Results 14,781-14,800 of 26,245 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 3) Regulations 2021 and Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2021: Discussion (27 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank all the members for their input. I will be as brief as possible and any items I do not get to I can return to. I thank members for their support for these measures. They are practical and they will help. There are other issues that have rightly been raised but I will deal with specific questions about the extension of the two regulations. The extension of the takeaway provision...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 3) Regulations 2021 and Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2021: Discussion (27 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I hope the other one will also be signed this week. I will sign all three together but the two will be moved tomorrow, the other being the change in the planning regulation. I will sign all three of them together. I intend that will be done in the coming days. Certainly, by the middle of next week, they will be in place. A circular will then go out to all local authorities. I encourage...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Charges (22 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning and delivery. Irish Water's charging policies, including in relation to connection charges, are subject to approval by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU), in its statutory role as the independent economic regulator of Irish Water. Part V of the Water Services...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Sector Staff (22 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I am informed by Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) that as part of its workforce planning, a succession planning initiative commenced in 2019 due to the senior age profile of the organisation, that is, 47 per cent of OSi's staff had reached minimum retirement age and had 40 years’ service.  To manage this challenge, staff in this cadre have been contacted to ascertain...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Protection Agency (22 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The EPA is an independent public body established under the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992.  I understand that the 2020 report is not yet available, when published it will be made available on the EPA website at www.epa.ie and will also be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The latest EPA Drinking Water Quality in Public Supplies report is for 2019 and this is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Standards (22 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supply. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations and responsibility for the enforcement...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (22 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 to 57, inclusive, together. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this end, my Department gathers aggregate quarterly data on staff numbers in each local authority on a whole time equivalent basis. However, granular data, in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (22 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It is open to anyone to apply for social housing support, applications for which 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (22 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity. The data is available to the end of 2020 and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: . Targets were issued to each local authority for delivery across Build, Acquisition and Leasing. The table below includes the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mica Redress Scheme (22 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: There is no scheme or grant aid available from my Department to cover the cost of the 10% homeowner contribution which applies under the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme.  Under the Defective Concrete Blocks grant scheme my Department provides funding to cover 90% of the costs of eligible homeowners subject to the funding caps in place. These funding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Transport Policy (22 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is committed to providing a healthy and safe working environment, and to improving the quality of working life of staff through the integration of wellbeing in work activities and practices. This commitment involves encouraging and facilitating staff participation in sustainable and active travel measures under the Workplace Travel Plan. This Plan promotes staff use of such...

Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 3) Regulations 2021: Referral to Joint Committee (21 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: That the proposal that Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 3) Regulations 2021, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 14th April, 2021, be referred to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in accordance with Standing Order...

Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2021: Referral to Joint Committee (21 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: That the proposal that Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2021, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 14th April, 2021, be referred to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in accordance with Standing Order 95(5), which, not...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes (21 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 668 and 748 together. My Department received a submission from Mayo County Council on 22 February 2021 in relation to the Community Water Connection (''the project'') mentioned in the details supplied. Arising from my Department's examination of the submission, the local authority have been asked to consider further the details of the estimated costs of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (21 Apr 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 grants available operate on a sliding scale with the highest percentage grants available...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (21 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Increasing the supply of public, social and affordable homes is a central commitment in the Programme for Government. In Budget 2021, we backed this objective with funding of €3.3 billion for the delivery of housing. Subject to the impact of COVID, the funding will support the delivery of 12,750 new social homes, including 9,500 new build homes. As part of the Government...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (21 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In 2020, Kerry County Council received funding of some €1.5m in relation to 88 units remediated. My Department will continue to support local authorities in their work remediating vacant social housing properties in 2021. In preparation for this year’s programme correspondence issued to all local authorities requesting they provide figures on the total number of vacant units...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (21 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 675 and 676 together. Dublin City Council applied for funding approval for improvement works at Canon Mooney Gardens under the Precinct Improvement Program (PIP) in 2010. The PIP was part of the Inner City Flat Complex program which ran from 1997-2012. The Cost Benefit Analysis and Capital Appraisal referred to by the Deputy were requested by my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (21 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 677, 678 and 679 together. The Programme for Government, ‘Our Shared Future’, clearly lays out our commitment to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system. Government approved priority drafting of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020 on 22 December 2020, the General Scheme of which I published on the 20th of January last. The Bill...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (21 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: There appears to be a misapprehension regarding the dates for registering rights of ways acquired by prescription on foot of amendments made by Parts 12 and 13 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011 to the provisions relating to acquisition of easements and profits by prescription contained in Part 8 of the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009. I understand from the...