Results 15,521-15,540 of 26,245 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Repair and Leasing Scheme (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) was developed to assist private property owners and local authorities or approved housing bodies to harness the accommodation potential that exists in vacant dwellings. Data to end Q3 2020 in relation to dwellings delivered by each local authority under RLS is available on my Department's website at the following link: Total capital funding drawn down own...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government provides for a package of social housing reforms, including the introduction of a social housing passport to allow households move from one local authority list to another. It should be noted that the four Dublin local authorities already co-operate in arrangements that enable social housing applicants to apply for housing in one or two of the other Dublin...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 196 and 197 together. There have been a number of deaths, in recent months, of people who had been sleeping rough or accessing homeless services. Each of these deaths is a tragedy and I extend my sympathies to the families concerned. While my Department does not collate the data requested, the Department of Health has commissioned the Health Research...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The flexibility of HAP as a social housing support is one of the scheme's key characteristics and was one of the primary benefits envisaged at the outset of the scheme. With this in mind, Departmental circulars relating to inter-authority movement issued in 2017 and 2019, with the aim of facilitating movement of HAP households from one local authority area to another in cases where a HAP...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: With regard to co-living development, I indicated in a letter dated 23rd November 2020 to all local authorities, An Bord Pleanála and the Office of the Planning Regulator, that my preferred approach was to restrict commercial co-living development, through an update of the Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments, Guidelines for Planning Authorities 2018 document,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: No employees of my Department have received Covid-19 vaccines due to their role in the Department.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Government Management Agency (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The qualifications for the recent Local Authority Graduate Programme run by the Local Government Management Agency required that applicants would at time of application be able to demonstrate that they had on or before the 31 December 2020 a recently achieved first or second class primary (2.2 minimum) honours degree (level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications). Each application...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In line with statutory provisions, my Department declares qualifications of such classes and descriptions for specified employment under a local authority or for such of the employments as belong to a specified class, description or grade. An Honours degree, Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications, is set as the standard requirement for candidates to be deemed eligible to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 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 6pm on Friday 8 January, with certain exemptions, including social housing developments meeting certain criteria. These measures are set out in the Health Act 1947...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 211, 213 and 218 together. The Programme for Government, ‘Our Shared Future’, commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system and to: - prioritise the increased supply affordable homes and to ensure that local authorities are central to delivering housing, and - progress a state-backed affordable home purchase scheme to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The local authority mortgage protection insurance (MPI) scheme has applied to all house purchase loans approved by local authorities after 1 July 1986, including the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan introduced on 1 February 2018. Local authority mortgage protection insurance is charged at the rate of 0.555%, this rate does not vary between local authorities. It is obligatory for all local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Land Development Agency (LDA) was established on an interim basis in September 2018, by way of an Establishment Order made under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971, pending the enactment of primary legislation when it will be established as a commercial State agency. In partnership with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, the LDA have been granted...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has published the Q3 2020 Social Housing Construction Status Report, which provides details of all social housing developments under construction in each local authority. The report is available at the following link: . In relation to affordable housing, in terms of affordable housing developments under construction across the four Dublin local authorities; €310 million...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 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 6pm 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: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: From the very start of the COVID-19 emergency, in March 2020, it was recognised that people who were cocooning, self-isolating or quarantining would need extra help, particularly if their usual networks of support would not be able to reach them. For that reason, and to put in place a safety net for such people, some of whom would be among the most vulnerable in our communities, national and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Transport Infrastructure Provision (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Seventy six proposals were received under Call 2 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), with every local authority submitting at least one application for URDF support. The proposal in question is one of two proposals submitted by Louth County Council. The assessment process for proposals received under Call 2 is nearing completion, and I intend to soon announce a new...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Control Management System (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Building Control Management Project (NBCMP) is managed by the National Building Control Office (NBCO) within Dublin City Council (DCC) to provide oversight, support and direction for the development, standardisation and implementation of Building Control as an effective shared service in the 31 Building Control Authorities, through the five pillars of: 1. Training:This includes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Control Management System (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Construction Industry Register Ireland (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government is committed to placing the Construction Industry Register Ireland, or CIRI, on a statutory footing. CIRI was established on a voluntary basis in 2014 and 798 building and contracting entities are currently included on the register. The voluntary register can be viewed online at the following link: Government approved the General Scheme of a Bill to place the CIRI on a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The “Call for Housing 2020” was launched on 21 July 2020 as a short-term intervention to stimulate interest in social housing delivery, through acquisitions and leasing from opportunities arising in the property market. The campaign has been run on behalf of my Department by the Housing Agency, in consultation with the local authorities. Up to 15 January 2021, the total...