Results 23,721-23,740 of 26,666 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: I am satisfied investment funds are not impeding the provision of affordable housing by the State. Indeed, the latest data suggest we are on target to meet this year's target of 6,400 affordable housing supports. Almost 2,700 affordable housing supports have been delivered in the first six months to end-June 2024, more than double the quantum delivered in the same period in 2023, with a...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Group Water Schemes (GWS) are community-owned and community-run organisations supplying drinking water to their local members. My Department provides capital and operational support to GWS through funding under the Rural Water Programme Group. The responsibility for the implementation of the Programme is devolved to individual local authorities. Each local authority has a Rural Water...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My department monitors house price inflation on an on-going basis and will continue to do so. Prices are down from a peak of 15% for the year to end-March 2022 and the medium-term outlook vis-à-vis house price growth is positive. Prices are expected to moderate in the latter half of the year and into 2025, with mid-single digit growth forecast for next year. The latest data...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Data on new home commencements are published monthly on my department's website at the following link: . Data are not availability on a tenure-by-tenure basis i.e. affordable, social, private rental, etc. Planning permission data, which are probably the best indicator of future new home starts, are published quarterly by the CSO at the following link: . The recent data suggest the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (23 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to Question No. 345 of 15 October 2024, which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Arts Centres (23 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 107 together. A flagship element of Project Ireland 2040, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) was one of four new funds established under the National Development Plan (NDP) 2018 – 2027. Launched in 2018 with committed Exchequer funding of €2 billion the review of the NDP in 2021 extended the URDF to 2030. The URDF...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (23 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 with subsidy from the Affordable Housing Fund. The legislative...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. Under the plan, there was provision for 200 social housing acquisitions each year. However, for 2023 and 2024, the Government has agreed that there will be increased provision for social housing acquisitions and the Department will fund...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (23 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (23 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Tackling vacancy and dereliction 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 shows the significant progress that is being...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (23 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 provides for the current grant scheme, and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The scheme facilitates the remediation of existing houses that have been damaged by the use of defective concrete blocks. The construction of new separate additional...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Anois, an fhírinne. Ní aontaím leis an Teachta Doherty. Tá Sinn Féin i gcoinne gach rud agus gach plean a chuireann an Rialtas os comhair an phobail. Tá sé soiléir go bhfuil siad i gcoinne úinéireacht tí. Tá siad i gcoinne an deontais do dhaoine atá ag iarraidh a gcuid tithe féin a cheannach don chéad uair....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I can give loads of examples. The Deputy's party in this city alone-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I did not interrupt the Deputy once.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy's party-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Tá an fear feargach ar ais arís.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Stop for a second; just relax. It will disappoint Deputy Doherty that we will exceed our target substantially this year, as we have done in every year of Housing for All. We have delivered 125,000 new homes. More than 500 first-time buyers a week are drawing down their mortgages using the supports this Government brought in, such as the help-to-buy grant. For people watching in, the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Beidh díomá ar an Teachta because déanfaimid níos mó ná ár sprioc an bhliain seo. Táim cinnte faoi sin. We will deliver high 30,000s or early 40,000s this year. I talk to people who are building and I am out around the Twenty-Six Counties of the Republic. Deutsche Bank's report confidently predicts over 40,000 units this year. Cairn, one of the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Come on, Deputy. Stop now.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Pearse, can I-----