Results 14,561-14,580 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Rebuilding Ireland: An Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness was launched by the then Government in July 2016, and set out an action plan for housing and homelessness, with targets and objectives up to 2020 and 2021. The Plan has been implemented since then, with many new policy initiatives and area specific strategies being put in place over the last number of years. The Government...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Strategy for the Rental Sector sets out a series of measures to be introduced to ensure the quality of private rental accommodation by strengthening the applicable standards and improving the inspection and enforcement systems. The Strategy recognises the need for additional resources to be provided to local authorities to aid increased inspections of properties and ensure greater...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: As set out in the Programme for Government, a key focus for the delivery of social housing is for the majority of the 50,000 new units to be delivered over the next five-years, to be built by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and State agencies. This is part of our focus to prioritise the increased supply of public, social, and affordable homes. While this will be the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: To date, Serviced Sites Funding of almost €200 million has been approved in principle in support of 40 infrastructure projects in 14 local authority areas across 9 counties, which will assist in the delivery of almost 4,200 affordable homes for purchase or for rent, all of which will be delivered on local authority land. Details of 35 SSF projects which received approval in principle...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Voluntary Housing Sector (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Significant progress has been made by my Department in putting in place the framework for statutory regulation of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Specifically, on 1 February this year I established the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) - an independent Regulator to oversee the effective governance, financial management and performance of all AHBs. The functions of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 207 and 212 together. The Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of building defects and provides for an examination of defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing report, "Safe as Houses". In this context, I established a working group to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department assesses, approves and records local authority social housing delivery on a project basis, rather than on the basis of individual unit types. As Social Housing Investment Programme (SHIP) funded construction projects by local authorities must, like all publicly-funded construction programmes, comply with the Public Spending Code and Capital Works Management Framework, my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Since the Buy and Renew Scheme was introduced, local authorities have purchased circa 700 homes for social housing use. Nationally, the average cost to deliver one of these homes under the Scheme is circa €190,000, including the cost for the necessary improvement works to the properties. I have asked local authorities to increasingly target vacant and derelict properties that can...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: An acquisitions fund of €70 million, which is a revolving fund was established with effect from 1 January 2017 with the objective of acquiring some 1,600 units over the period to 2021 for social housing use. This has enabled the Housing Agency to actively engage with banks and investment companies in relation to the acquisition of vacant properties. The fund is replenished by the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are making and continue to make an important contribution to social housing delivery. My Department and local authorities administer a number of funding programmes to assist AHBs with the cost of building, buying and leasing new social housing units. The Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) funding is capital support provided to AHBs by local authorities to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (15 Jul 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 Schemes (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, 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. The 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 Jul 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 support...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 221 to 223, inclusive, together. The social housing schemes referred to in the questions were funded under my Department's Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme. This funding model involved local authorities accessing loan finance from the Housing Finance Agency to support approved housing bodies to deliver new social homes. The loans provided by the Housing Finance...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these Regulations. Responsibility for enforcement of the Regulations rests with the relevant local authority. The HAP scheme is underpinned by the Housing (Miscellaneous...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: While the Government’s objective is to focus strongly on local authority led build activity, long term leasing is an option available to local authorities to supplement delivery and secure high quality social housing on a long term basis. The social housing leasing programme, which began in 2009, allows local authorities and approved housing bodies to lease suitable properties from...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: To date, my Department has issued two broad-based Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) calls for proposals to local authorities. Funding of almost €200 million has been approved in principle in support of 40 infrastructure projects in 14 local authority areas across 9 counties, which will assist in the delivery of almost 4,200 affordable homes for purchase or for rent. Details of 35 SSF...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Projects (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to deliver 50,000 new social homes with a focus on new build homes. Subject to the impact of COVID-19, the €3.3bn investment this year would fund delivery of 12,750 new social homes in 2021, including 9,500 new build homes. In December 2020, I issued delivery targets for 2021 to each local authority, with Mayo County Council set a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Projects (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Data on social housing leasing delivery, funded by my Department, in respect of all local authorities to end Q1 2021 is published on my Department’s website at the following link: www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordb le/overall-social-housing-provision. The leasing target for Mayo County Council in 2021 is 65 dwellings. Mayo County Council delivered 16...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: €750,000 was allocated in respect of the Santry River Restoration proposal under Call 1 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) for the initial planning and development of the project. The Santry River Greenway is one sub-project included in the overall project. While my Department works closely with the successful applicants in respect of project funding,...