Results 9,741-9,760 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Impact Assessments (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: On 12 November 2019, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued its judgment in case C-261/18, which followed on from the judgment in case C-215/06. These judgments will be complied with when the Derrybrien Wind Farm, which is owned and operated by a subsidiary of the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), is subjected to a retrospective Environmental Impact Assessment - otherwise known as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Water Services Acts 2007 and 2012 (Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems) Regulations 2012, the owner of a domestic waste water treatment system is responsible for its maintenance and renewal and shall ensure that its parts and components are fit for purpose, operational where appropriate and kept in good order and repair so as to prevent a risk to human health or environment. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Licence Applications (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware of some delays in my Department this year in processing deer hunting licence applications and I am aware that many deer hunters have not received their licenses yet this year. The delays arise as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 public health emergency and the effects this has had on travel and working arrangements. While staff in the unit that deals with the issuing of licenses...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding to local authorities, including Roscommon County Council, to support a broad range of social housing programmes, including the delivery of new social housing homes through build, acquisition and leasing and programmes which support maintenance, upgrades and improvement works to existing social housing stock. All local authorities, including Roscommon County...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department continues to make every effort to assist local authorities with the financial challenges they are experiencing since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, including cash flow support by bringing forward payments where possible, so that the vital services that local authorities deliver can be maintained. In early April an advance of €136m of LPT allocations was made to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Property Tax (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government – Our Shared Future, sets out a range of actions that relate to local authority funding. The Programme commits to bringing forward legislation for the Local Property Tax (LPT) on the basis of fairness and that most homeowners will face no increase. It also states that those counties with a lower LPT base will be adjusted via an annual national equalisation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (24 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Cork Event Centre is included as a commitment under Project Ireland 2040 and it underlines the Government’s objectives around urban regeneration, enhanced amenity and heritage, associated quality of life standards, balanced regional development, and the regeneration and development of Cork City Centre. It was agreed in the context of Budget 2020 that responsibility at central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Plant Species (24 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Invasive alien species legislation is contained within the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds & Natural Habitats) Regulations, SI 477 of 2011. Legal responsibility for the eradication, containment or management of invasive alien species resides with the landowner.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (24 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The regular management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, is a matter for each relevant local authority, and it is open to each authority to address maintenance or improvements to their housing stock from within their own resources. However, my Department also supports local authorities to improve their social housing stock through a range of programmes energy retrofitting,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (24 Sep 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: Planning Issues (24 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: An Bord Pleanála was established in 1977 under the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1976 and is an independent statutory body responsible for the determination of appeals and certain other matters under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and the determination of applications for strategic infrastructure development including major road and railway cases....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme (24 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: As of 30 June 2020, there were 17,887 active tenancies supported under the Rental Accommodation Scheme.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Hare Coursing (24 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 124 together. On 16 September last my Department issued licenses under the Wildlife Acts to the Irish Coursing Club on behalf of its affiliated clubs to net and tag hares for the forthcoming 2020/2021 coursing season.The licenses are published on the website of the National Parks and Wildlife Service at the following link: .

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (24 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The most recent amendments to the taking in charge provisions of the planning code were made in the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2018 with a view to further strengthening and streamlining the taking-in-charge process. I have no current plans to conduct a review of the taking-in-charge provisions of the Act. Management companies are not covered under the taking in charge process,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Charges (24 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning and delivery. Irish Water charging policy is also subject to approval by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU). In this regard, my Department is maintaining close contact with Irish Water in relation to its response to the COVID-19 Emergency, while also liaising with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (24 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware that that there have been a number of deaths of individuals accessing homeless services this year and I would take the opportunity to offer my condolences to the family and friends of those individuals. However, my Department does not hold specific details in this regard. Supporting households experiencing homelessness is a priority for this Government and the Programme for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Archaeological Sites (29 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The archaeological monument most directly associated with the development site in this case is included in the Record of Monuments and Places (“RMP”) established under section 12 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994.  While the published RMP for each county provides illustrative guidance of the area and scale of listed monuments, it also clarifies that the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Protection Areas (29 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In response to a question on this matter from the Deputy last March, the then Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht advised that “At the request of the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, my Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) completed and published detailed site-specific conservation objectives for the Gearagh SAC (000108) in September...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Natural Heritage Areas (29 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 422 of 30 July 2020.  The role for the National Parks and Wildlife Service in this matter is to continue to provide expert support to the EPA and the Forest Service in delivering their statutory functions in relation to woodlands, and to consider Toon Wood as an NHA to protect the remaining woodland and woodland areas on the site that can be recovered...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks (29 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer  to the reply to Question No. 114 of 23 July 2020. The National Parks and Wildlife Service secured €500K under the Outdoor Recreational Infrastructure Scheme towards improving public access, including the provision of new parking facilities at the site in question. Works are currently underway and are expected to be completed before year end...