Results 23,081-23,100 of 26,565 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Certainly not.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: There is no restriction on the tenants in situ scheme. I wrote to the local authorities-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Excuse me, do not interrupt me. On 5 July, I wrote to every chief executive across the country stating the targets set for them were the floor, not the ceiling. We exceeded our target last year. I expect us to do that again this year. The Deputy raised this last year as well. He said there were arbitrary targets and ceilings set regarding tenants in situ. There are not. It is a very...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: It is complex and, by the way, it is not the fault of the people in emergency accommodation. No one suggested that except Deputy Ó Broin.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. It is a very important issue. As the Deputy is aware I commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 on 22 June 2023. This was a greatly enhanced scheme where we upped the cap from €247,000 to €420,000. We adopted those regulations for that scheme on 29 June 2023. A review mechanism was included in that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. The scheme is gaining hold in the affected counties as well. We are seeing more people applying to it. I am looking at recent numbers up to 31 August. In County Clare there have been 112 applications, 1,760 in County Donegal, 38 in County Limerick and 392 in County Mayo. I will be bringing proposals around increased costs and an increased cap as well to Cabinet very...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: All I can say is, Deputy, it is subject to my bringing the memo to Cabinet, which is being prepared at the moment, with options for Cabinet to decide upon. I can say to residents and affected homeowners that they will see an increase in the cap. They will see an increase in the allowable costs, the application of which and the approval of those is subject to Cabinet approval which I expect...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy O'Sullivan. Deputy Devlin tabled the question and I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for standing in in his stead. An Bord Pleanála, as the Deputy knows, is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We can extend it past the date, should we wish. In the intervening period, I expect all permanent board members to be appointed at that stage. This is a transition period. The board is working through parallel meetings at the moment to deal with the backlog. There is a focus on residential development. An Bord Pleanála worked over a number of weeks in the summer to specifically look...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: As of August 2024, An Bord Pleanála had disposed of 2,439 cases. That was an increase of 39% from the cases disposed of. Compared to August 2023, there has been nearly a 40% increase in the number of cases disposed of so we are seeing that increase. Deputy O'Sullivan supported legislation that I brought in regarding the large-scale residential development arrangements, which came...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Economic Policy (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. The national planning framework, NPF, published in 2018, sets out a vision and strategy for the spatial development of Ireland to 2040. National policy objective 44 of the NPF specifically commits to further supporting and developing the economic potential of the Dublin-Belfast corridor, in particular the core Drogheda-Dundalk-Newry network, and to promote and enhance...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Economic Policy (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Specifically on Fingal and Balbriggan, we can look at what our Department has done with funding under the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF. We will use Balbriggan again as an example of very significant investment to improve the public realm, purchase vacant properties, open up Dublin Street, the quay, the harbour and all of that, and that work has been transformative. We want...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Economic Policy (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Fingal is a major employment zone too. Taking the airport as an example, 25,000 people are directly employed on-campus, with about 120,000 indirect jobs in that area. That is how important the airport industrial and economic zone is. Certainly, regarding remote working, specifically for Fingal, last year the local government division of my Department last year allocated €150,000 in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Which ones?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The principle of the purchase of homes of tenants in situ is one that everybody in the House supports.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Last year, we bought 1,830 homes. The original target had been 200. It was reset to 1,500 and we increased it further. Deputy Troy, the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, and I met the chief executive of Westmeath County Council yesterday. For clarification, so that everyone is clear on this, there is no ceiling on the number of homes a local authority can purchase under the scheme...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The cost-rental tenant in situ scheme is working very well and has been set up on an administrative basis.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I did not interrupt the Deputy once. I ask him to let me answer. The cost-rental tenant in situ scheme does exist. It is administered by the Housing Agency and we have purchased more than 200 homes in that space already.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Let me answer the question.