Results 16,101-16,120 of 26,290 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (5 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Voids Programme funded by my Department, 1,503 vacant social housing homes were returned to productive use in 2019. This figure does not include homes which were returned to productive use by local authorities using funding from their own resources. Exchequer funding of some €26.7m was provided supporting local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting as detailed...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (5 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: A significant change to local government structures took place in 2014 when town and borough councils were amalgamated with their county authorities. Information on borrowings sanctioned between 2008 and 2010 to each of the 88 local authorities is not readily available and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work. The table below gives an indication of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Property (5 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested in respect of the number of vacant commercial units registered with local authorities is not held by my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tribunals of Inquiry (5 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Policy responsibility for the areas that are the subject of recommendations made by the Moriarty Tribunal crosses a number of Departments, including my own. Following the publication of the Tribunal Report Into Payments to Politicians and Related Matters in March 2011, my Department examined and considered the recommendations in the Report in relation to political funding which falls within...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (5 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: Recycling Policy (4 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 59 together. Whilst recycling is not specifically referred to in the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), development plans reflect the objectives of waste management plans applicable to their administrative area, which would generally include measures to promote recycling. In particular, section 10 of the Act requires all local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (4 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Applicants for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan must be of good credit standing and have a satisfactory credit record. The Housing Agency provides a central credit assessment service to local authorities and credit checks are undertaken as part of the credit assessment process. The final decision on loan approval is a matter for the relevant local authority and its credit committee on a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Investigations (4 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I will be examining this report 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 27 February 2020 in relation to requests to publish this report will also be taken into account. Both decisions are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Property Tax (4 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Local Property Tax (LPT) is administered and collected by the Revenue Commissioners and is remitted into the Local Government Fund. The Revenue Commissioners publish detailed information on LPT collected annually, broken down by local authority, on its website at the following web link: The current local retention regime for LPT began in 2015 and since then 80% of the estimated LPT...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Issues (4 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Waterways Ireland have provided my Department with the attached table showing the number of sluice gates open and closed by the ESB and Waterways Ireland and the number of boards removed (there were no boards in place) for the month of October 2020. BANAGHER AREA -  OCT  2020 OCTOBER SLUICES OPEN SLUICES CLOSED NUMBER OF BOARDS REMOVED ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has no function in granting exemptions from compliance with public health regulations made in the context of COVID -19. I have noted the issues outlined by the association in question including the reference to a statement by An Garda Siochana in the matter.The statement of the National Parks and Wildlife Section (NPWS) of my Department which is referred to in the question...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 559 and 594 together. My Department has provided funding support under the Social Housing Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme to local authorities since 2013, for insulation and energy efficiency works to their social housing stock and this will continue within the context of the National Retrofitting Plan. Budget 2021 provided for funding support...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In Budget 2021, the total funding being made available for the delivery of housing programmes is €3.3 billion. This overall investment will see the social housing needs of over 28,500 households being met in 2021. As part of the overall capital funding available of €2.031 billion, local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) will deliver 12,750 new social homes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (3 Nov 2020)

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. This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the employing local authority.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (Covid-19) (No. 8) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 448 of 2020) came into effect on 22 October 2020 and are expected to expire on 1 December 2020. Regulation 5 provides that a person shall not leave his or her place of residence without reasonable excuse. Regulation 5(2)(p) provides for a reasonable excuse for travelling or moving in order to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Hare Coursing (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 563, 606, 614 and 618 together. The control of live hare coursing, including the operation of individual coursing meetings and managing the use of hares and greyhounds for that activity, is carried out under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958, which is the responsibility of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Accordingly, I have no function in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Process (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Postal voting is provided for in electoral law in respect of a number of categories of electors, including: - Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses/civil partners which includes a person who is a member of a Permanent Mission of Ireland to an international organisation, - whole-time members of the Defence Forces, - members of An Garda Síochána, - electors living at home...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Control (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: There are three species of deer present in Ireland – red deer, fallow deer and sika deer. A fourth species, muntjac deer, has been reported from the wild on a number of occasions, but we have no evidence that this exotic and potentially invasive species is breeding in Ireland. Wild deer in the State are protected under the Wildlife Acts. There is an annual Open Season during which deer...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Conservation (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 566 and 568 together. My Department is responsible for the implementation of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, both of which underpin the legislative and policy framework for the protection and conservation of our natural heritage. In particular, the 2011 Regulations transpose two key pieces of EU...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Control (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 567 and 569 together. Ireland continues to remain a stronghold for the European otter. Four national surveys have been conducted to date. The first in 1980/81 found signs of otters throughout the country, at 88% of sites surveyed. There was some suggestion of declines in the survey results of 1990/91 and 2004/05 but the most recent survey (2010/11) indicated...