Results 12,161-12,180 of 26,025 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: We have very strong representation from the banner county this morning. It is good to see the Deputies working together to deliver homes for our people. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, is doing Trojan work in the area of Traveller accommodation, with a budget of €15.5 million that will be and is being spent, all of it being used on the capital side. We...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Homeless Accommodation (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for the question for his interest in this matter. As the Deputy will know, statutory responsibility for the provision of homeless services rests with each individual housing authority. My Department's role in homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and, importantly, the funding to underpin the role of the housing authorities in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Homeless Accommodation (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Anyone who is aware of a specific instance of a breach should bring it directly to my attention. I want to make sure that those who are in emergency accommodation are only in it in the short term. It is not a permanent solution for them or their families. The use by families of emergency accommodation, particularly in hotels, has, thankfully, reduced by 80% year on year. I do not mind...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Homeless Accommodation (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I reiterate that the responsibility for the provision of homeless services is with the housing authority in each of the local authorities. We provide the policy framework and funding for them to do it. That is important because each local authority and its staff know an area better than a central authority would. The issue is acute in Dublin because that is where the majority of homeless...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am very pleased to be here today to speak on Second Stage of the Affordable Housing Bill 2021. This has been the culmination of nearly a year's work by me and my departmental officials, along with members of the Oireachtas committee, who did much work to get us to this stage. The Bill has been passed through the Seanad, as Members...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I said it.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will deal with Deputy Ó Broin's amendments. I will move amendment No. 141 and discuss that as it is purely a technical amendment. Amendments Nos. 139 and 140, as tabled by Deputies Ó Broin and Gould and as Deputy Ó Broin has explained, seek to include a reference to "public". I genuinely do not believe this is required and I do not intend to accept these amendments. ...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 141: In page 34, line 14, to delete “on” and substitute “in”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 142: In page 35, to delete line 16. My amendment relates to section 49, which provides that relevant public bodies must co-operate with the agency on its functions relating to the relevant public land of that particular body. My amendment removes the reference to "a member of a relevant public body;" from section 49(1) as it has been brought to my attention that the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputies and think that we all want to achieve the same thing here. To follow on from Deputy O'Callaghan's amendment and the intervention by Deputy Ó Broin, I checked this very specific point with the Attorney General and his office. I want to be really clear on the record of the committee that it has been made abundantly clear that my amendment No. 142, which proposes to...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will address amendments Nos. 147, 148, 149 and 150 and then I will return to the points that have been raised by colleagues. These amendments are technical in nature and provide for the inclusion of a subsidiary designated activity company, DAC, in an number of places in section 50. We had a series of these earlier in the Bill and this followed feedback I received from both Government and...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will not be accepting amendments Nos. 152, 153 or 154. I know what Deputies Ó Broin and Gould are referring to in the housing needs demands assessment, HNDA, but the wording there might even be problematic because it might be too prescriptive. We are doing that. I would be afraid that if we put that specific wording in, like we have the HNDA rolled out to all our local authorities,...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 147: In page 36, line 3, after "Agency" to insert "or a subsidiary DAC".

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 148: In page 36, line 5, after "Agency" where it firstly occurs to insert "or a subsidiary DAC".

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 149: In page 36, line 14, after "Agency" to insert "or a subsidiary DAC".

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 150: In page 36, line 18, after "Agency" to insert "or a subsidiary DAC".

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will come back to Deputy Ó Broin separately on the housing need demand assessment.

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Does the Deputy know his party is supporting the Bill?

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It is good to have the Deputy back in the Chamber. I thought he had gone missing last night. It is good to have him back.

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: We appreciate the Deputy's support for the Bill. Fair play to him. He should get back on message.