Results 12,641-12,660 of 26,245 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Persons who have a disablity and are eligible for a Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan may apply for a Loan. The final decision on loan approval is a matter for the relevant local authority and its credit committee on a case-by-case basis. Decisions on all housing loan applications must be made in accordance with the statutory credit policy that underpins the scheme, in order to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The regulations for the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme came into operation on 31 January 2020. The Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the counties of Donegal and Mayo only, to carry...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs.  The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People, which are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level.  Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities. The functioning of homeless accommodation is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The quality of local authority contracted construction is a matter for the contracting parties in the first place, which includes the Builder, Employers Representative, Design and Assigned Certifiers, among others, in addition to the relevant local authority or Client. Under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2020, primary responsibility for compliance of works with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 356 and 357 together. The role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist housing authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding. Following a review of the arrangements for the disbursement of funding for the provision...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s Rural Water Programme provides a grant for the improvement of a private water supply to a house (private well). My Department understands from the local authority that the householder, mentioned in the material supplied, and the adjacent properties are supplied by the public water mains and the issues that arise are matters for Irish Water to resolve. The local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I have convened a time-bound working group which includes representatives from my Department, local authorities and homeowner representative groups. These working group members are tasked with reviewing the operation of the current scheme. Included within the terms of reference and one of the issues under review is the role of responsible parties and financial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (9 Sep 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 could be considered, the same...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme introduced in 2012 is targeted at supporting households in mortgage arrears who are eligible for social housing support, whose mortgage has been deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP) and who have very limited options, if any, to meet their long-term housing needs themselve.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s Rural Water Programme makes provision for grant assistance to householders in carrying out remediation, repair or upgrading works to, or replacement of, a domestic waste water treatment systems where these are located in areas specifically prioritised for environmental protection for the purposes of the grant scheme or where identified as requiring action...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Through the Capital Assistance Scheme, my Department supports local authorities to advance loans to approved housing bodies to deliver housing for priority categories of housing need, including older people, persons/families who are homeless and persons with a disability. The loans between the local authorities and the approved housing bodies are, in the main, for a 30-year term and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 368 and 369 together. As provided for in the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019, the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) was formally established on 1 February 2021. The Act is being commenced on a phased basis to allow for the establishment of the office. Key provisions, including those relating to the drafting...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are not-for-profit organisations whose purpose is the provision and management of housing for people with a housing need. As not-for-profit bodies, AHBs are limited in their ability to sell any property on the open market at a value which is less than the market value of the property. While subsequent to the completion of the terms and agreement of any state...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Correspondence (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has been in communication with Mayo County Council on a proposal they have made in respect of the person referenced by the Deputy. The Council has made two social housing development proposals that are in close proximity to each order and accordingly, they have been asked to consider the appropriate use of public funding and resources by combining both developments. 

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Sep 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: Local Authorities (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding to local authorities under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The detailed administration of the grants including their assessment, approval and prioritisation, is the responsibility of the local authorities....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government is committed to supporting older people to live in their own homes and communities with dignity and independence for as long as possible, as this leads to the best outcomes both for the individual and for society as a whole. The Programme for Government - Our Shared Future commits to ensuring that, where new developments are being provided, there is an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It is my intention to bring forward a piece of legislation provisionally titled the Fire, Emergency Management and Public Safety Bill, whose primary purpose will be to update the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. Part of the impetus for this work arises from the review of fire safety in Ireland carried out in the the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy in the UK. It is also my intention...