Results 10,941-10,960 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage for first-time buyers and has been made available nationwide from local authorities from 1 February 2018. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to build your own home. Section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in the annual Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The SSHA provides details of the numbers of households across a number of categories but does not include a breakdown by electoral area. The most recently published SSHA relates to data in June 2019 and shows that the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government, ‘Our Shared Future’, commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system, which the Government has prioritised in Budget 2021 by providing for a suite of affordable housing measures totalling €468 million. This will be utilised across two new programmes announced in Budget 2021 to deliver affordable homes to purchase or rent,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Water (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 12 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer, by Ministerial Order, of the property of a water services authority (a city council, county council or city and county council) to Irish Water. This transfer of assets arises solely in the context of the establishment of Irish Water which, since 1 January 2014, has assumed statutory responsibility for all aspects...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Increasing the supply of housing, particularly new build social and affordable is a priority for me and for this Government. The Programme for Government commits to increasing the social housing stock by more than 50,000, with an emphasis on new builds. Budget 2021 provides €3.3 billion for the delivery of housing. Subject to the impact of the Covid related restrictions on the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The response to the collective complaint brought by the International Federation for Human Rights to the European Committee of Social Rights in relation to a number of articles of the Revised European Social Charter was led by the Department of Foreign Affairs. Any legal costs arising from the complaint are dealt with by that Department. Any staffing or resource costs arising for my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is available to all eligible households throughout the State. Under HAP, a tenant sources their own accommodation in the private rented market. The tenancy agreement is between the tenant and the landlord and is governed by the Residential Tenancies Acts. Under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts cover tenancies in the private rental sector. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 amended the 2004 Residential Tenancies Act and brought tenancies of Approved Housing Bodies under the remit of the Residential Tenancies Board. The Housing Acts 1966 to 2019 govern local authority housing tenancies. Local authority social housing tenants can avail...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 343 and 344 together. The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. In order for a household to qualify for HAP, they must first be assessed as eligible for social housing support by their local authority. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing First enables homeless individuals with high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation with the provision of intensive housing and health supports to help the individuals concerned maintain their tenancies. The National Implementation Plan for Housing First, published in September 2018, which puts the programme on a national footing, is designed to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Code of Conduct for Employees in a Local Authority, which issued under Section 169 of the Local Government Act, 2001 deals with these matters. An employee intending to accept an appointment that could give rise to a conflict of interest should inform the appropriate authority of such intention. An employee below Director of Services level should inform or apply, as appropriate, to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 349 and 350 together. It is open to anyone to apply for social housing support, applications for which 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. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 351 and 352 together. In line with the commitment to put affordability at the heart of the housing system in the Programme for Government, ‘Our Shared Future’, Government approved the priority drafting of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020 on 22 December 2020, and I published the General Scheme on 20 January last. The Bill includes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Water (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 353 and 354 together. 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. Irish Water does not as a matter of course apply to my Department for the allocation of funding towards a specific project which are a matter for Irish Water. As...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Assets (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Whilst the Department would retain detailed information on those lands included in the Land Aggregation scheme (LAGS), the information sought by the Deputy on non LAGS land loans should be sought through each local authority.

Dumping at Sea Act 1996 (Section 5(12)) (Commencement) Order 2021: Motion (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Dumping at Sea Act 1996 (Section 5(12)) (Commencement) Order 2021, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 3rd February, 2021. I will share time with the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan. I thank the House for agreeing to debate this motion. The purpose of the...

Dumping at Sea Act 1996 (Section 5(12)) (Commencement) Order 2021: Motion (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputies who contributed, many of whom made relevant and constructive comments, while others made comments about other areas that are outside the subject matter of the debate. We will respond as best we can to the matters that were raised. I thank the House for agreeing to debate the motion and allocating time to it. It is very rare to seek approval such as this for a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Parks (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 67 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that a local authority may take measures or engage in activities that it considers necessary to promote the interests of the local community in relation to matters such as allotments, fairs or markets, and the public use of amenities, to name just a few. While the relevant legislative provisions come under my remit, I have no function...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Land Development Agency (LDA) was established on an interim basis in September 2018, by way of an Establishment Order made under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971, pending the enactment of primary legislation when it will be established as a commercial State agency. The LDA Bill has now been published and will shortly be brought before the Oireachtas. The LDA...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97, 102 to 104, inclusive, and 106 together. My Department provides funding for a wide range of programmes and supports to assist households with their housing needs. This includes the delivery of new social homes through local authority and Approved Housing Body led programmes, other forms of social housing delivery such as HAP and RAS, targeted supports to...