Results 11,481-11,500 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Residential Tenancies Board (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 437 and 489 together. Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019, made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992.  These Regulations focus on tenant safety and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 438 and 439 together. The Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of building defects and provides for an examination of defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing report, "Safe as Houses". In this regard, my Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 440, 477 and 478 together. There have been a number of deaths, in recent months, of people who had been sleeping rough or accessing homeless services. Each of these deaths is a tragedy and I extend my sympathies to the families concerned.  The deaths of people availing of homeless services are a concern and are being taken very seriously.  It is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016.  The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Youth Homelessness Strategy (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 444 and 495 together. Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, commits to reducing and preventing homelessness. It sets out details on how the Government will approach this challenge, and includes a commitment to develop a National Youth Homelessness Strategy....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 445 and 446 together. My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on all social housing delivery activity. This data is available to the end of 2020 and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: . Details on the size of the units delivered are not available in my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (28 Apr 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 them 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 this response, by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Shared Ownership Scheme (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: This Government is committed to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system, with approximately €468 million allocated in Budget 2021 for a broad range of affordability measures. The Affordable Housing Bill 2020 includes provisions to underpin three schemes that prioritise the increased supply of affordable homes through (1) affordable homes for purchase delivered by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (28 Apr 2021)

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, including the delivery of water services capital infrastructure, while the local authorities remain responsible for private water supplies. Under the Drinking Water Regulations 2014, as amended, the Environmental Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are making an important contribution to social housing delivery, as envisaged under current Government policy.  My Department operates a number of funding programmes that assist local authorities to work in partnership with AHBs to construct, purchase and lease new homes and make them available for social housing. One such programme that AHBs progress...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Service Acts, 1981 and 2003. Under the Local Government Act 2001, all arrangements in relation to staffing in each...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 457, 464 and 465 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: To date, a total of 48 leasing projects have been approved by my Department in 2021 under the Long Term Leasing and Enhanced Leasing Schemes. These 48 projects have approval for the delivery of 603 dwellings under long term lease agreements and 123 dwellings under Part V lease agreements. A breakdown of these approvals by local authority, detailing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Homelessness Task Force provides a forum for engagement with key organisations working together to address homelessness and to provide input on the implementation of the commitments on homelessness in the Programme for Government. The Group has met on five occasions since October 2020. Minutes from meetings up to the one held on 1 February 2021 are available on my Department's website at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government set out its housing priorities in the Programme for Government in 2020. It is intended to publish a new Housing Strategy 'Housing for All' later this year which will build on the commitments in the Programme for Government and this is being developed at the moment. As part of the process of delivering Housing for All, my Department is consulting with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I am very aware of the recent increase in people swimming, and the increase of beach users generally, outside of the traditional bathing season in Dublin Bay (and in many other areas). I have asked my Department to work with the National Bathing Water Expert Group, and with stakeholders, to specifically examine the feasibility and implications of expanding the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Pollution (28 Apr 2021)

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. Irish Water’s primary function is to provide clean safe drinking water to customers and to treat and return waste water safely to the environment. In turn, the EPA, as environmental regulator, is responsible for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) was developed to assist private property owners and local authorities or approved housing bodies (AHBs) to harness the accommodation potential that exists in vacant dwellings across Ireland. Subject to the suitability of the dwelling for social housing, the cost of the necessary repairs will be met upfront by the local authority or an AHB with the cost...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Social housing completions for Q1 of 2021 under the range of delivery programmes, including the Buy & Renew Scheme, are currently being collated and will be published as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Agency has been provided with direct capital funding to facilitate the acquisition of suitable portfolios of vacant properties for social housing from financial institutions and investors.  An Acquisitions Fund of €70m was established with effect from 1 January 2017, with the objective of acquiring some 1,600 homes over the period to 2021, for...