister for Education.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Colm Burke for his question. It is a timely one as we are coming into budget week. Post budget, we will have a social welfare Bill. I suggest that we could then raise these matters directly with the Minister for Social Protection to see whether any changes can be made to deal with them.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It is a fair question. There is an issue with vacancy right across the country. One of the pathways in the Housing for All programme deals with vacancy. We will be providing significant funding to our local authorities to deal with vacancy through the Croí Cónaithe cities and towns funds, as well as through a new compulsory purchase order, CPO, programme. We will manage that...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for raising the case of Calum Geary himself, who is an example of many others in this position. Our own party and this Government have always prioritised special education, making sure that children who need assistance and help from the State to reach their potential will get it. We need to make sure that is done for Calum specifically. As for the Irish Sign Language...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The rural economy and agriculture remain, and will continue to be, an important part of our economy. More importantly, they will remain important parts of rural Ireland. I will raise directly with the Minister the matters Deputy Dillon has raised regarding farm incomes, how these will be struck with regard to a new CAP deal and the flexibilities that will be allowed around alternatives to...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The irony is not lost on me that the Member opposite from Sinn Féin is raising the issue of transparency and integrity with us. Leaving that aside, the role of the Attorney General is to advise Government in matters of law and legal opinion. He is exceptionally hard-working, as the Deputy knows. He serves the Government extremely well. The Deputy will be aware that this is second...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I advise the Deputy that in relation to judicial appointments themselves, the judicial appointments commission Bill will be published in this session. We intend to do that in this session. That can be debated fully at that stage. We are committed to reforming-----