Results 20,061-20,080 of 26,350 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I am considering the report, entitled 'A Review Into Certain Planning Matters in Respect of Donegal County Council', by Mr. Rory Mulcahy S.C., and will bring this matter to Government for consideration in due course. The review is a scoping report and as such it does not make findings as to the truth or otherwise of allegations that have been made by an individual against named persons....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Departments 2024 budget (Vote 34) includes €1.66 billion of funding for Uisce Éireann for the provision of domestic water services. This includes a current expenditure provision of €680 million and capital funding of €983 million.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department continues to work with all Local Authorities in respect of suitable opportunities for Turnkey delivery of new public homes. Local Authorities are particularly focussed on those opportunities where planning permissions are in place and where the development may not advance without the assurance of the Local Authorities interest. Turnkey developments are contracted by Local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Social Housing is delivered through a range of local authority and Approved...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government has implemented several measures to ensure a balanced housing market across all tenures, including home ownership, social housing, and private rental. Under Housing for All, the Government committed to an 'owner-occupier' guarantee, allowing local authorities to designate a percentage of houses and duplexes in a development for owner-occupiers. In May 2021, measures...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Public Spending Code sets out the value for money guidelines for the evaluation, planning and management of public investment projects. The Public Spending Code was replaced and superseded with a set of Infrastructure Guidelines, published in December 2023 by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. The arrangements set out in the Guidelines apply to all public...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: On the 7 December 2023 I announced the projects that are approved for funding under the Waste Water Collection and Treatment needs for villages without access to Public Waste Water Services. I can confirm that my Department has written to the local authorities concerned outlining the next steps required to allow these projects commence and be completed as quickly as possible. I have no...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99, 112 and 136 together. There has been a substantial uplift in the amount of new homes delivered since the launch of Housing for All in 2021. The final quarter last year was the fourth successive quarter with rolling 12-month completions surpassing 30,000 dwellings, with some 32,695 new homes delivered over the full year. This is the highest level of new...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 130 together. Arising from the Government Decision of 30 November 2021 in respect of the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) grant scheme, the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) was tasked with delivering a programme of work to address a number of technical items. An interagency DCB Technical Matters Steering Group has been...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to my reply to Question No. 379 of 13 February 2024 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mortality Rates (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: On 16 January 2023, the Health Research Board published its report on deaths among people who were homeless based on 2020 data. The research applied the methodology used to compile the National Drug Related Deaths Index, which is a census of drug-related deaths and deaths among drug users and those who are alcohol dependent in Ireland. The study was commissioned by the Department of Health in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Weather Events (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is designated as the Lead Government Department for co-ordinating the response at national level to seven scenarios, including severe weather and flooding. The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM), within my Department, is tasked with co-ordinating the response to these emergencies working closely with Met Éireann, local authorities, who are the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 106, 111 and 143 together. Following a review conducted by my Department in 2022, the Government agreed to my recommendation to increase the baseline social housing income thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities with effect from 1 January 2023. The thresholds increased to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for bands 1, 2 and 3...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 142 together. Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. Critical to supporting households to exit homelessness is increasing the supply of housing. My Department is prioritising measures which focus on accelerating social and affordable housing supply through a combination of new build, targeted...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government, as set out in Pathway 4 of Housing for All.In January 2022, my Department communicated with local authorities outlining that funding, made available since 2018 to support the work of a Vacant Homes Office including a Vacant Homes Officer (VHO), would be increased from €50,000 to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Properties (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Lands at the Department of Defence owned site at Columb Barracks, Mullingar was agreed by Government for transfer to the Land Development Agency (LDA) under Housing for All, with the potential to deliver approximately 100 new homes. I understand that an advisory group was set up in January 2021 to provide an opportunity for key partners to collaborate and advise the LDA in developing a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes; 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing, and 28,500 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2026. Each local authority has prepared its own 5 year Housing Delivery Action Plan setting out their social and affordable housing delivery plans. 18 local authorities, including Louth County Council, were asked...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All is committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing with an appropriate mix of housing design types provided within social housing, including universally designed units, is available to everyone in Irish society, including older and disabled people. The Building Regulations (Part M Amendment) Regulations sets out the minimum statutory requirements that a building...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Mirroring the position nationally, new home delivery in Galway City has increased in recent years, increasing by almost 40% from 257 hew homes pre-pandemic in 2019 to 358 in 2023. At a national level, new home delivery next year is expected to exceed 2023 delivery and be at its highest level for many years. If the national trend of increased supply is sustained, it is likely the uplift in new...