Results 10,221-10,240 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (10 Nov 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 role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and associated services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pension Provisions (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: A reply to the representation in question issued on 6 November 2020. The subject matter of the representation is currently under active consideration.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Flood Prevention Measures (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The report referred to in PQ No. 601 of 3 November 2020 will be furnished directly to the Deputy. This report, by a highly experienced farm planner, gathered a large amount of complex information which is site-specific for Lough Funshinagh. The report was produced to inform the discussions concerning Lough Funshinagh and issues around flooded land. The report will be further shared with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: A second call for proposals under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund was launched earlier this year. Seventy six proposals were received, with every local authority submitting at least one application for URDF support. Because of the nature of the URDF programme the proposals are very complex, and each will require detailed assessment. The assessment process is under way....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. The oversight and management of the lists of qualified households awaiting accommodation, including the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The information sought is set out in the table. It should be noted that my Department has seen several structural changes since 2016 as a result of various transfer of functions processes. Accordingly, the figures in the table will, of necessity, include posts which may have since moved from my Department to other Departments as part of the transfer out of Environment and Community...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hare Coursing (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government has spelt out specific areas where certain activities could continue during the current COVID-19 Level 5 Phase. While it was noted that horse racing and greyhound racing were given a special dispensation by Government to continue behind closed doors, it was not clear to my Department that the body in question had an exemption to continue its activities. However, that body was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Game Hunting (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I can confirm that there has been no change to the open season order in question.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In Budget 2021, the total funding being made available for the delivery of housing programmes was €3.3 billion. From this sum, €468 million will be specifically provided to support housing affordability measures. This includes the Serviced Sites Fund, the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan and the Land Development Agency (LDA)....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities offer fixed-rate annuity finance to eligible Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan (RIHL) borrowers at rates of 2.745% and 2.995% per annum, for twenty five and thirty years respectively. There is an additional mortgage protection insurance premium of 0.555%. The 2.745% (2.995%) interest charged to RIHL borrowers can be broken down as follows: - Local authorities borrow from...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes quarterly statistics on local authority mortgage arrears on its website on the following link: , which shows data up to 30 June 2020. This dataset provides information on arrears on all local authority mortgage lending, including the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan (RIHL). Separately, the Department collects information on arrears on the RIHL. Provisional data for 31...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 98 together. In Budget 2021, the total funding being made available for the delivery of housing programmes was €3.3 billion. From this sum, €468 million will be specifically provided to support housing affordability measures. This includes the Serviced Sites Fund, the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund, the Rebuilding Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: National Policy Objective 37 of the National Planning Framework requires that each local authority should undertake a "Housing Need and Demand Assessment" for their area. This will be important in estimating likely future housing need across tenures, including social housing need. Work on the development of the HNDA process is ongoing in my Department. Research on population projections...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The 2005 Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines are framed in the context of the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) 2002. Given the superseding of the NSS by the National Planning Framework in 2018, together with the need to address the potential implications of the 2013 European Court of Justice ruling in the "Flemish Decree" case, there is now merit in updating the Sustainable Rural Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Further to finalisation of three three Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies between June 2019 and January 2020, review of City and County Development Plans has commenced in many local authorities, overseen for the first time by the Office of the Planning Regulator. The process of alignment between plans will continue into 2021 and when complete, will be the first time that there is an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 108 together. The Office of Public Works provides accommodation for Government Services and manages a significant proportion of the State’s property portfolio. No part of my Department rents office accommodation from the company named. The information requested in relation to bodies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Water (11 Nov 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. The day-to-day operation of the public water system, including the leakage reduction programme, is therefore a matter for Irish Water and I have no function in relation to this matter. Additional capital funding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: An Bord Pleanála (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department engages with An Bord Pleanála on an ongoing basis to ensure that it has the appropriate resources to perform its broad range of functions which includes planning appeals, strategic infrastructure and strategic housing development planning applications, vacant site levy appeals and other matters which are submitted for determination under Planning and Development, Water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. The 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. The 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands...