Results 9,461-9,480 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (28 Jul 2020)

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 Services Acts, 1981 and 2003.  My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (28 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In advance of the formal establishment of the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority, as provided for by the Housing (Regulation of the Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019, the oversight of approved housing bodies (AHBs) is conducted through the Voluntary Regulation Code (the Code), "Building for the Future, A Voluntary Regulation Code for Approved Housing Bodies in Ireland" underpinned...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (28 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The acquisition of properties on the private market for use as social housing has been an important delivery channel, focusing on priority situations, with local authorities seeking to ensure that they do not interfere unduly with the local private market and secure good value for money to meet local housing needs. The Programme for Government commits to increase our...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (28 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware of the recent Supreme Court judgment to which the Question refers, concerning the leave to apply for substitute consent system under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended and its compatibility with the EIA Directive. The judgment and its implications are currently being examined by my Department, which is working to ensure that any measures necessary to address the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Estates (28 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The role of the Minister in relation to the planning system is, primarily, to provide a policy and legislative framework under which the planning authorities, An Bord Pleanála and the Office of the Planning Regulator perform their statutory planning functions.  Under section 30 of the Planning Act, the Minister is specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: As previously advised in response to Parliamentary Question No. 1193 of 3 June 2020, I have no objection, in principle, to the recommendation of the Workplace Relations Commission to increase the retirement age of retained firefighters from 58 to 60 years of age.  However, such an increase would require, inter alia, the amendment of primary legislation, namely, the Public Service...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Horticulture Sector (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware of the recent Supreme Court judgment to which the Question refers, concerning the leave to apply for substitute consent system under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and its compatibility with the EU Environmental Impact Assessment Directive. The judgment and its implications for the planning system are currently being examined by my Department, in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 144 together. The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, commits to improving security and affordability for renters. To achieve that, we will develop a Cost Rental model for delivery of housing that creates affordability for tenants and a sustainable model for construction and management of homes. Cost Rental is housing where the rents charged...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Freedom of Information (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Thirteen freedom of information requests are currently being processed in my Department. Two of these have had the deadline for reply extended; one formally, in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act due to the volume of records involved and one informally, by agreement with the requester. No requests are therefore overdue.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 147 together. Over the course of 2014/ 2015, an External Validation Group (EVG) commissioned by the Management Board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM), visited each of the 27 fire services in the country. External validation was a new feedback/ review process, introduced by the “Keeping Communities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Following engagement at sectoral level with local authorities regarding the nationwide voids programme under the July stimulus the call for detailed proposals will issue imminently to individual local authorities.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Water (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. In relation to the July Jobs Stimulus Package, the additional capital funding is to be provided to Irish Water to will allow for an acceleration of the leakage reduction programme. Funding for the leakage reduction...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Details of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, up to 2018, are available on my Department's website at the following link: . The following table contains details of the exchequer funding drawn down by local authorities for the grants up to 31 December 2019, and up to 30 June 2020. Each local authority provides an additional 20% own contribution. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability currently provides up to 95% grant funding under the Scheme. The Scheme facilitates older people and people with a disability to remain living independently in their own homes. Funding of €73.75 million is available nationally in 2020 and has been increasing year on year since 2014. As part of the annual...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 152, 156, 160 and 164 together. In terms of measures taken by my Department to assist local authorities with the financial challenges they are experiencing since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, as a short term measure €136 million was made available to local authorities as cash flow support in early April, in order to ensure that vital...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF), €310 million has been allocated to provide infrastructure to support the delivery of more affordable homes on local authority lands. With a maximum of €50,000 funding available per home, at least 6,200 more affordable homes, to buy or rent, can be facilitated. To date, Serviced Sites Funding of €127 million has been approved in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 162 together. Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The purpose of the SSHA is to capture the total number of households qualified for social housing support across the country whose social housing need has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Agency provides a central support service which assesses applications for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan on behalf of local authorities and makes recommendations to the authorities to approve or refuse applications. Each local authority must have in place a credit committee and it is a matter for the committee to make the decision on applications for loans, in accordance with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Since 2014, Exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. This funding was initially introduced to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted at ensuring minimal turnaround and re-let times for local authority vacant stock. In relation to the Voids Programme for 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 158 and 166 together. The levying and collection of rates are legally matters for each individual local authority. Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes. An initial three-month waiver of rates for businesses forced to close business due to COVID-19 was announced in early May. ...