Results 15,321-15,340 of 26,245 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Increasing the supply of housing, particularly new build social and affordable is a priority for me and for this Government. The Programme for Government commits to increasing the social housing stock by more than 50,000, with an emphasis on new builds. Budget 2021 provides €3.3 billion for the delivery of housing. Subject to the impact of the Covid related restrictions on the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The response to the collective complaint brought by the International Federation for Human Rights to the European Committee of Social Rights in relation to a number of articles of the Revised European Social Charter was led by the Department of Foreign Affairs. Any legal costs arising from the complaint are dealt with by that Department. Any staffing or resource costs arising for my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is available to all eligible households throughout the State. Under HAP, a tenant sources their own accommodation in the private rented market. The tenancy agreement is between the tenant and the landlord and is governed by the Residential Tenancies Acts. Under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts cover tenancies in the private rental sector. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 amended the 2004 Residential Tenancies Act and brought tenancies of Approved Housing Bodies under the remit of the Residential Tenancies Board. The Housing Acts 1966 to 2019 govern local authority housing tenancies. Local authority social housing tenants can avail...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 343 and 344 together. The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. In order for a household to qualify for HAP, they must first be assessed as eligible for social housing support by their local authority. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing First enables homeless individuals with high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation with the provision of intensive housing and health supports to help the individuals concerned maintain their tenancies. The National Implementation Plan for Housing First, published in September 2018, which puts the programme on a national footing, is designed to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Code of Conduct for Employees in a Local Authority, which issued under Section 169 of the Local Government Act, 2001 deals with these matters. An employee intending to accept an appointment that could give rise to a conflict of interest should inform the appropriate authority of such intention. An employee below Director of Services level should inform or apply, as appropriate, to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 349 and 350 together. 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. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 351 and 352 together. In line with the commitment to put affordability at the heart of the housing system in the Programme for Government, ‘Our Shared Future’, Government approved the priority drafting of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020 on 22 December 2020, and I published the General Scheme on 20 January last. The Bill includes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Water (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 353 and 354 together. 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. Irish Water does not as a matter of course apply to my Department for the allocation of funding towards a specific project which are a matter for Irish Water. As...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Assets (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Whilst the Department would retain detailed information on those lands included in the Land Aggregation scheme (LAGS), the information sought by the Deputy on non LAGS land loans should be sought through each local authority.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 74, 75 and 77 together. The Government announced that additional public health restrictions would apply under Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19 on 6 January 2021. The additional restrictions required all construction activity to cease from 6pm on Friday 8 January, with a number of exceptions. These measures are set out in Health Act 1947...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2020, to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants.    The Clerk of the Dáil requested that arrangements be put in place to facilitate the provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (4 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand that the Deputy is referring to social housing construction expenditure and activity in the period since January 2019. My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity. This data, which includes a breakdown of social housing delivery across a range of mechanisms, is available to the end of Quarter 3...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (4 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Social Housing Leasing Programme supports the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities for the long term leasing of houses and apartments. Applications under the leasing programme are made to the relevant local authority who assess each application. Where the application is for more than 4 properties, the local authority must apply to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Efficiency (4 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The European Union (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2019 set higher building energy performance standards for dwellings, in accordance with the Nearly Zero Energy Building requirements (NZEB) contained in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. These Regulations apply to works in connection with the design and construction of a new dwelling, where the relevant works...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes (4 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The project referred to in the question has been approved for funding under the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2019-2021.  It is now a matter for Wexford County Council to advance the project and engage further with my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 254, 256, 257, 260, 286, 287 and 293 together. The Government announced that additional public health restrictions would apply under Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19 on 6 January 2021.  The additional restrictions required all construction activity to cease from 6pm on Friday 8 January, with a number of exceptions. These measures are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (3 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing First enables homeless individuals with high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation with the provision of intensive housing and health supports to help the individuals concerned maintain their tenancies.  The National Implementation Plan for Housing First, published in September 2018, which puts the programme on a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Residential Tenancies Board (3 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: On foot of my request for a report into the Berkeley Road incident, the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) proposed to undertake broader research into unlawful terminations in the private rented sector, including the Berkeley Road incident, and provide a report on the matter.  This research is currently underway and it is expected the report will be complete in Q1 2021, once the...