Results 12,561-12,580 of 26,245 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (27 Jul 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. The prioritisation and progression of individual projects is a matter for determination by Irish Water. Under section 16 of the Water Services Act 2013 (as amended by section 46 of the Gas Regulation Act 2013), Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 687 and 688 together. 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 Services Acts 1981 and 2003. My Department supports fire authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Front-line services to visitors in Killarney National Park, are provided by the Guide staff, which are made up of a combination of full time and seasonal Guide staff.  Over the past number of years, the Guide staff complement in Killarney National Park has comprised of 10 permanent and an average of 16 seasonal Guide staff. Staffing levels across my Department are kept under...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (27 Jul 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 takes a strategic, nationwide approach to asset planning and investment, and meeting customer requirements. The prioritisation and progression of individual projects and programmes, including the project...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Projects (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department builds its strategic water policy and infrastructure delivery programmes around the National Planning Framework 2018-2040 and the National Development Plan 2018-2027. Investment is primarily delivered through Irish Water while my Department operates the Rural Water Programme directly. The Programme for Government supports the uptake of Irish Water's Small Towns and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Government policy in relation to electricity matters is led by the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications and electricity connection charges and charging arrangements are subject to independent regulation by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU). In relation to charges for connections to the public water services systems, there are no plans at present...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The EU Court of Justice ‘Flemish Decree’ judgement ruled that restrictions on the sale of all property to locals, which had been imposed in the Flanders Region of Belgium, were disproportionate and contrary to the EU principles of freedom of movement. It is an objective of Government to encourage the proportionate growth of rural communities and we have recently...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In the main, policy and supports to provide access to home ownership and affordable purchase is generally targeted at those who do not already own a home.   The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan enables creditworthy eligible buyers to access sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new or second-hand properties in a suitable price range. There are no set minimum income limits under this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light and safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. With very limited exemptions, these apply to all private rented accommodation. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on social housing delivery activity on a quarterly basis. Details on the number of social housing units provided by local authorities from 2016 to Quarter 1 2021 is published at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-hou sing-provision/. Cost information on the delivery of social homes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Jul 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019.  All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these Regulations. Responsibility for enforcement of the Regulations rests with the relevant local authority.  The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has a wide and diverse business agenda, covering a broad range of functions, including local authority housing, voluntary housing, homeless services, estate regeneration, energy efficiency retrofitting, housing grants, rural water schemes, urban regeneration, peatlands conservation, national parks & wildlife services and fire services. In order to achieve its...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The allocation of dwellings is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation scheme made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations. This legislation requires all local authorities, as a reserved function, to make an allocation scheme determining the order of priority to be accorded in the allocation of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Budgets (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The capital expenditure provision for my Department in 2021 as set out in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2021 published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) and available at www.per.gov.ie/en/rev/is €2,762m. The breakdown of this capital allocation by Programme is set out below: PROGRAMME 2021 GROSS CAPITAL...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Lead in drinking water is both the responsibility of water suppliers and property owners. Irish Water is responsible for lead pipework in the public water distribution network. This is known as public-side lead. Lead plumbing in buildings and within property boundaries is a matter for the property owner. This is known as private-side lead. While there are no lead water mains in Ireland,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides exchequer funding to local authorities to support the Housing Adaptation Grant for Older People and People with a Disability scheme, in respect of private houses.  These grants are available to assist in the carrying out of works which are reasonably necessary for the purposes of rendering a house more suitable for the accommodation of a person with a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area is 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 6,813 households or...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: This Government is 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 through the progression of State-backed affordable housing.   This...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on social housing delivery on a quarterly basis. Details on the number of social housing units provided by all local authorities including by Wexford County Council in 2020 and Quarter 1 of 2021, is available on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link:...