Results 17,161-17,180 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Communications (30 Jun 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. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. Section 10...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Sites (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: As housing authorities, local authorities are responsible for the identification of the social housing need in their area. The statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA) carried out annually since 2016 captures the total number of households qualified for social housing support to better inform policy and to allow local authorities, such as Dublin City Council, to develop...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 109 of the Housing Act 1966 provides that: (1) A housing authority may perform any of their functions under this Act outside of their functional area. (2) Where a housing authority intends to perform a function in the functional area of another housing authority, the authority by whom the function is intended to be performed and the other authority may make and carry out an agreement...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The statutory basis for the delivery of affordable housing for purchase in the State is Part 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009 which were commenced in June 2018.  Regulations in respect of the making of a Scheme of Priority were signed in March 2019, and were subsequently issued to local authorities.  The Scheme of Priority sets out the affordable purchase...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Renewal Schemes (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: A number of actions have been taken in recent years, to address vacancy and dereliction in part of our towns and city.   A core principle of the Project Ireland 2040 and the National Planning Framework (NPF) published in 2018, is the promotion of compact urban growth and the re-use of brownfield sites.  This builds on the particular actions set out in Rebuilding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Water Services Acts 2007 and 2012 (Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems) Regulations 2012, the owner of a domestic waste water treatment system is responsible for its maintenance and renewal  and shall ensure that its parts and components are fit for purpose, operational where appropriate and kept in good order and repair so as to prevent a risk to human health or...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 881 and 882 together. The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is providing funding assistance for applicant-led proposals that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s five cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and National Development Plan.  Projects...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 883, 884, 896 and 904 together. 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....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 885, 888 and 906 together. Tenants are required to pay rent to their landlord during the COVID-19 emergency period and, in the event of tenants having difficulty doing so, they are encouraged to engage with their landlords at the earliest opportunity.  They should also engage with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) as...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The recording of court cases is one in which I have no statutory function and is a matter for the Courts Service which is statutorily independent. Judicial Reviews against the State, which my Department may be included as a party, are co-ordinated by the Chief State Solicitors Office under the guidance of the Attorney General's Office. Under section 30 of the Act, I am specifically precluded...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive statistics on a quarterly basis on all social housing delivery activity under Rebuilding Ireland. This is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: This data provides a breakdown of social housing delivery across a range of mechanisms. In addition to the statistical overview of activity in each local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 890 and 891 together. The Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) requirement applies to all new dwellings – including social housing -   which commenced construction from November 2019 subject to transition arrangements. An NZEB dwelling is one that has a very high energy performance, as determined in accordance with Annex I of the EU...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (30 Jun 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.  Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and associated services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I assume the Deputy is referring to the income levels that would define eligibility in the case of affordable dwelling purchase arrangements under Part 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009.   The main eligibility criteria for an Affordable Dwelling Purchase Arrangement under Part 5 is that the net income of the applicant household be such that the repayments on a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: 733 Part V dwellings delivered in 2019 were supported under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP).  719 of these dwellings were Part V's delivered under the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) and are owned by the relevant Approved Housing Body. The remaining 14 dwellings were delivered under a Part V Lease and will revert to the private owner...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, requires that every planning permission to which the Part applies contains a condition that a Part V agreement be entered into between the developer and the planning authority for the transfer of land or units to the planning authority for the provision of social and affordable housing. When submitting a planning application,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The levying and collection of rates are legally matters for each individual local authority. Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes.  In order to support the local government sector, my Department is continuing to keep local authority income, expenditure and cash flow generally under review and will work with all...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Valuation Tribunal is an independent appeal body established and operating under the Valuation Acts of 1988 and 2001. It deals with appeals against decisions of the Commissioner of Valuation on the valuation of commercial properties for rating purposes and appeals against determinations of market value on derelict sites or vacant sites made by local authorities under the Derelict...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Brexit Issues (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Part II of the Electoral Act 1992, a person is entitled to be entered on the register of electors if that person: - has reached the age of 18 years, and - is ordinarily resident in a constituency in the State. Subject to the age and residency requirements, a registered elector’s citizenship then determines the polls at which he or she is entitled to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Postal Voting (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Postal voting is provided for in electoral law in respect of a number of categories of electors - whole-time members of the Defence Forces, members of An Garda Síochána, Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses/civil partners, electors living at home who are unable to vote because of a physical illness or a physical disability, electors whose occupation, service or...