Results 16,481-16,500 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Programme (1 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I have no plans with regard to the Anti-Evictions Bill 2018. With effect from 1 August 2020, the Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act 2020 provides protections for those tenants who are facing rent arrears and, as a result, are at risk of losing their tenancy. If a tenant’s ability to pay rent has been impacted by Covid-19 and the tenant meets specific criteria, new procedures and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (1 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Water (1 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has held statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation, including the employment of staff and the engagement of external contractors, at national, regional and local level. Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (1 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In order to qualify for social housing support and be placed on a housing list, an applicant household must be assessed by the local authority concerned as meeting all of 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. Regulation 16 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (1 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 163 together. The arrangements in relation to the taking in charge of housing estates by planning authorities are provided for in section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act). Under section 181(1) of the Act, where a planning authority is satisfied that a development has been satisfactorily completed in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (1 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is engaging with representatives of the local government sector and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the financial challenges facing local authorities as a direct consequence of the pandemic, both in terms of additional costs incurred as part of the local government response and declines in local authority income streams. These matters are under active...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (1 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities’ cost and income bases vary significantly from one another as a result of their size, population, public service demands, infrastructure and income sources. There are significant variances in their abilities to raise revenue locally and they therefore require differing levels of financial support. Until the introduction of local retention of Local Property...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Flood Prevention Measures (1 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My role and responsibilities as Minister do not extend to the maintenance, clearance, or dredging of rivers. I understand that the Office of Public Works is the statutory body responsible for Drainage Maintenance on water bodies where capital works have been carried out under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 and 1995; and for flood risk management in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (1 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 (the Act) introduced new streamlined arrangements to enable planning applications for strategic housing developments (SHDs) of 100 housing units or more, or student accommodation or shared accommodation developments of 200 bed spaces or more, to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála for determination. In line...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (30 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines in line with the “preferred draft approach” which was announced in June 2017 by the then Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, in conjunction with the then Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. The review is addressing a number of key...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (30 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Farm Plan Scheme, administered by my Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service, is an important instrument that allows for proactive engagement with farmers in designated sites, to trial and deliver bespoke measures that support biodiversity. Plans delivered through the Scheme have been used to inform the development of national Agri-Environment Schemes under the Rural Development...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Telecommunications Infrastructure (30 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act) I am specifically precluded from exercising power or control in relation to any particular planning case with which a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála is or may be concerned. Consequently, I may not seek to influence the outcome of, or comment on, any individual planning cases. It should be noted...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (30 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department offers a range of funding programmes to assist the voluntary sector with the delivery of new social housing projects, including the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) and the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF).  Management and maintenance of existing social housing developments are a matter for the property owners. Putting in place adequate maintenance budgets and a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (30 Sep 2020)

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.  The Eastern and Midlands Water Supply Project has been in development since the mid-1990s, originally under Dublin City Council and under Irish Water since January 2014. It is the first comprehensive upgrade of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Appeals (30 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In evaluating the making or varying of county and city development plans, the Office of the Planning Regulator (the Office) must have regard to provisions set out in the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), including, but not limited to, the National Planning Framework, regional spatial and economic strategies, the principles of proper planning and sustainable development,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Water (30 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Having regard to the provisions of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act 1993, Irish Water’s governing legislation, including the Water Services Acts and its Constitution, and Irish Water’s current position as a subsidiary within the Ervia Group, there is currently no scope for the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) to have a role with respect to Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (30 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: There are currently no staff employed by the Land Development Agency (LDA) who were transferred from the National Asset Management Agency.  Based on information provided to the Department by the LDA, on establishment there were three members of staff seconded to the LDA by the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) for a period who were later recruited by the LDA through a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (30 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Following the retirement of the most recent permanent Chief Executive of Mayo County Council, in accordance with section 145(6) of the Local Government Act 2001, as amended, the then Minister with responsibility for local government, appointed a Temporary Chief Executive to the post. This temporary appointment commenced on 14 May 2020. A permanent appointment has not yet been...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (30 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Scheme enables credit-worthy first-time buyers to access sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new or second-hand properties in a suitable price range, where they cannot obtain sufficient mortgage finance from a commercial lender. As with the previous local authority loan offerings, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is available to first-time...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (30 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Capital funding is provided to local authorities under my Department's Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) to support Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in the provision of social housing for priority groups such as older people, people with disabilities and people who are homeless. Capital funding of over €2.5 million has been provided to date for the development by the AHB referred...