Results 9,481-9,500 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: Detailed provisions in relation to the preservation of trees are set out in section 205 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. Under these provisions, planning authorities may - where it appears to them to be expedient in the interests of amenity or the environment - make a tree preservation order (TPO) in respect of any tree, trees, group of trees or woodlands specified in the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Serviced Sites Fund, €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: 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...

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

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.  Since 2014, Exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department's Voids...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 325 of 7 July 2020; the position remains unchanged. It is a matter for Dun-Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to determine, in the first instance, the most appropriate response to the need for social housing supports in their area and to make the necessary application to my Department for consideration.

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

Darragh O'Brien: On Monday, 13th July, planning permission was granted by An Bord Pleanála for the development of 597 homes at Shanganagh Castle, Shankill.  It is intended to comprise 306 Cost Rental homes, 200 social homes, and 91 homes for sale under the Affordable Purchase scheme.  Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) is working in partnership with the Land...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputies for their amendment and I understand the reason for which it was tabled. However, I cannot accept the Labour Party amendment to provide the Government with power to extend the new emergency period. I am of the view, as I stated on Second Stage, that all parties should have an input into any further legislation required in this area. I commit to facilitating that. ...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: For the genuine information of Deputy McGrath, no one is looking for an extension in this grouping of amendments. I will put section 4 in context first, and then I will deal with some of the queries and points raised by other Members. It might be helpful if I set out the purpose of section 4 of the Bill. I wish to make it clear to those who tabled amendments on behalf of the Opposition,...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I will reply to Deputy Ó Broin and give him the respect of using the title he earned by being elected to the House. If he wants me to refer to him as Eoin, I will do so also.

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: That is okay. All of us earnestly hope that a second wave does not present itself. If that does happen, we will consider the public health measures that would be required. The ESRI research is independent, rather than a survey on a party's website that asks people to click on a link. It has signalled the issue of potential and actual rent arrears. That is why the Bill focuses directly...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I am not shaking my head.

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputies for raising their various points. I will shortly deal with the specific queries Deputy Boyd Barrett had. Swearing a declaration is not a new provision. It is illegal to make a false declaration. That is not new and refers to a previous Act. In instances where somebody unintentionally does so, the RTB will obviously have discretion and will be asked to exercise its...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 6: In page 5, to delete lines 16 to 18 and substitute the following: "(3) Section 6 of the Act of 2004 is amended, in subsection (1), by the insertion immediately after "this Act" of "orsection 4of the Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act 2020.". These are very technical amendments that are just for drafting purposes to tidy up the language. I have nothing...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 7: In page 5, to delete line 19 and substitute the following: "(4)Section 9 of the Act of 2004 is amended by—".

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Members for their contributions and the amendments that have been put forward. I will deal individually with the items that have been raised. Perhaps I will deal with the section first and then try to respond to the queries. We have to look at the provisions that are in place now and the basis of those provisions, which is emergency legislation. What I and the Government will...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Let us be clear about it. If we are being adult and honest about it, that is what it is seeking in its amendment. The declaration does not mean that a tenant or relevant person engaging in anti-social behaviour will be allowed to wreak havoc until January 2021. I heard Deputy Ó Broin comment on this both publicly and privately. That person's tenancy can be terminated in accordance...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: No. What I am saying is that such tenants are not covered under these protections.

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: They can-----

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: That is not appropriate. If Deputy Ó Broin does not wish to hear the proper legal advice or a response to the amendments that have been tabled, that is fine. A tenant who wreaks havoc and engages in serious anti-social behaviour will not be protected under this legislation. It is as simple as that. Deputy Ó Broin can carry on in the disrespectful manner in which he has been...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I have listened to Tadhg an dá thaobh for most of the day, so let us just focus on what we need to do to bring in real protections for people. The key focus of section 4 is to assist tenants faced with adverse economic impacts on foot of the Covid-19 pandemic and who find themselves unable to pay rent and at a significant risk of having their tenancy terminated. It is not the case that...