Results 15,481-15,500 of 26,245 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the HAP scheme, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 20% above the prescribed maximum rent limit to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reviews (27 Jan 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: Housing Inspections (27 Jan 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: Housing Provision (27 Jan 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 them 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 this response, by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Help-To-Buy Scheme (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government, ‘Our Shared Future’, commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system, and to progress a state-backed affordable home purchase scheme to promote home ownership. To begin delivering on these commitments, Budget 2021 allocated €75 million for an affordable housing shared equity scheme. Broadly, the objectives of an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 336 and 337 together. My Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. While responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities, the administration of homeless services is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Water (27 Jan 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. Issues in relation to the allocation of funding towards the upgrade of water infrastructure in particular areas are a matter for Irish Water. As part of Budget 2021, I secured funding of over €1.4 billion to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 341, 342 and 356 together. The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan scheme remains open for business. All local authorities are receiving and processing applications and are incorporating increased flexibility to accommodate applicants during the COVID 19 Pandemic. The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan scheme Approval in Principle letter is usually valid for a period of 6...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Construction Sector Strategy (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 6 pm on Friday 8 January, with a number of exceptions. These measures are set out in the Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (Covid-19) (No. 10)...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 345 and 347 together. In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, the role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist housing authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding. Following a review of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) in their areas. My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: On the matter of the recommendations in the Traveller Accommodation Expert Review Report, there are 32 recommendations aimed at: - addressing research deficiencies, including how information is gathered and used; - removing any potential delays and obstacles in the planning system in terms of delivery; - increasing resources and delivery capacity; and - strengthening governance...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock including carrying out of responsive repairs, is a matter for each relevant local authority, in line with Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. My Department does not have a role in the matter but we have brought it to the attention of the relevant local authority and any follow up should be directly with the council.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department gave funding approval-in principle to Meath County Council's proposed development of 20 new build social homes at the location in question in May 2020. It is now a matter for the Council to advance the design of the project and take it through the planning process. The project when constructed, would be funded through my Department's Local Authority Housing Capital Budget.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 defective housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing report, "Safe as Houses". In this regard, my Department is actively engaging with key stakeholders and I have had several meetings...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Programme (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In January 2020, my Department published the finalised General Scheme of the Marine Planning and Development Management Bill, which will provide the legislative basis for Ireland's new marine planning regime. In addition to the legislative underpinning for forward planning provided through the National Marine Planning Framework, the MPDM Bill will also provide: a new State consent regime...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2020 regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Acts apply to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy, subject to a limited number of exceptions. Accommodation let under licensing agreements does not fall within the remit of the Residential...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act, 1966 local authorities are legally responsible for the management and maintenance of their housing stock. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the Housing (standards for rented houses) 2019. Notwithstanding the legal obligations on local authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Commitments were included in the former Government's Strategy for the Rental Sector and National Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy, to examine the treatment under the Nursing Home Support Scheme’s (or Fair Deal Scheme's) financial assessment of income from a person’s principal private residence (PPR), where they move into long-term residential care. The Programme for Government...