Results 10,501-10,520 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (8 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 288 and 289 together. Guidelines on inter-authority movement were issued to local authorities to facilitate the movement of Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) households from one local authority area to another in cases where a HAP tenant wishes to access rented accommodation, with HAP support, in another local authority area. Inter authority movement is,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme (8 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency. The provisions of the Act apply only to dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave consequent on the presence of reactive pyrite in the subfloor hardcore material and not to damage...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (8 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the link below: This represents the current position in respect of housing capital expenditure claims from local authorities which are at various stages of processing in my Department. My Department provides funding to local authorities on an ongoing basis as housing projects are progressed.  As such, the position in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (8 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) and the Buy and Renew Scheme (B&R) are complementary schemes which were developed to assist private property owners and local authorities or approved housing bodies (AHBs) to harness the accommodation potential that exists in vacant dwellings. At end Q2 2020, a total of 185 dwellings had been brought back into use under the RLS scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: An Bord Pleanála (8 Dec 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 with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for proposed strategic infrastructure including strategic housing development and other matters under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (8 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The regulations governing the minimum standards in rented accommodation - The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 - specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural condition, sanitary facilities, food preparation, storage and laundry, the availability of adequate heating, lighting and ventilation, the safety of oil, electricity and gas...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (8 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The ‘15 minute city’ has gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The idea of the 15 minute city has been championed by the Paris mayor, Anne Hidalgo, to promote communities in which people can live and access most of their daily needs within 15 minutes of active transport, i.e. walking or cycling.  This approach has been interpreted within the Regional Spatial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (8 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Disability Act 2005, public service bodies have a duty to promote and support the employment of people with disabilities and to ensure that at least 3% of their employees are people with disabilities. In addition the Department has a statutory requirement to maintain accurate records on the number of staff with disabilities in the Department. To meet this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department will ensure that all the requirements of the Work Safely Protocol issued 20 November 2020, are implemented, as appropriate, with particular reference to the contents of section D3 of that Protocol. My Department has introduced a COVID-19 Response Plan which was formulated after extensive consultation with all staff, including Lead Worker Representatives. This plan...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (9 Dec 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: Illness Benefit (9 Dec 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: Departmental Bodies Data (9 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In the overwhelming majority of cases, according to the governing statutes of the State bodies in question, I as Minister appoint the members of the Boards of the State bodies under the aegis of my Department.  However, the selection processes in respect of suitable candidates for Board membership differ considerably, from campaigns conducted by the Public Appointments Service, where a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (10 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien:  Where an AHB acquires units for social housing under Part V, the tenancy relationship is between the tenant and the AHB who manages the properties. The local authority has responsibility for ensuring the AHB are providing social housing to the appropriate standards set out in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019.  The AHB has responsibility for ensuring that...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Within my Department, Budget 2021 provided for a suite of affordable housing measures totaling €468 million, which represents 14% of the total Housing Budget. This will be utilised across two new programmes to deliver affordable homes to purchase and rent, the existing Serviced Sites Fund, the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan and through...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (10 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not allocate funding to local authorities specifically for the provision of social housing for persons with disability. Local authorities, as well as approved housing bodies, are funded for the delivery of social housing against the targets that have been set for them and as part of this delivery, they will provide and allocate housing as appropriate to people...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (10 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. With very limited exemptions, these apply to all private rented residential accommodation. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (10 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Part IV of the Housing Act 1966 deals with overcrowding and establishes effective limits on the numbers of people that can occupy the same bedroom.  The Act requires, inter alia, that there is at least 400 cubic feet of free air space for each person in a bedroom. Local Authorities are responsible for the enforcement of this legislation. Under the Act, a housing authority may...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (10 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 257 and 261 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 most recent summary, conducted in June 2019, shows that 68,693 households were assessed as qualified for and being in need of social housing support....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (10 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: At the end of Q3 2020, almost 83,000 HAP tenancies had been set-up since the scheme commenced, of which there were more than 58,200 households actively in receipt of HAP support and over 32,000 separate landlords and agents providing accommodation to households supported by the scheme. The number of active HAP tenancies at end 2018, 2019 and at Q3 2020 are set out in the table...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (10 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 259 and 260 together. The Programme for Government, 'Our Shared Future', commits the Government to the development of a new Cost Rental housing sector in Ireland, in which the rents charged will be set to cover the costs of delivering, managing, and maintaining the homes. A number of work strands are underway to deliver Cost Rental housing, with State...