Results 15,841-15,860 of 26,290 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (1 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The retirement age for retained firefighters is 55, with provision for an annual extension up to the age of 58, subject to a formal application process, including a compulsory medical assessment. The retirement age for full-time firefighters is, in general, 55. The retirement ages reflect the legitimate requirement that firefighters should be capable of satisfactorily meeting the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (26 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government makes clear our commitments to provide measures for good-quality housing to purchase or rent at an affordable price and in Budget 2021, funding of €110 million was ring-fenced for two new schemes including a national Affordable Purchase Shared Equity Scheme and aCost Rental Equity Loan facilityto help deliver Cost Rental homes. Both of these programmes will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (26 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including the cost of pre-letting repairs to vacant properties and the carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Since 2014 Exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to support local authorities in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (26 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) and the Buy & Renew Scheme (B&R) are complementary schemes which were developed to assist private property owners and local authorities or approved housing bodies (AHBs) to harness the accommodation potential that exists in vacant dwellings. Delivery and funding data for the period 2017-2020, for both schemes, in relation to Cavan,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (26 Nov 2020)

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 supplies. With very limited exemptions, these apply to all private rented residential accommodation. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (26 Nov 2020)

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 supplies. With very limited exemptions, these apply to all private rented residential accommodation. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (26 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not collect specific statistical information on the estimated number of overcrowded households, as sought by the Deputy. Housing statistics that are collected by my Department can be accessed on my Department's website at the following link: . However, the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA) does collate information on the number of households...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (26 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I will be examining the report, entitled 'A Review Into Certain Planning Matters in Respect of Donegal County Council', by Mr. Rory Mulcahy S.C., and will bring this matter to Government for consideration in due course. In this regard, the decisions of the Commissioner for Environmental Information (CEI/18/0019) of 13 February 2019 and the Information Commissioner (OIC-59426-Q8D7T8) of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (26 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Applications for social housing support 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 each local authority, in different bands...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (26 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 252 and 253 together. The provision of fire services in local authority areas, including the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of premises, is a statutory function of each individual fire authority. This work of Local Authority Fire Services, has, to a large degree, been supported by the...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Second Stage (25 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Senators for facilitating the introduction of the Planning and Development Bill 2020 and the urgent passage of this important legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas. For this reason, I will be requesting, in due course, that this House considers a motion to enable the President to sign the Bill earlier than would be routine. I am bringing forward the Planning and...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Second Stage (25 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: On a point of order, I do not want to be argumentative in any way but I have outlined what happened clearly, in good faith and in a truthful manner. The Senator is trying to twist that. That did not happen so let us be honest about what happened.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Second Stage (25 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I was trying to be helpful.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Second Stage (25 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: It has been a tough week for them.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Second Stage (25 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I know.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Second Stage (25 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Was he okay?

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Second Stage (25 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Members for their contributions and for the points they have raised, all of which I have taken note of and some of which I will do my best to respond to today. We can come back to some of the others on Monday, but all of the points have been taken on board. At the outset, I will mention an issue which was raised by a Senator today. I refer to a very tragic death in the vicinity of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Procurement Contracts (25 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In line with requirements, my Department maintains a contracts register for contracts in excess of €25,000. Many of the contracts procured by the Department and on that register over the period in question, are for specialised equipment (e.g. for meteorological purposes) or for ICT licensing arrangements and were not always conducive to social clauses. Social clauses have been...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (25 Nov 2020)

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. In Budget 2021, we backed this objective with funding of €3.3 billion for the delivery of housing. The available funding will deliver...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (25 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 to 85, inclusive, together. My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on all social housing delivery activity under Rebuilding Ireland. This is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: . Detailed information on Part V delivery is available on my Department's...