Results 12,681-12,700 of 26,245 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing for All Strategy is the most ambitious housing plan in the history of the State, backed up by an unprecedented financial commitment in excess of €4bn per annum. Over 300,000 new homes will be built by the end of 2030, including a projected 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. It's the largest State led building programme in our...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Examination of records indicates that my Department has not utilised the services of the organisations referred to in the Question throughout the period specified i.e. from 1 January 2015 to date.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government sets out a range of commitments in respect of the important policy area of building defects. This includes the commitment to ensure that the remediation fund for pyrite and mica is fully drawn down. In this context, €40m was provided under Budget 2021 to cover the implementation of the pyrite remediation scheme and the Defective Concrete Blocks Grants...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Affordable Housing Act 2021 was signed into law by the President on 21 July 2021. On 18 August, I signed the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (Commencement) (Parts 1 and 3) Order 2021, which commenced Parts 1 and 3 of the Act from 19 August. On 2 September 2021, I signed the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2021, which commenced Part 2 (other than...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 313 and 314 together. As confirmed in the Government's recently published Housing For All Strategy, it is intended that a ‘Fresh Start’ principle will apply to applications to State-run affordable housing and loan schemes. This means that people who are divorced/separated and no longer have a financial interest in the family home, or who have...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The current approved workforce plan for the Office of the Planning Regulator provides for 26 posts, all of which were filled as at 7 September 2021. The table below gives further detail on these sanctioned posts:  Full-time Position Position Filled at 7 September 2021 Y/N Planning Regulator/ Chief Executive Y Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 Service Acts 1981 and 2003.  My Department supports fire authorities through general policy setting and preparing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Based on the salary scales at 1 July 2021 and taking Employers' PRSI into account, the estimated cost in 2022 of recruiting five extra full-time hydrometeorologists at the first point of the scale would be approximately €185,000.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to develop a scheme between local authorities and Irish Water to provide drinking water fountains nationwide to reduce plastic bottle litter. In addition, EU Directive 2020/2184 (the Drinking Water Recast Directive) as adopted on 16 December 2020 updates the obligations on Member States in relation to the quality of water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Affordable Housing Bill 2021, the first ever standalone affordable housing legislation, was signed into law by the President on 21 July 2021. On 2 September 2021 I signed the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2021, which commenced Part 2 (other than subsections (2)(c), (6), and (7) of section 6) and Parts 4, 6, 7, and 8 of the Act from 3...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees national programmes of monitoring and reporting on the quality of rivers, lakes, transitional, coastal waters and groundwater.  The EPA’s most recent published report in this regard is Water Quality in Ireland 2013-2018, which is available at the following link: www.catchments.ie/water-quality-in-ireland-2013-2018/# As part of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Process (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has prepared and published 11 Bills since 27 June 2020, 3 of which included a Regulatory Impact Assessment.  The details requested are set out in the attached table. A twelfth Bill, the Maritime Area Planning Bill 2021, was in preparation at the end of 2019 but work continued on it during 2020 and it was published in August 2021 together with the Marine Planning...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Issues (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has no statutory function to compile such data in relation to land disposals by other State bodies so therefore does not possess this information. Under Section 9 of the State Property Act, State authorities must seek the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to dispose of state property. The policy on the disposal of state lands is set out in Department...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. The table below sets out the annual targets for the delivery of a total of 88,400 new build social homes and 53,800 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2030.  These figures include homes delivered through Part V of the Planning and Development Act...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The cost of constructing new homes is dependent on a range of variables, such as the location, the scale of the development and the size and type of the homes involved. My Department assesses, approves and records local authority social housing delivery on a project basis, rather than on the basis of individual unit types. My Department has developed Unit Cost Ceilings...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The table below shows the number of active tenancies at the end of Q1 2021, by scheme, by local authority: Local Authority HAP RAS AHB long term leases under SHCEP Total Carlow  County Council 734 457 0 1,191 Cavan County Council 448 522 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My primary role in such matters is the oversight of forward planning legislation and as the competent authority for Marine Spatial Planning that incorporates and integrates marine policies developed across Government, including coastal erosion. Responsibility for coastal erosion rests with the Office of Public Works, who has functional responsibility for the operation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (15 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has robust manual procedures and system controls in place, including the active reporting and monitoring of invoice due dates to keep late interest and penalty payments to a minimum.My Department consistently pays over 98% of all invoices within the due dates. The information requested is set out in the following table: - 2017 2018 2019 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 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: Housing Schemes (15 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 support...