Results 23,361-23,380 of 26,783 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (18 Sep 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. I set up an Implementation Steering Group for the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Grant scheme, comprising officials from the relevant local authorities, my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Community Development Projects (18 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In terms of planning, providing, enabling and supporting allotments, legislation is in place in the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) and the Local Government Act 2001 (as amended) to identify locations in development plans for allotment development, and to establish allotments as a part of local government’s role in promoting the interests of local communities. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (18 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Both the Tenant in-Situ and Cost Rental Tenant in-Situ schemes support households who are at risk of homelessness. For 2023 and 2024, the Government agreed that there would be increased provision for social housing acquisitions and my Department provided funding for Local Authorities to acquire 1,500 social homes. The additional acquisitions have primarily focused on properties where a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (18 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 424 and 425 together. The Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) aims to retrofit a local authority home to a BER of B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent. It is expected that 36,500 local authority owned homes will be retrofitted under this programme out to 2030. An annualised breakdown of the total funding provided and the number of properties upgraded under...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (18 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Responsibilities of Owners’ Management Companies (OMC) to their members are set out in the Multi-Unit Developments (MUDS) Act 2011. In relation to developments where concerns over fire safety issues arise, when a building is constructed and occupied, statutory responsibility for safety is assigned under section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003, to the ‘person...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (18 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support available for people who have a long-term housing need. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. Eligible households can source their own accommodation in the private rental sector which should be within the HAP rent limits provided to them by the local authority. Maximum...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (18 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, fire safety and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. These Regulations apply to all properties let or available for let....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (25 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 58, 59, 60 and 61 together. I have committed to establishing a Stakeholder Forum which will meet in the coming months and which will include stakeholders with an interest in the policy areas under the remit of the NPWS. The Forum will adhere to the consultation principles set out in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Consultation Principles and...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Senators. It is good to be back with them again today. A comment was made concerning rushing this legislation or there having been no consultation on it and this being an attack on democracy. I again put on the record of the House that this Bill was approved by the Government in December 2022, published in January 2023 and underwent widespread consultation and pre-legislative...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I am sorry. I listened to-----

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I actually did listen to the Senator. I respect the points she has raised and I will endeavour to address them. I cannot, however, leave a charge she has made unanswered. I think it is appropriate that I give my opinion whether the Senator agrees with it or not. It is not just my opinion; there are the facts here too. We have had nearly 200 hours of debate in the Oireachtas on this...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I have addressed them. I could actually-----

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: That is fine.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Regarding the periodic critical review, as the OPR was established in 2019, the PCR is now due to be undertaken. Informal meetings have been held between my Department and the OPR regarding the periodic critical review process. Officials in both the Department of Housing and OPR are currently engaging in an information-gathering exercise in advance of the formal PCR commencing. As part of...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: To answer Senator Boyhan directly, I expect the review to commence this year. As he rightly said, regardless of electoral cycles or when the election happens, the preparatory work has commenced. My officials have been meeting with officials in the OPR already. The information gathering piece is there. It is important that it is done. The office has been in place for five years or...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: There are quite a lot of amendments in this group and there are Government amendments as well. I will address amendments Nos. 115, 116, 118 to 122, inclusive, 126, 143, 145 and 146 as tabled by Senators Higgins, Ruane, Black and Flynn, and amendments Nos. 123, 124, 125, 127 to 130, inclusive, 132, 133, 136, 137 and 141 as tabled by Senators Boyhan and McDowell. We were talking about the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: European Union (26 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Gweedore waste water treatment was originally included in proceedings against Ireland taken by the European Commission but this was withdrawn in 2017. In July 2022 Uisce Éireann, in partnership with Donegal County Council, completed an innovative project for waste water treatment in Gweedore. This new scheme will ultimately lead to a reduction in the reliance on septic tanks in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (26 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: As provided for in the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019, the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) was formally established on 1 February 2021. AHBRA is an independent body tasked with providing the regulation of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for the purposes of protecting housing assets provided or managed by such bodies. The register of AHBs...

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

Darragh O'Brien: It is the case that, as with the large majority of development types, there are currently no specific planning guidelines in place in respect of solar energy developments. Proposals for individual solar energy developments are subject to the statutory requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, in the same manner as other proposed developments, with planning...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (26 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Generally social housing rents are linked a tenant’s income. My Department provides a range of funding streams, through local authorities, to assist Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) with the delivery of social housing, examples of which include the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) with a Payment and Availability Agreement, or the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS). The Capital Loan...