Results 12,241-12,260 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: 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.  In accordance with the Programme for Government, legislation to establish the LDA on a...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Government is committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society and supporting renters is a key component of that. The Affordable Housing Bill 2020 will ensure that affordability is put at the heart of the housing system and will underpin the new local authority led scheme of affordable homes for purchase, an Affordable Purchase...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. If a household has been deemed eligible for social housing support, it is a matter for the local authority to examine the suite of social housing supports available, including the HAP scheme, to determine the most appropriate form of social housing support for that household...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021, to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants. Registered landlords and all tenants can apply to the RTB for dispute resolution. Section 134 of the Acts requires...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 introduced the Rent Predictability Measure to moderate rent increases in those parts of the country where rents are highest and rising fastest. The rent increase limit of 4% per annum that applies in Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) provides for a modest increase in revenue for accommodation providers to ensure that...

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

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: Defective Building Materials (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board 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...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 216 together. The Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme is underpinned by regulations made under Sections 2 and 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1979, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not have information on the number of local authority construction projects that have included a social clause as such contracts are negotiated and signed directly by the local authorities; such information may be available from the local authorities. 

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

Darragh O'Brien: Increasing the supply of public, social and affordable homes is priority for this Government and the Programme for Government includes a commitment to deliver 50,000 new social homes with a specific focus on new build. The Government’s commitment to increase the supply of public housing is further underpinned by the 2021 Budget which provides €3.3 billion to deliver...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 provided that arent increase was not permitted to take effect during the relevant emergency period from 27 March 2020 to 1 August 2020. From 1 August 2020, the blanket ban on rent increases inside or outside of a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) was lifted. The standardised average rent rose by 2.5% to €1,256 from Q2 2020 to Q3...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 224 and 225 together. My Department publishes a Social Housing Construction Status Report each quarter, which contains details of all social housing developments completed, under construction or in planning/design in each local authority area, including in Donegal. The most recent publication covers the period up to the end of Q1 2021 and is available at the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme applies to private dwellings in Donegal and Mayo that have been damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks. An Expert Panel was established in 2016 to investigate the cracking of external walls of dwellings in Donegal and Mayo, due to the crumbling of concrete blockwork, which came to light in 2013. The report of the expert panel...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding to local authorities so as to enable them adminsiter the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme. These schemes assist eligible applicants living in privately owned homes to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs.  The grants available operate on a sliding scale with the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The delivery of housing supports is a key priority of Government and this is reflected in the Programme for Government commitment for the delivery of 50,000 new social homes nationally, with a key emphasis on delivering new build homes. The Government investment for the delivery of all housing programmes this year alone, is €3.3 billion and given the major focus on new build social...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 235, 237 to 239, inclusive, 246 and 251 together. This Government is absolutely focused on ensuring that affordable, quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society and this is reflected in the Programme for Government, "Our Shared Future". The Programme commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on social housing delivery activity on a quarterly basis including Build and Acquisitions. This data includes details on the number of social housing units provided by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies from 2015 to Quarter 1 2021.  This data is published on the statistics page of my...

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

Darragh O'Brien: 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 the decision on applications for loans, in accordance...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage which is designed to enable suitable first time buyers who cannot access sufficient mortgage finance from commercial lenders, to access sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new or second-hand properties in a suitable price range or to self-build.  The Programme for Government "Our Shared Future"...

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

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...