Results 22,881-22,900 of 26,373 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Laboratory Facilities (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Construction Products Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 (CPR) sets out rules for the marketing of construction products in the EU. Where a construction product covered by a harmonised standard is being placed on the EU market, the CPR requires the manufacturer to draw up a ‘declaration of performance’ and affix a ‘CE’ marking to the product. In order to do so,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 240 and 245 together. The Planning and Development Bill 2023, which shortly commences Seanad Second Stage is the culmination of a three year process of policy and legal review, led by the Office of the Attorney General; engagement with a diverse range of stakeholders and one of the most extensive pre-legislative and Select Committee scrutiny undertaken in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 ('the 2022 Act') on 22 June 2023, which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The detailed operation of the Scheme is a matter for the designated local authorities and the Housing Agency in the first instance. Their respective roles...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Financial Irregularities (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I can advise that I have not had any contact in person, or in writing, within the past six months with the secretary of the named organisation.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Through the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) public bodies are receiving targeted support for innovative and holistic solutions to the issues that have hindered the regeneration and rejuvenation of our large towns and cities. To date, there have been three Calls for proposals under the URDF with in excess of €1.9 billion allocated to almost 400 projects, located right...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department currently gathers and publishes data on a monthly basis on the number of homeless persons accommodated in emergency accommodation funded and overseen by local authorities. These reports are based on data provided by local authorities, produced through the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS). The monthly homelessness report includes details of individuals,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Electoral Reform Act 2022 amended Part V of the Local Government Act 1991 (as amended) in respect of the review of local electoral areas. Under Chapter 8 of Part 2 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022, future reviews of local electoral areas are now a function of An Coimisiún Toghcháin which was established on 9 February 2023. Section 23 of the Local Government Act 2001 (as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The legislation governing the clawback on previous affordable housing schemes is Section 99 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, or Section 9 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2002, depending on the home in question. Both pieces of legislation set the same clawback rule: where the property is resold within 20 years, the homeowner must pay a clawback amount equal to a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Freedom of Information (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Secretary General, with support from the Assistant Secretary of the Corporate and Business Support Division, oversees my Department's obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2014. Details of the number of staff employed by my Department who are assigned to the day to day processing Freedom of Information requests, and the number of such requests received by my Department in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. A review mechanism is provided within the Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Act 2022, which allows me, as Minister, to increase the overall grant scheme cap of €420,000...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Process (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 140 of the Electoral Act 1992 provides that every notice, bill, poster or similar document having reference to an election or referendum, or distributed for the purpose of furthering the candidature of a candidate at an election, or a particular result at a referendum, shall bear upon its face the name and address of the printer and of the publisher. The Programme for Government...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (26 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. The review is addressing a number of key aspects of the Guidelines including setback distance, noise, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. My Department, in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (26 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently published summary for all local authority areas was conducted on 1 November 2023 and shows that there were 3,450 households on the waiting list in Kildare whose need had not...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (26 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Vacant Homes Unit in my Department was established in 2022. The number of staff members assigned to this Unit from 2022 are as follows: Numbers employed in the Vacant Homes Unit - FTE Headcount December 2022 4.5 5 December 2023 7.5 8 As of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Derelict Sites (26 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not have a business unit dealing exclusively with derelict sites. The Planning Division of my Department has responsibility for the Derelict Sites Act 1990 and staff in the Division would have carried out work in relation to this issue over the period 2019 to 2024.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (26 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Statistics in relation to the social housing stock are published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in the Local Authority Performance Indicator Report. These reports provide a range of information in relation to social housing stock, including the number of social housing units in local authority ownership at a given time. The most recent report, relating to 2022, is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (26 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this end,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (26 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage I have responsibility for the Building Regulations that set out the minimum legal requirements for the construction of new buildings and certain works to existing buildings. In 2022, following a public consultation I introduced the Building Regulations (Part M Amendment) Regulations 2022 to increase the provision of changing places...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Greenways Provision (26 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Met Éireann has received the proposal regarding a walking trail which would pass through Met Éireann property on Valentia Island. In advance of making a final decision on the matter Met Éireann has sought additional details, in particular survey arrangements in relation to the archaeology present and the heritage status of the area. Once this additional information is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fuel Poverty (26 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Renewable electricity plays a crucial role in Ireland’s efforts to combat climate change. Under the Government has set an ambitious target of having an 80% share of electricity generation capacity coming from renewable sources by 2030 to create a more sustainable and resilient energy system for the future. My colleague, the Minister for Energy, Climate and Communications, has...