Results 23,681-23,700 of 26,666 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógail) - Other Questions (Resumed): Housing Provision (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will get Deputy Connolly more detail on this as I do not have the full supplementary reply. In 2022, the build target for Galway city was 305 and for Galway county the build target was 230. In 2023, the build target for the city was 219 and for Galway county it was 351. In 2020, the build target was 224 for Galway city and for Galway county the build target was 358. I do not have to...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógail) - Other Questions (Resumed): Housing Provision (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will respond very quickly because I have the height of regard for Deputy Connolly. I can point to local authorities throughout the country that are exceeding the housing targets we have set.

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógail) - Other Questions (Resumed): Housing Provision (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I know that but we have to contrast and compare as well with regard to how some local authorities can deliver at scale while we need to support others that are not delivering at scale. I encourage all local authorities, which have more funding than they have ever had. That is why we will exceed social housing targets for new builds this year. We will exceed our affordable housing delivery...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Interim Remediation Scheme for the funding of eligible emergency fire safety defect works in apartments and duplexes has been in place since December 2023. The Scheme, which is being administered by the Housing Agency on a nationwide basis, is open to applications from apartment Owners’ Management Companies (OMCs) via the Housing Agency’s website. In the period since...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Addressing homelessness is a priority for Government. Critical to supporting households to exit homelessness is increasing the supply of housing. Record state investment of over €5bn has been made available this year to support the largest State home building programme ever. Budget 2025 will provide €6bn in capital to help us to deliver more social, affordable and cost rental...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (22 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. Part 2 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 sets out the statutory arrangements for the administration of Affordable...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All commits to increasing the housing options available to older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence, including the development of a policy on right-sizing. The Housing for All policy objective to make more efficient use of existing housing stock includes tasking my Department with the development of a national policy on right-sizing and to explore...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is currently putting arrangements in place regarding a phased commencement of the enacted Planning and Development Bill 2023 to facilitate the transition to the new legislation across the planning system and to take into account the need to liaise further with local authorities, planning bodies and other stakeholders. It should be noted that the existing provisions in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82, 440 and 441 together. Tackling vacancy is a key priority for this Government. The Vacant Homes Action Plan, which I published in January 2023, built on Pathway 4 of Housing for All and set out the various actions that were being pursued to return vacant properties back into use as homes. Earlier this year I published an update on the Action Plan which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: An Ghaeltacht (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Tá Grúpa Idir-Rannach (a chuimsíonn mo Roinnse, an Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán (RTCEGSM) agus Údarás na Gaeltachta) fós ag leanúint lena chuid oibre chun treoir phleanála faoi leith a fhorbairt do cheantair Ghaeltachta. Tá Grúpa Oibre ar leith ann chomh maith atá...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All sets out the range of actions necessary to increase the supply of housing out to 2030 comprising of 54,000 affordable homes to be delivered by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency and through the First Home Scheme, which is a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks. The Plan set ambitious targets for affordable housing and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Properties (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Government maintains a strong focus on the use of vacant and underutilised public land for housing. The transfer of over 30 state owned sites to the Land Development Agency (LDA) for regeneration and development of affordable and social housing has now been agreed under the Government’s Housing for All Plan, and following assessment of state lands identified in the LDA’s...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Properties (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Land Development Agency Act 2021 (The Act) was commenced in July 2021, with a number of objectives including the regulation of relevant public land in order to increase the amount of land available for the provision of housing. In accordance with Section 53 of the Act, a relevant public body is not permitted to dispose of relevant public land unless the body has given prior notice,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (22 Oct 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. The scheme as set down in legislation, confirms eligibility where the relevant dwelling must be a house that: is located in the administrative area of a relevant local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Funding approvals are now in place to support the delivery of over 4,300 affordable homes by 21 local authorities with subsidy from the Affordable Housing Fund. The legislative framework and arrangements in place to support local authority affordable purchase schemes are proving effective. My Department, in conjunction with the Housing Delivery Co-ordination Office of the Local Government...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regional Development (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Planning Framework (NPF), 2018 is the long-term, 20-year strategy for strategic planning and sustainable development of our urban and rural areas to 2040, with the core objectives of securing balanced regional development and a sustainable ‘compact growth’ approach to the form and pattern of future development. The objective of the NPF in relation to balanced...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 421, 422 and 431 together. The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Act 1981 & 2003. My Department supports the fire...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Service Acts, 1981 & 2003. My Department supports fire authorities through general policy-setting and preparing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I can confirm that a reply to this correspondence has issued from my Department. The response provided details on the issues raised including standards, the conveyancing processes, quarry regulation, concrete manufacturing, and construction product regulation.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 425 and 463 together. The Affordable Housing Act 2021 established a framework to make affordable housing available, setting up affordable purchase and cost rental schemes for delivery by key partners. As regards local authority delivery, funding approvals are now in place to support the delivery of over 4,300 affordable homes by 21 local authorities...