Results 12,801-12,820 of 26,245 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The housing needs of people with disabilities are addressed in the National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability (NHSPWD). A review of the Strategy is underway with a view to preparation of a successor NHSPWD and consultations are ongoing. The Government is determined to ensure that housing policy addresses the needs of those who experience exclusion in our society. There is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All – a new Housing Plan for Ireland includes an action to examine the creation of a system of holding rental deposits, informed by international experience, by Q2 2023. This timeline was chosen to afford time for necessary research and policy formulation, in consultation with the Residential Tenancies Board. Section 7 of the Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Act 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland sets out four pathways to a sustainable housing system. At a time of high housing need, when people are homeless and living in unsuitable accommodation, it is vital that existing vacant homes are brought back into productive use. Pathway 4: 'Addressing Vacancy and Efficient Use of Existing Stock' addresses this issue and sets out a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 166 together. The Government published a Policy Paper entitledIrish Water - Towards a national, publicly-owned, regulated water services utilityin February 2021 setting out our views and expectations on the next phase of transformation in the water sector, to involve the integration of water services operations within Irish Water's organisation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Funding of €75 million is available nationally in 2021 for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme. This funding has increased year on year since 2014. As part of the annual budgetary process, consideration will be given to this funding in future years in line with the Programme for Government commitments and the Policy Statement on Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In response to concerns being raised by homeowners in relation to the Defective Concrete Block grant scheme, I established a time-bound working group, with representatives from my Department, the local authorities and homeowner representative groups who are tasked with reviewing the operation of the scheme and providing a report with recommendations originally by 31st July. At the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 171 together. 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 introduction of the rent increase restriction of 4% in Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) had regard to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 165 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. The 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (28 Sep 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 prefabricated and modular build units). Local authorities have been advised that design- build rapid delivery approaches should be adopted...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 138, 146, 151, 163 and 178 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. The 2011 Regulations...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I believe Housing for All: A New Housing Plan for Ireland will transform our housing system, removing the constraints leading to delays and blockages in the provision of housing. In particular, the actions set out under Pathway 3 of the Plan, "Increasing New Housing Supply", will create the environment needed to enable the supply of over 300,000 new homes by 2030, meaning an annual average of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Funding of €75 million is available nationally in 2021 for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme. This funding has increased year on year since 2014. As part of the annual budgetary process, consideration will be given to increasing this funding in future years in line with the Programme for Government commitments and the Policy Statement...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 160 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing for All Strategy delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to put affordability at the heart of the housing system. It is the largest State-led building programme in our history, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: House Prices (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing supply has been impacted by Covid-19. The periods of lockdown since early 2020 have reduced construction activity and placed limitations on the ability to conduct normal sales activity, and this has impacted on house prices. The considerable growth in household savings, related to the public health restrictions which reduced consumption, also seems likely to be contributing to recent...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government’s commitment to increase the supply of public housing was underpinned in Budget 2021, which provided €3.3 billion to deliver housing programmes this year. This funding will support social and affordable housing delivery, along with the implementation of a broad range of programmes providing targeted support to meet housing need. The recently published Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government provides for a package of social housing reforms, including the introduction of a social housing passport to allow households move from one local authority list to another. It should be noted that the four Dublin local authorities already co-operate in arrangements that enable social housing applicants to apply for housing in one or two of the other Dublin...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 155, 175 and 349 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Changes in relation to building material costs are monitored and recorded by the Central Statistics Office (Wholesale Price Index for Building & Construction Materials). The cost and supply issues that have arisen for basic building materials such as steel, timber, concrete and plastics are also occurring internationally. They appear to result from a range of contributory factors...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Sep 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. Regulation 12 of the 2011 Regulations prescribes the timescales for the processing of applications by...