Results 12,221-12,240 of 26,025 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area are provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recent summary, conducted in November 2020, shows that 61,880 households were assessed as qualified for and being in need of social housing support. This represents a decrease of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government, commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system. The Affordable Housing Bill 2021, the first ever stand-alone legislation providing for affordable housing measures, is currently before the Oireachtas, and provides for three schemes delivering on the Programme for Government commitment to put affordability at the heart of the housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources.  Statutory Instrument (S.I.) 682 of 2020 prescribed Dublin City Council-National Building Control Office (NBCO-DCC) as a competent authority to carry out the functions of a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Construction Industry (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Increasing the supply of housing is a priority for the Government and for my Department in particular. I am fully aware that the Construction Sector has faced a number of considerable challenges over the past year, not least the restrictions on construction activity introduced to combat the spread of COVID-19 and the impact of Brexit and related supply issues. Throughout this period, my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: A range of work is ongoing to deliver Cost Rental housing, with State support, through a number of avenues. My Department is utilising the expertise of Local Authorities, the Land Development Agency (LDA), and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to deliver projects in a variety of ways, in order to prove the concept of this important new sector. This is in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Firstly, it is settled Government policy to support older people to live in their own homes and communities with dignity and independence for as long as possible, as this has the best outcomes both for the individual and for society as a whole. My Department, in conjunction with the Department of Health, is developing policy options for supported housing/housing with care in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The former Chief Executive of Galway County Council retired on 4 July 2014.  A temporary Chief Executive was appointed at that time, pending a permanent appointment. The  temporary Chief Executive remained in place until 23 May 2021.  In accordance with statutory provisions, I  appointed a new temporary Chief Executive to Galway County Council with effect from 24 May...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government - 'Our Shared Future', commits to improve the security of tenure for tenants, through legislating for tenancies of indefinite duration, increasing Residential Tenancies Board enforcement and examining incentives for long-term leasing.  Proposals for further amendments to the Residential Tenancies Acts are currently being developed, for inclusion in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: To support the delivery of the homes that will be made available by local authorities for purchase, €310 million was made available under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF).  This fund subvents the cost of facilitating infrastructure and a maximum SSF funding amount of €50,000 is available per affordable home. This funding is being made available in areas where local authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 again extend my sympathies to the families concerned. It is important that we respect peoples privacy while working to establish the facts concerning the circumstances involved, and that we base our response on the best knowledge...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Domestic Violence (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims of domestic violence rests with my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and I understand that the delivery of these services are managed by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. It is open to anyone to apply for social housing support, applications for which are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Banking Sector (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware that the Central Bank recently announced it will conduct a deeper review of its mortgage measures framework over 2021 and 2022.  However, I understand the first step of the framework review will be a consultation process with individuals and households who experience the effect of the mortgage measures first hand. Therefore, no engagement has taken place...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: As set out in the Programme for Government, a key focus for the delivery of social housing is for the majority of the 50,000 new units to be delivered over the next five-years, to be built by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and State agencies.  This is part of our focus to prioritise the increased supply of public, social, and affordable homes. While this will be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is working closely with all local authorities in relation to increasing and accelerating the delivery of a range of social housing programmes and supports, including through the use of design-build rapid delivery methodologies (including modular build units). Local authorities have been advised that design- build rapid delivery approaches should be adopted where appropriate to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: At my Department's invitation Louth County Council has requested a meeting for further feedback on its Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF) application in respect of the Port Access Northern Cross Route proposal which was unsuccessful under Call 2 of the URDF.  The meeting between officials of my Department and officials of Louth County Council is due to take place shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63, 66, 83, 87, 88 and 90 together. 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. Under Regulation 28 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan loan enables credit worthy first time buyers to access sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new or second-hand properties in a suitable price range.  Single applicants for the loan must not be earning greater than €50,000 gross per annum.  The combined income of joint applicants must not be greater than €75,000 per...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 context, I established a working group to examine defects in housing. The group’s terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Gender Equality (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Gender provisions for Dáil elections were first introduced at the 2016  Dáil election. These provisions are set out in the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act 2012 and link the State funding of political parties in the electoral Acts to the achievement of a gender balance in candidate selection at Dáil general elections.  To receive full State...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department received correspondence from Clare County Council in October 2020, requesting the extension of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme to County Clare. A comprehensive reply was subsequently issued to the Council in November 2020.   My Department informed the Council that before any extension of the scheme can be considered, the same rigorous...