Results 12,821-12,840 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: Under Action 4.12 of Housing for All, in the period to December 2021 local authorities will be preparing Housing Action Delivery Plans to include social and affordable housing where necessary (affordable purchase and cost rental). This will allow each Local Authority to determine the affordability constraint in their area based on the Housing Need and Demand Assessment. Over the period...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under Action 4.12 of Housing for All, in the period to December 2021 local authorities will be preparing Housing Action Delivery Plans to include social and affordable housing where necessary (affordable purchase and cost rental). This will allow each Local Authority to determine the affordability constraint in their area based on the Housing Need and Demand Assessment. The Housing for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (28 Sep 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. The Land Development Agency Act was recently signed in law and, on enactment, the LDA will be established as a commercial State agency. There is ongoing engagement between the LDA and my Department in...

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

Darragh O'Brien: As part of Housing for All, I announced that a reformed successor to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Scheme, the 'Local Authority Home Loan', will be in place later in 2021. The Local Authority Home Loan will include an increase in the income ceiling for single applicants, thus increasing the number of people eligible for a mortgage. I have already implemented a reduction of the mortgage...

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 by 31st July. Included within the terms of...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not hold or collate the information referred to in the Question. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) which was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021, operates a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants. The Clerk of the Dáil...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides both capital and current funding to local authorities across a range of funding initiatives to assist them in providing homes for families and individuals on their social housing waiting lists. To provide transparency on the new social housing projects being advanced, each quarter my Department publishes a Social Housing Construction Status Report and updated Social...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has informed councils requesting admittance to the scheme that before any extension of the scheme can be considered, the same rigorous analysis as that put in place prior to the rollout of the scheme to the counties of Donegal and Mayo would have to be undertaken. Local authorities should endeavour to determine, using the IS: 465 protocol now in place, that issues arising...

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

Darragh O'Brien: While my Department is focused on ensuring that existing housing stock is utilised to its fullest extent, the management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, responsive repairs and implementing planned maintenance programmes, is a matter for each individual local authority, in line with Section 28 of the Housing (Miscellaneous...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government has set out a clear commitment to ensure that everybody should have access to sustainable good quality housing to purchase or to rent at an affordable price and built to a high standard. The recently published Housing for All strategy is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Local Authorities have a range of legislative powers available to them to deal with under-utilised and derelict properties in their functional areas, for example, through the compulsory purchase powers and under Derelict Sites and Housing legislation. I encourage Local Authorities to adopt a proactive approach in utilising their available legislative powers for compulsory purchase, where...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Clean and well-protected water is important for the continuing success of Ireland’s society and economy. Protecting and restoring water quality in Ireland requires, among other actions, robust measures to address the loss of agricultural nutrients into our rivers, lakes and groundwater. My Department works closely with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Finance Agency (HFA) was established by the Housing Finance Agency Act, 1981 and its function is to advance loan finance to local authorities, the voluntary housing sector and Higher Education Institutes, to be used by them for any purpose authorised by the Housing Acts, 1966-2014, and to borrow or raise funds for this purpose. The Housing Finance Act 1981 was amended in 2016 by...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Funding provided by my Department to Clare County Council under the Social Housing Investment Programme for the acquisition of properties for social housing use for the period 2016 to 2020, is as follows - 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 €3,398,301 €10,780,103 €14,899,484 €9,031,733 ...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Increased rent limits for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and the Rent Supplement Scheme were introduced in 2016. These limits were agreed in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection (DSP). In reviewing the rent limits, my Department worked closely with DSP and monitored data gathered from the Residential Tenancies Board and the HAP Shared Services Centre. The HAP rent...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 came in to operation on 31 January 2020 and the resulting Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme has been open for applications since the end of June 2020. The Scheme was informed by the work of an Expert Panel and the current maximum grant amounts payable...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 came in to operation on 31 January 2020 and the resulting Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme has been open for applications since the end of June 2020. The Scheme was informed by the work of an Expert Panel and the current maximum grant amounts payable...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 122 of 2014) requires that where a water supplier discovers a failure to meet the quality standards that person shall notify the relevant supervisory authority for that supply in accordance with such guidelines as the Agency may issue for that purpose. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified two serious...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All is the most ambitious housing plan in the history of our State, backed up by an unprecedented financial commitment of in excess of €4bn per annum. In general, affordable purchase schemes under the plan will be targeted at first time buyers. However, it is intended that a ‘Fresh Start’ principle will apply for applications to both affordable purchase...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (28 Sep 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, including the Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands. Irish Water takes a strategic, nationwide approach to asset planning and investment, and meeting customer requirements. The prioritisation and progression of...