Results 23,441-23,460 of 26,666 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (8 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In January this year, I launched the next cycle of the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP) for the period 2024 to 2026. The MARWP is the main funding stream providing capital funding to address the challenges faced by Group Water Schemes in maintaining, renewing and developing their systems and networks. The overall purpose of the MARWP, and other grants available under the Rural...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (8 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: National policy in relation to the provision of access to national roads is set out in the Spatial Planning and National Roads Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2012) which were issued by the Minister under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. Section 28 requires that planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála shall have regard to Ministerial guidelines in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Budget 2025 (8 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Abridged Estimates for Public Services (AEV) are published as part of the Expenditure Report with the expenditure allocations for Votes limited to programme level only. As such the subhead allocations are draft only and may be subject to change. The Revised Estimates Volume for Public Services (REV) will be published by the Minister of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and &...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Budget 2025 (8 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Abridged Estimates for Public Services (AEV) are published as part of the Expenditure Report with the expenditure allocations for Votes limited to programme level only. As such the subhead allocations are draft only and may be subject to change. The Revised Estimates Volume for Public Services (REV) will be published by the Minister of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and &...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (8 Oct 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 an average of 10,000 new build social homes each year in the period to 2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government has targeted delivery of 54,000 affordable homes between now and 2030, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency and via the First Home scheme, a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks. The Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) funding is available to Approved Housing Bodies who provide cost rental homes. Overall...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme, designed to help bridge the gap for eligible first-time buyers, eligible homebuyers, and self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). Full details are available on the First Home Scheme website, www.firsthomescheme.ie. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government has targeted delivery of 54,000 affordable homes between now and 2030, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency and via the First Home scheme, a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks. In the case of the Local Authority Affordable Purchase scheme, the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) is available to local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (8 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: A total in excess of €279m is being provided in 2025 for my Department’s planning programme, of which €63 million relates to current services and €216 million for capital expenditure. This current allocation allows for investment in the resourcing of the planning system, including staffing levels for An Bord Pleanála, as well as enhancing sanctioned staffing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing First approach to addressing homelessness places direct access to housing first and foremost for vulnerable individuals using homeless services consistently or intermittently over long periods of time, and those unable or resistant to accessing homeless services and who may then become habitual rough sleepers. These individuals often have complex high support needs such as mental...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Charges (8 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: On 25 April 2023, the Government approved additional measures under the Housing for All Action Plan to incentivise the activation of increased housing supply and help reduce housing construction costs, including the introduction of temporary time-limited arrangements for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions and the refunding of Uisce Éireann...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (8 Oct 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: Vacant Properties (8 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: [Table to follow].

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (8 Oct 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: Housing Schemes (8 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: From 1 May 2023, when a HAP tenant defaults on their differential rent payment to the local authority they will be offered the option of a payment plan to assist them in maintaining their tenancy and allow the HAP payment to the landlord to continue. If the tenant defaults on payment of differential rent or the payment plan, under the Landlord Payment Guarantee, the HAP payment to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (8 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government is committed under Housing for All to developing a roadmap to implement minimum Building Energy Rating (BER) standards, where feasible, for the private rental sector. This action is aimed at both improving the quality of housing stock available to rent and contributing to meeting our overall national climate targets in relation to emissions reduction. It will increase energy...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Ó Broin. We did discuss this matter. I welcome the support for the Bill. We know that in the instance of multiple occupancy, cost-rental tenants derive a number of benefits such as security of tenure, below-market rents and high-quality housing. However, in some cases it is envisaged that incomes could rise and, as individual circumstances change, there may be...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I have met cost rental tenants, single individuals, who have rented cost rental properties on their own. This mechanism is not brought in as a cost reduction measure for the AHB partners or indeed the LDA partners. The Deputy will have a view on that. I will just say it is not. As the Deputy has outlined already, at different times of their lives, people may want to share. Right now, the...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: While it is a relevant point, it is not relevant to the legislation or indeed the section we are dealing with.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Through the Chair, this is not oral questions. We are dealing with important legislation here. A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, we can go down the road of me answering questions on every aspect of housing policy. Just to be fair to Deputy Healy-Rae on this, in respect of tenant purchase schemes through local authorities, they exist and are in place right now. The help to buy grant is a matter for...