Results 17,041-17,060 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (16 Jul 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. 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 the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (16 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Land Development Agency (LDA) was established on an interim basis in September 2018, by way of an Establishment Order (S.I. 352 of 2018, as amended by S.I. 603 of 2018) made under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971, pending the enactment of primary legislation when it will be established as a commercial State agency. On establishment, the LDA had access to an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (16 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on the occupiers of rateable property in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. In order to support the local government sector, my Department is continuing to keep local authority income, expenditure and cash...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (16 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: With effect from 27 March 2020, under new emergency measures introduced into law to protect tenants during the COVID-19 emergency period, tenants cannot be forced to leave their rental accommodation, other than in exceptional circumstances. The measures also prohibit any increase to rent for the duration of the emergency period. These emergency laws initially applied for a period of 3 months...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Efficiency (16 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: As set out in the Programme for Government, a national retrofitting scheme is due to be rolled out in 2021. The national retrofitting scheme will be managed by a newly designated National Retrofitting Delivery Body which is to be in place by the end of 2020. Responsibility for the National Retrofitting Scheme rests with my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action &...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (15 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: As an initiative of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is primarily designed to fund the provision of public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages and enable housing developments to be built on key sites at scale. In 2018, 30 projects received final LIHAF approval with an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (15 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 96 together. This Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing is available to everyone in Irish society and this is reflected in the Programme for Government "Our Shared Future" which commits to putting affordability at the heart of our housing system and delivering 50,000 social housing homes. My initial focus is on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government - Our Shared Future, commits to reviewing the treatment of commercial rates for the remainder of the year, as a priority action. This process is underway in my Department in the context of the forthcoming July stimulus. The previously announced waiver forms part of this consideration, with a view to a single communication with local authorities and ratepayers in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand that the Deputy may be referring to the Spatial Planning and National Roads Guidelines 2012 issued by the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. The Guidelines were prepared in consultation with the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport, local authorities and the National Roads...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing for People with Disabilities (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Administration of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, including the assessment, approval and payment of individual grants to applicants, is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. I understand that the local authority in question is awaiting the submission of cost estimates in order to progress the referenced application further.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Offices (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The question of liability of particular properties for rates is a matter for the Commissioner of Valuation, who is independent in the exercise of his functions under the Valuation Act 2001, as amended. The making of valuations for rating purposes is the sole responsibility of the Commissioner and I, as Minister, have no function in decisions in this regard. The Valuation Acts 2001 to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels including the delivery of water services capital infrastructure, while the local authorities remain responsible for private water supplies. Lead in drinking water is both the responsibility of water suppliers and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Property (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on the occupiers of rateable property in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. Legislative provision is made for the refund of rates paid on vacant commercial properties in certain circumstances. The Local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 385 and 412 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I intend to continue to support measures taken by my Department to assist local authorities, including Cork City and Cork County Councils, with the financial challenges they are experiencing since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the outset and to minimise cash flow challenges, my Department arranged for the early payment of Local Property Tax (LPT) to all local authorities. As...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Efficiency (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has been providing funding support under the Social Housing Insulation Retrofitting Programme to local authorities since 2013, for insulation and energy efficiency works to their social housing stock. The programme is implemented in two phases: Phase 1 is a shallow retrofit and ensures that the entire social housing stock has, as a minimum, cavity wall and attic insulation....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 45(5) of the Local Government Act 2001 states that a local authority may, by standing orders, regulate the right of members of the public and members of the media to be present at meetings. This includes the making of rules in relation to recording or relaying the proceedings as they take place or at a later stage. It is therefore a matter for the elected members of each local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Investigations (14 Jul 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ministerial Responsibilities (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The brief that was prepared for me upon taking up my role was also provided to the Ministers of State when they were appointed to the Department. It is my intention to publish the briefing paper, subject to any redactions made in line with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014. The brief will be available on the Department's website shortly and we will advise the Deputy when...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In July 2019, my Department launched the multi-annual Developer-Provided Water Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme 2019-2021. Bids were sought from local authorities for funding under the programme and nineteen local authorities with Developer-Provided Water Services Infrastructure in estates in their areas made applications for funding. Kerry County Council included the estate...