Results 22,821-22,840 of 26,373 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes, apartments are tricky. Now, the Croí Cónaithe city scheme is there. I answered that earlier. I do want apartments for purchase to be available. We have seen some in my constituency recently as well. We have apartment developments in Swords and Malahide that are for purchase. It is not, therefore, correct to say that every apartment development that is out there is for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Ó Broin. In that intervening period, we did give it additional funding. I discussed this at the NHAC and I was the one who approved that we would go ahead and do the review because I wanted it done with regard to the section 10 funding. They wrote to me and we discussed it on the margins of meetings. The CCMA review of section 10 funding is ongoing and we are awaiting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Terms of reference were agreed in 2022. I will get Deputy Ó Broin the exact dates, but I believe the review was in 2023. It was before the revelations to which Deputy Ó Broin has referred. It was not in reaction to that at all. Some of the organisations Deputy Ó Broin has referenced will tell you that I discussed it directly with them on the margins of meetings and gave a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will deal with the Peter McVerry Trust issue in a moment. I do not think there is any difficulty in providing the committee with a timeframe. The terms of reference were agreed between the Department and those groups and we will just need to check with those groups whether it is okay with them to share the terms of reference. I am not sure until we talk to them but I do not expect there...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank members and the Chair. I welcome the opportunity to discuss with the committee the Department's Revised Estimates for 2024 and the Votes for Tailte Éireann and the Electoral Commission, which are also under the aegis of this Department. I am joined by the Minister of State with responsibility for local government and planning, Deputy Alan Dillon, and by the Minister of State...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Nothing has been surrendered. The additional amount – it was approximately €62 million – was allocated to the secure tenancy affordable rental investment scheme, STAR, to which we were receiving applications. We only opened that scheme late last year and there was a great deal of interest in it, so we wanted to secure those tenancies. I will discuss the AEV in a...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Where it comes from is what I-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We will get the information on where it came from for the Deputy.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Will the Deputy repeat his question?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Let me check that and come back to the Deputy. I am only being told where it is going. I will have to look at it and compare it with the previous ones.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand the point. I do not have it to hand.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: With the pipeline and demand we have, we will have to manage the Vote carefully. That is why we sought and received approval for additional funding. We have already added additional funding to the first home scheme and the affordable housing fund. For this reason, I think we will spend out. I am trying to see, such is my eyesight, but I will get clarification. I think there is a note...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes. Is that this year's or last year's? It is a Supplementary Estimate from last year.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We have that and will get it for the Deputy. That is the net. It is here, but in very small writing that I can barely see.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes, we will give it to the Deputy.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In certain areas we actually overspent last year and had to reallocate moneys. The pipeline is so strong for delivery this year that I expect us to spend that.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes. We sought and received flexibility within those subheads too. Towards the end of last year, we had to move money, as I mentioned. The secure tenancy affordable rental, STAR, scheme did not exist. I will not say that will not happen again. We might have a new delivery mechanism we have to fund, which we did successfully last year when the STAR scheme was opened. We needed to fund...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I should have said that we will respond in detail to the Ceann Comhairle's letter. There is no question of us trying to hold back information. I assure the Deputy of that.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I could go back and forth with the Deputy now. I know he does not want to. The document he received from the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform was a working document.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: No, that was-----