Results 14,841-14,860 of 26,245 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: There is no dedicated grant scheme available from my Department to provide accommodation for older people in the circumstances set out by the Deputy. However, in accordance with settled Government policy my Department is committed to supporting older people to live in their own home with dignity and independence for as long as possible, as this has the best outcomes both for the individual...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Appointments to State Boards (21 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, November 2014) apply to the filling of vacancies on the Boards of the State bodies under the aegis of my Department. These Guidelines state that there are a number of exceptions from the arrangements set out, including from advertising on the State Boards portal (www.stateboards.ie) operated by the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department received a staffing sanction request for the post of Executive Parks and Landscape Officer in Cork City Council and a letter of approval sanctioning this post issued on 14 April 2021.

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 774 and 793 together. I am very aware of the recent increase in people swimming, and the increase of beach users generally, outside of the traditional bathing season (in Dublin Bay and in many other areas). I have asked my Department to work with the National Bathing Water Expert Group, and with stakeholders, to specifically examine the feasibility and...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I have not yet received an application from the Irish Coursing Club for licenses to net hares for the forthcoming coursing season which will begin in September next. On receipt of an application, I will consider all relevant issues including the matters relating to the RHD2 virus.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Appointments to State Boards (21 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: As a general rule, any suitably qualified person may apply for a position on a Board of a State body under the aegis of my Department, when a vacancy is so advertised by the Public Appointments Service. The principles underpinning the advertisement and filling of such positions are set out in the Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Dublin City Council has submitted to my Department a Stage 1 proposal for the refurbishment of the 75 flats in the Pearse House flat complex. This proposal considers five options that include amalgamation of some of the smaller units and the possibility of some additionality. My Department requested and received further information from the Council which is currently under review by my...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The primary benefit of bringing vacant buildings back in to use is the increased supply of quality and sustainable housing for the individuals and families. Revitalising our main streets through well designed refurbishment of residential units, particularly above shops, could help to rejuvenate rural areas, smaller town centres and city streets as well as producing more homes. The Government...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 came in to operation on 31 January 2020 and the resulting Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme has been open for applications since the end of June 2020. The scheme was informed by the work of an Expert Panel and the current provisions available under the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 783 and 782 together. There have been no fines or costs payable by Ireland as a result of the judgment in March 2019 by the Court of Justice of the European Union on Ireland's non-compliance with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, including in relation to the Ringsend plant. Following the judgment my Department, accompanied by Irish Water, met...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Changes in relation to building material costs are monitored and recorded by the Central Statistics Office (Wholesale Price Index for Building & Construction Materials). Issues relating to increases in construction costs generally and measures to address such issues, are matters for my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform, whose Department convenes the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The prioritisation and progression of individual projects is a matter for determination by Irish Water. As part of Budget 2021, I secured funding of over €1.4 billion to support water services. This includes...

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

Darragh O'Brien: It is my understanding that a meeting took place in Leinster House on 29 September 2014 between the Private Secretary to the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and 3 other people for the purpose of obtaining a copy of a file that had been sent by them to the Minister and subsequently mislaid. The original file was not removed from the Minister's office...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Approved Housing Body (AHB) sector in Ireland has played, and will continue to a play, a significant role in the provision of social housing for low-income households and has done so using land made available to it by local authorities. The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system. The Government also views the AHBs...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019, made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992. These Regulations focus on tenant safety and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, safety of...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 806 and 825 together. Single applicants for the Rebulding Ireland Home Loan must not be earning greater than €50,000 gross per annum. The combined income of joint applicants must not be greater than €75,000 gross per annum. There are no set minimum income limits; however, applicants do need to have sufficient borrowing and repayment capacity...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Since 2014, Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. This funding was initially introduced to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted at ensuring minimal turnaround and re-let times for local authority vacant stock. My Department funded 216 units in Limerick...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Notwithstanding this, my Department provides annual funding support to local authorities...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock. This will fluctuate over time, as tenancy surrender and re-letting of stock is an ongoing process. Therefore, ongoing data in relation to vacant local authority owned homes are not collated by my Department. However, statistics in relation to social housing stock, at a point in time, are published by the National...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Mortage to Rent (MTR) scheme introduced in 2012 for borrowers of commercial lending institutions is targeted at those households in mortgage arrears who have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP), who agree to the voluntary surrender of their home and who have very limited options, if any, to meet their...