Results 12,921-12,940 of 26,245 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (5 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Copies of the 2019 and 2020 reports provided by the Chairperson of the Task Force were previously provided to the Deputy on 17 February and 5 May last. Since then, the Chairperson has provided me with a further report and I will arrange for a copy of this report to be forwarded to the Deputy for information.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (5 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels for public water services, including the delivery of water services capital infrastructure, encompassing the management of urban waste water collection and treatment infrastructure. All discharges to the aquatic...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (5 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Building Control Management Project (NBCMP) is managed by the National Building Control Office (NBCO) within Dublin City Council (DCC) to provide oversight, support and direction for the development, standardisation and implementation of Building Control as an effective shared service in the 31 Building Control Authorities, through the five pillars of Training, Inspections,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (5 Oct 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: Programme for Government (5 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The commitments in question (details supplied) are being progressed by my Department. Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. Housing for All details how the Government will approach this challenge and includes a commitment to develop a National Youth Homelessness Strategy within Quarter 1 of 2022. Preparing this strategy will involve...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Revenue Commissioners (5 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware of the matter in question. In relation to the State bodies under the aegis of my Department, the requested information is not available in my Department. However, it may be obtained by contacting the dedicated e-mail addresses for members of the Oireachtas in respect of those State bodies, as set out in tabular form below. State Body Contact E-mail Address ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (5 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: 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. The annual targets include the delivery of 88,400 new social homes and 53,800 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (5 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing for All Strategy delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system, with an ambitious target of 300,000 homes over the next decade for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing. Measures to deliver this housing are supported by over €4 billion in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (5 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: As stated in the reply to the Question referred to, the delivery of Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) homes is subject to construction schedules, which, together with housing projects more generally, were impacted by COVID delays at the start of this year. The initial timeframes submitted by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) were based on all efforts being made to deliver the homes as soon as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (5 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area are 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (5 Oct 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, by...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue, which I am acutely aware of and in respect of which I have been heavily engaged. Last year, one of the first trips I took as Minister was to County Donegal. The Deputy was in attendance and we met residents in Buncrana. I went visit to homeowners at the time. I have been to visit homeowners in County Clare. This is a scheme I...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Tuigim an fadhb. I intend to bring a memorandum to Government in the coming weeks. That memorandum will be underpinned by three core principles, namely, that the enhancements and changes we make are timely, reasonable and consistent. As a republican, I believe in equality and there is absolutely no question of that. I have had experience in my constituency of defective work involving...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy O'Callaghan for his questions. Recent controversies involving a particular homelessness charity in Dublin have highlighted the importance of protecting vulnerable homeless people. We must keep that to the forefront of everything we do. I have previously raised concerns about the number of ad hocgroups of people who feel they may be doing good but who are not properly trained...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: On targets, I will assess what Focus Ireland is looking for. We have made a very significant step forward in committing to eradicating homelessness by 2030. That is significant and, in fairness to the Deputy, I think he recognises that. In relation to private emergency accommodation, I am bringing forward new standards in coming weeks. These providers have operated under a type of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I reiterate that, like the Deputy, I believe in home ownership and having it as an option for our young people and not-so-young people who are working and feel they have been forgotten about in recent years. That is why Housing for All is very important. It is the first time a Government has brought forward a multi-annual housing plan that is fully funded to the tune of over €20...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. I will deal specifically with the Land Development Agency and former Defence Forces lands. Following on from my last reply, we have set a target of completing 10,000 new social housing builds per annum on average over the term of the plan. This in itself will make significant inroads into the social housing waiting list, which includes many former and, in some cases,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy O'Donoghue for his questions. As I have said previously, those who are responsible should contribute towards remediation. I have engaged intensively with the Attorney General on this matter and he is working on mechanisms to ensure wrongdoing and liability on the part of quarries and other parties are fully penalised. I recognise the report from 2012 because I was heavily...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: There are issues around insurance, certainly, and there are issues around certification. When work is done, it should be certified that it is carried out to a standard whereby a person can claim and get insurance again. That was not actually allowed for in the original scheme that was brought forward. We have made progress that space. I intend to bring that forward as one of my...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: And Limerick, indeed, which I will also be visiting. I will let the Deputy know when we have a submission there. There is, therefore, much work to do in this space. We have done a lot of work there too. Once the revised scheme is published, however, there will also be more works around standards and how we can help people as best we can. Recourse is really important. Those who are...