Results 13,281-13,300 of 26,245 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Tá mé ag éisteach, bí cinnte. As I have said, there are two issues. There is the amendment, moved by the Opposition, which I will oppose, and I have explained the rationale for the amendment to section 50A of the principal Act. We are conducting a detailed review of judicial reviews and we will publish the legislation shortly. There was legislation in the previous...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Amendment No. 35 is significant and relates to section 94 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. I wish to signal to Senators and, indeed, Deputies that I will table an amendment that integrates for the first time the consideration of homeownership as already set out in the guidelines I brought forward in May 2021 under the Regulation of Commercial Institutional Investment in Housing for...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will happily deal with that question. The Senator may not have had a chance to look into this, but that is exactly what this will do. Local authorities will have to submit that as part of their housing strategies. This is about tenure mix because home ownership is a tenure mix. Social housing is a tenure mix. Affordable housing is home ownership and we have got to make provision for...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: We will allow the local authority to decide that. It will be above the Part V requirement. From 1 August onwards, any development that comes forward for planning will need to include 10% social housing and 10% affordable housing. We are saying the new thresholds will be above that. Our LDA legislation prescribes that in Dublin, Cork and other areas with population centres of more than...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Senators. We discussed this issue on Second Stage, at which point Senator Warfield suggested we would not have any transitional arrangements. We want to get rid of SHDs and that is what we are doing, but we require a transition. SHDs exist right now and if people have made their applications under the current planning law and are in pre-planning or in planning, one cannot just...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I assure Senators that this is not a long goodbye and it is not a signal at all. This is about bringing in legislation that will endure, improve on what was there before and end a planning process that has been in place since 2016. One does not just rip it up, throw it in the bin and say that it is done. It is more legally complex than that. We are going in the right direction. This will...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Senator Boyhan for his kind words. Turning to these two amendments, vacancy in residential units is an issue, there is no question about that. One of the four pathways in Housing for All policy is concerned with how we can tackle vacancy. It applies to existing and new stock. We discussed the zoned land tax. It is going to be significant and a major change from what exists now....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pension Provisions (17 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It is the responsibility of the human resource function of the employing local authority to identify, at recruitment, who is a member of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme, pursuant to Section 10 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012. An employee who is dissatisfied with a decision in this regard should, in the first instance, avail of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (17 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 88, 89 and 90 together. Local authorities are responsible for the maintenance, repair or refurbishment of their own housing stock, in line with Section 28 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. It is important in that context, that local authorities ensure that their housing stocks comply with relevant standards. My Department is not directly...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Private Partnerships (17 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The European Union (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2019 requires that all new social housing is built to Nearly Zero Energy Building requirements. These regulations also require that, the nearly zero or very low amount of energy required is covered to a very significant extent by energy from renewable sources, including energy from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (17 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: 415 staff in my Department work in the area of natural heritage through the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Given the enforcement roles discharged by certain staff in the NPWS, for reasons of operational security, the Department does not provide details of staffing in the manner requested. My Department’s workforce planning process does not focus on perceived...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Second Stage (17 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for his kind welcome. It is like I never left. I am grateful to Senators for facilitating the debate on this urgent rental legislation. I also wish to record my thanks to the Chief Whip and to the members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage for enabling this Bill to be read a Second Time here in Seanad Éireann. I...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Second Stage (17 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It is great.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (18 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The oversight and practical management of housing waiting lists, including the allocation and transfer of tenancies, is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated regulations. Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, requires all local authorities, as a reserved function, to make an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (18 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, fire safety and the safety of gas, oil and electrical installations. With very limited exemptions, these apply to all private rented accommodation. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (18 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: To date in 2021, 130 leasing projects have been approved by my Department for delivery under the Long Term Leasing and Enhanced Leasing Schemes over the period 2021 to 2023. A breakdown of these approvals by local authority, detailing the term of the agreement and number of units is set out in Table 1 attached. The average cost of all long term leases approved in 2021 is €16,500. My...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (18 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department reports to Government on a quarterly basis on Capital expenditure. To the end of September the Capital Expenditure for Vote 34, Housing, Local Government and Heritage is €1,029m which is €334m or 25% behind the published profile of €1,363m. Capital expenditure in 2021 progressed slower than profiled as a result of a restricted operating environment under...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Nitrates Usage (18 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Ireland notified the European Commission of its intention to apply for a renewal of its derogation under the Nitrates Directive at the Nitrates Management Committee meeting on 25th September 2020. Ireland formally wrote to the European Commission on 13th October 2021 requesting a renewal of the derogation. The purpose of the derogation is to provide for higher stocking densities on certain...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (18 Nov 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. The prioritisation and progression of individual projects is a matter for determination by Irish Water. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for enforcing compliance with EU Directives and national...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Second Stage (17 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I feel like I am always here.