Results 16,701-16,720 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rent Pressure Zones (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 24A of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, as amended, provides that the Housing Agency, in consultation with housing authorities, may make a proposal to the Minister that an area should be considered for designation as a Rent Pressure Zone. Following receipt of such a proposal, the Minister requests the Director of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to conduct an assessment of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Increased rent limits for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and the Rent Supplement Scheme were introduced in 2016. These limits were agreed in conjunction with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP). In reviewing the rent limits, my Department worked closely with DEASP and monitored data gathered from the Residential Tenancies Board and the HAP Shared Services...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: 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. The National Quality Standards Framework (NQSF) for homeless services has been developed to ensure a consistent approach in how local authorities and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. While responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities, the administration of homeless services is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Rural Housing 2005, planning authorities are required to frame the planning policies in their development plans in a balanced and measured way that ensures the housing needs of rural communities are met, while avoiding excessive urban-generated housing and haphazard development, particularly in those areas near cities and towns that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand that the Question refers to the interim recommendation made in the first progress report of the Just Transition Commissioner, published 22 May 2020, in respect of planning and licensing regulation as apply to peat extraction, in particular the need to consider a fast-track ‘one-stop-shop’ arrangement for planning, licensing and regulatory compliance and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (8 Sep 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: Homeless Persons Supports (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: 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. As part of the response to COVID-19, my Department is working closely with the Department of Health and the HSE along with Dublin Regional Homelessness...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 the local level. Under the Housing Act 1988 it is a matter for each local authority to determine whether a person is regarded as homeless; section 2 of the Act sets out...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Turf Cutting (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the 2000 Act), all development, unless specifically exempted under the Act or associated Regulations, requires planning permission. Under the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, peat extraction- - in a new or extended area of less than 10 hectare, or - in a new or extended area of 10 hectares or more, where the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (8 Sep 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: Seaweed Harvesting (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 418 and 419 together. There are currently no active foreshore licences to harvest wild seaweed. Some 23 applications to harvest seaweed are on hands. All applications for leases or licences including those to harvest wild seaweed under the 1933 Foreshore Act, when deemed complete, are published on my Department’s website: .

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Seaweed Harvesting (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: It would not be appropriate for me to comment directly on an individual application which might come before me for determination. However, I can confirm that my Department wrote to the applicant concerned on 13 October 2019 outlining what is required in order for the pre-application to proceed to application stage. A response in that context is awaited.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Seaweed Harvesting (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 421 and 422 together. In his speech at the Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth Summit in 2018, the then Minister with responsibility for the 1933 Foreshore Act, Minister Damien English T.D. clarified that certain rights, of both a formal and informal nature, to harvest seaweed exist and must be respected in the context of determination of applications to hand...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 423 and 429 together. Section 24A of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, as amended, provides that the Housing Agency, in consultation with housing authorities, may make a proposal to the Minister that an area should be considered for designation as a Rent Pressure Zone. Following receipt of such a proposal, the Minister requests the Director of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Services (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: A proposal for the construction of new social housing in the area referred to is progressing and has received approval to Pre-Statutory Planning and Design stage. My Department is awaiting further information on the proposal and I understand that a follow up submission is being prepared by the local authority.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: It is my understanding that it was intended, in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, to enact a provision which would allow a local authority to enter into an agreement with a lending institution as regards priority of charges to facilitate an equity release “top-up” mortgage in the case of affordable housing under the Housing Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2002 and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The operation of planning offices should be in accordance with the terms of the Government's Roadmap for Re-Opening Society and Business, as published on 1 May 2020, and with all relevant public health and health and safety advice and protocols. Under Article 22(3) of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, a planning authority already has the power to consent to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Following a review of the two existing local authority home loan schemes, the House Purchase Loan and the Home Choice Loan, a new loan offering was introduced, from 1 February 2018, known as the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan. In line with the previous schemes, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is designed to enable credit worthy first time buyers to access sustainable mortgage lending to...