Results 16,021-16,040 of 26,290 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath TD published a number of spending review papers on 5 November 2020, including a paper on the Social Housing Build Programme. The paper examines local authority build programmes in six local authorities, encompassing local authority build, Approved Housing Body build and the acquisition of newly built units through Turnkey and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government commits to increasing the social housing stock by more than 50,000, with an emphasis on new builds. In 2021, the total funding being made available for the delivery of housing programmes is €3.3bn. This includes funding to deliver 12,750 social homes through build, acquisition and leasing. A major focus of this investment is the delivery of new build,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The current cost guidelines for the acquisition of houses and apartments for use as social housing were issued to all local authorities, including to Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Fingal County Council and South Dublin County Council in April 2019, under Circular 15/2019. The relevant details will be provided to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness is a priority for this Government and a range of measures are in place which reflect that priority. My Department is funding an initiative to provide homeless families residing in temporary emergency accommodation in the Dublin Region with access to free public transport for essential school journeys. The Dublin Region...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Supports towards the purchase of housing, including affordable housing under Part 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, the Help to Buy Scheme and the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, are generally directed towards first time buyers. An exception is in Part 5 whereby a prospective purchaser who previously purchased a dwelling under an affordable dwelling purchase...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Programme (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government - Our Shared Future - contains a commitment to develop comprehensive legislation for the identification, designation and management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Irish waters. It contains a further commitment to realise Ireland's outstanding target of 10% MPA coverage as soon as is practical and to aim for 30% by 2030. These commitments will advance the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to review the remit, status and funding of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to ensure that it is playing an effective role in delivering its overall mandate and enforcement role in the protection of wildlife. I have decided that the review should be headed by an independent chairperson overseeing a triptych review process...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 and 210 together. Local authorities are responsible for the provision of social housing in their areas, and, as such, decide on the number and specific types of dwellings to provide in their developments, based on identified need. My Department oversees national social housing delivery at programme and scheme level and does not hold specific details in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Housing Strategy for people with a Disability (NHSPWD) 2011-2016 and associated National Implementation Framework were jointly published by my Department and the Department of Health. They set out the Government’s broad framework for the delivery of housing for people with disabilities and were developed as part of a coherent framework in conjunction with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 212 and 217 together. My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the statutory role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In Budget 2021, the total funding being made available for the delivery of housing programmes was €3.3 billion. From this sum, €468 million will be specifically provided to support housing affordability measures. This includes the Serviced Sites Fund, the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan and the Land Development Agency (LDA)....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (12 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: Local Authority Funding (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding every year for the Disabled Persons Grant (DPG) scheme and the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme. While both schemes are administered directly by the local authorities they operate independently with separate funding streams, the main differences being the type of properties eligible for funding and the level of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has not encountered expenditure in respect of hand sanitisation products or other PPE products that were subsequently subject to a recall by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in 2020. The information requested in relation to bodies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for the individual bodies concerned. Arrangements have been put in place by each...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 218 and 219 together. A Review of the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan (RIHL) was undertaken by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and was published on 23 October 2020. The report provides a high level review of: - the degree to which the scheme has met its objectives; - scopes the need for ongoing intervention; and - assesses selected...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The current position in relation to the refusal by households of offers of social housing dwellings is set down in Regulation 12 of the Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011, made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. Under Regulation 12, a household that refuses two reasonable offers of such tenancies in any twelve-month period, other than an offer...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 221 and 222 together. This Department has policy responsibility for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan (RIHL), which operationally is delivered by the local authorities. The RIHL is targeted at first time buyers who wish to own their own home, have access to an adequate deposit and have the capacity to repay a mortgage, but who are unable to access a mortgage...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Supplementary) (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the committee members. I am joined this morning by three of my colleagues from the Department, Ms Marguerite Ryan, Mr. Eamonn Waters and Mr. Patrick O'Sullivan. I will quickly run through the opening statement I have circulated. I will be happy to answer any questions. It is just over a month since I had the opportunity to meet with the committee to discuss the 2020 Estimate for...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Supplementary) (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for her input and support. On her second question, the rates waiver has been significant. As I stated, it has had a positive impact on businesses. The Government wishes to keep businesses going through the pandemic. There was positive news earlier in the week and it is hoped we will be able to get back to some degree of real normality next year. The rates waiver is...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Supplementary) (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I appreciate the questions and I will deal with them individually. On the €60 million additional announced today, the full programme relates to Covid-related costs on the current side but it does add to the total this year of nearly €100 million more than would have been allowed for in budget 2020, so it is significant. Into next year, obviously, we have additional funding...