Results 14,661-14,680 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Exactly, and should be a full member. I would have voted for him. We will make sure that he gets a special briefing. Deputies Fitzmaurice and Cian O'Callaghan went to the trouble of tabling these amendments, so I will be brief. We know what the amendments propose to do, but I can confirm that they are not necessary, as their underlying intent is already contained within section 12,...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: On Deputy Boyd Barrett's point, there will be exceptions and exemptions for people. We discussed the affordable housing scheme. It will allow someone who may have gone through a marriage break-up or divorce and has not previously owned or have a financial interest in a property to apply. Someone who has gone through the personal insolvency process during the last crash and does not own a...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputies for tabling their amendments. This Bill will increase supply. We all want supply increased. I did not mean to interrupt Deputy O'Callaghan but I want to be clear that this is not about tipping any balance in favour of anyone else. It is about young and not so young people, and individuals and families being able to buy a home. We know this, so let us be clear. I...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: You are conflating matters and it is irresponsible in the extreme.

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It is totally wrong.

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I acknowledge the fact that, in fairness, there have up until now been differences of opinion in certain areas. This is a fundamental difference because it is about delivering affordable homes. I will stand over my position and others will stand over theirs. Deputy Boyd Barrett has a specific definition of what a public private partnership is that is actually not defined in this Bill....

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Are they still in public ownership?

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will address the amendments but I want to address some of the points that have been raised as well. We have had a detailed debate right the way through. Deputy Matthews, who is the chairperson of the Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, clearly outlined the long process the committee has gone through to get to this Stage and I thank all members of that committee. On...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It is because I am going to tell the House what these amendments will do. In real terms, they will do exactly what Deputies Mattie McGrath and Matthews have said. I will explain this to Deputies by reading the provisions of the Bill. It must be put in this context. Most of my colleagues in the Opposition, including Deputy Ó Broin and others, do not want our State land development...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputies and particularly Deputy Duffy for tabling the amendment. I will address the amendments, but I sometimes find with Deputy Cian O'Callaghan that if I had a Social Democrats party policy document, turned it into legislation and brought it to the House, he would find something wrong with it and have a concern about it because it was me bringing it forward. We have to look...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will try to explain a few things in order to be helpful to Deputies. I will refer back to Deputy Boyd Barrett first, and then the other Deputies. We are dealing with the reality of the situation right now, which is that housing is not affordable for tens of thousands of people across the State. This legislation will bring about a national affordable purchase scheme and, pretty much for...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputies for the amendments that have been tabled. For context, I remind Members, although I am sure they are well aware, that although there may be issues with different perspectives, this is the most comprehensive affordable housing legislation ever published. One of the Deputies said it is scant on detail, but I ask him to compare it with any other affordable housing...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Níl aon airgead fágtha agam.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding to local authorities so as to enable them administer the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme. These schemes assist eligible applicants living in privately owned homes to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The schemes are means tested and operate on a sliding scale with the highest percentage...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 194 together. My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not have data on the number of demountable dwellings by county. The use of demountables is not commonplace and where they might be used, it will a decision of the individual local authority for whatever specific reasons might apply to an individual case. On occasions some funding support may be provided to a local authority from my Department if a demountable was part of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not hold the details requested by the Deputy. The Land Development Agency (LDA) is currently developing a register of all relevant public lands, which is lands owned by public bodies in population areas greater than 10,000. An initial version of the register has been completed and is available on the LDA website. The Land Development Agency Bill will put the register on a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government includes a commitment that the Government will develop a scheme between local authorities and Irish Water to provide drinking water fountains nationwide to reduce plastic bottle litter. In addition, EU Directive 2020/2184 (the Drinking Water Recast Directive) as adopted on 16 December 2020 updates the obligations on Member States in relation to the quality of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 24A of the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004, as amended, provides that the Housing Agency, in consultation with housing authorities, may make a proposal to the Minister that an area should be considered as a Rent Pressure Zone. Following receipt of such a proposal, the Minister requests the Director of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to conduct an assessment of the area to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (8 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Responsibility for the enforcement of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 rests with the relevant local authority. With increased Exchequer funding provided by my Department, the number of rental inspections undertaken by all local authorities reached an all-time high in 2019 with 40,727 conducted. However, given the need for inspectors to enter tenants’ homes,...