Results 10,061-10,080 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Functions (20 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 285 to 287, inclusive, together. My Department has responsibility for the Local Government system, which in turn, has responsibility for the provision of allotments and community gardens. Further to Covid-19 public health restrictions, the classifying of essential services is a matter for the Department of Health and the National Public Health Emergency Team...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Offices (20 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides breastfeeding employees with access to flexible spaces across all our office locations in Dublin, Wexford, Ballina and in Met Éireann. These spaces include wellbeing rooms and rest rooms. Each one is shielded from view and is free from intrusion by co-workers or the public and is provided with appropriate furniture. Although currently demand does not exist...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Government Fund (20 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In 2021, the Exchequer, via my Department's vote, will allocate €192m to the Local Government Fund, an increase of €36m on 2020. The vast majority of this funding is already committed and will be used for Local Property Tax equalisation and to support local authorities with increased pay and pension costs arising from the unwinding of FEMPI legislation. A further...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The details attached reflect the estimated current and capital allocations for 2021 in respect of each relevant programmes under Vote 34, on the basis of the financial provision made for my Department in the Expenditure Report 2021 published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform following decisions made in the context of Budget 2021.  Further detailed...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under my Department's Serviced Sites Fund (SSF), €310 million has been allocated to provide infrastructure to support the delivery of more affordable new homes for purchase or rent in those areas where local authorities have identified an affordability challenge and the viability to deliver homes and below open market purchase prices.  Funding under the SSF is available for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 102 together. I can confirm that in July 2020 an application for grant funding under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) was formally submitted by Dublin City Council (DCC) to my Department in respect of the proposed development in Emmet Road, Inchicore of 375 Cost Rental units. This site has been identified as a pilot Cost Rental scheme and my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 104 together. This Government is committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society, and this is reflected in the Programme for Government "Our Shared Future". The Programme commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system through the progression of State-backed affordable...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Budget 2021 provides for an unprecedented level of funding to deliver housing programmes next year through an overall investment of €3.3 billion, an increase of €641m (24%) on 2020. This investment will ensure that the housing needs of over 28,500 households are met in 2021. This includes delivering 12,750 social homes through Build, Acquisition and Leasing. The funding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the terms of the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), local authorities retain the responsibility to source alternative accommodation for a household accommodated under the RAS scheme, should the dwelling that the household is living in become unavailable.  In such circumstances, it is a matter for the local authority to secure suitable alternative accommodation for the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The report referred to by the Deputy was published in 2019.  Since then, the monthly homeless reports published by my Department have confirmed a reduction of 15% in the overall number of individuals, and a reduction of 35% in the overall number of families, experiencing homelessness. Supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness is a priority for this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I have established a Homelessness Task Force, to inter alia, provide a forum for engagement with key organisations working to address homelessness priorities and to provide input on the implementation of the commitments on homelessness in the Programme for Government. The membership of the taskforce consists of the Chief Executives of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, Crosscare,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I have established a  High Level Housing Delivery Group, to inter alia, provide a forum for engagement with key housing delivery partners and to provide input on the implementation of the commitments on housing delivery in the Programme for Government. The membership of the Group consists of representatives from the City and County Management...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes in their areas.  My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 112 together. My Department publishes information on the overall number and value of (i) local authority loan approvals and (ii) local authority loan drawdowns. Local authority approval means that an official letter of offer has been sent to a borrower (and therefore relates to a specific property and loan amount). My Department has issued data...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Consultation Process (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In order to comply with Ireland’s obligations under the Water Framework Directive, and as signalled in the River Basin Management Plan published in April 2018, the Government recently approved a General Scheme of a Water Environment (Abstractions) Bill, which will introduce risk-based controls over the abstraction of water.  A six-week public consultation on a draft General Scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the statutory role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level.    In the context of the current response to COVID-19, my Department is working closely with Dublin Regional Homelessness Executive (DRHE),...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The regulations for the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme came in to operation on 31 January 2020.  The Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the counties of Donegal and Mayo only, to carry...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Leases (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In accordance with section 55 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, a local authority can request the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to provide such information in her possession as the authority may reasonably require for the purpose of performing its functions under the Housing Acts.   This includes provision of information on social...

Residential Tenancies Bill 2020: Order for Second Stage (22 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Residential Tenancies Bill 2020: Second Stage (22 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am grateful to the Ceann Comhairle and all Deputies and Senators for facilitating the urgent passage of this critical legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas. This evening I am asking Deputies to pass the Bill in order to help mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on tenants and to support the Government's efforts to restrict the...