Results 13,461-13,480 of 26,245 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Student Accommodation (9 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 3.6.3 of Housing for All (Facilitate Lending for Social and Affordable Housing) foresees the Housing Finance Agency's (HFA) role being expanded to enhance the supply of student accommodation by allowing them to lend to Technological Universities (TUs). A commitment is made to legislate for this and the relevant Action Point in Housing for All is 18.10 with delivery expected Quarter 2...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Dec 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...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (Extension of Notice Periods) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputies who put their names to the Bill. I particularly thank the Simon Communities of Ireland, who have put a huge amount of work into putting the legislation together. Earlier today, I spoke with Wayne Stanley and I commended him on the work he has done on the legislation and the tireless work the Simon Communities of Ireland do day in day out. In response to Deputy Gould,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate form of social housing support for people with a long-term housing need. Any household assessed by their local authority as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. These households must find their own accommodation in the private rental sector. The HAP scheme started in 2014 and at the end of Q3 2021,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waste Management (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The two main measures for removal of plastic from the seas surrounding Ireland are the Clean Coastsprogramme, operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce, and the Clean Oceans Initiative, incorporating the international Fishing for Litter programme, which is managed by Bord Iascaigh Mhara. Clean Coastsis funded and supported my Department and is incorporated into our national...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Process (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: As part of the work being done by my Department to implement the Programme for Government commitment in relation to considering the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) review of municipal districts, with a view to identifying local needs and the initiatives needed to strengthen and grow our communities, villages and towns in a sustainable manner, a local authority survey was carried out...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (14 Dec 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 Services Act, 1981. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Hare Coursing (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I issue licences to the Irish Coursing Club to facilitate the capture (under Section 34) and tagging of hares (under Section 32) for closed park meetings under the Wildlife Acts. I have no function in relation to the location of these meetings.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Dec 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. Eligible tenants are those with a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and who have been in receipt of social housing support for at least one year. The scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (14 Dec 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 commencement, the LDA will be established as a commercial State agency. The LDA are currently progressing the development of a HSE...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government agreed an enhanced €2.2bn Defective Concrete Block scheme on 30 November 2021. The comprehensive changes include: - The current 90% maximum grant will be increased to a 100% grant for all remediation options 1-5 - The maximum grant cap for option 1 (demolition and rebuild) will be increased to €420,000 from €247,500 - The grant calculation methodology will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 24A of the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004, as amended, provides that the Housing Agency, in consultation with housing authorities, may make a proposal to the Minister that an area should be considered as a Rent Pressure Zone. Following receipt of such a proposal, the Minister requests the Director of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to conduct an assessment of the area to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In response to concerns raised by homeowners in Donegal and Mayo regarding the terms of the existing Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme, I established a timebound and representative Working Group to consider and report on the issues. I have acknowledged that the current scheme was challenging for all stakeholders and did not operate as intended for homeowners. I have listened to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities when processing Rebuilding Ireland Home Loans (RIHL) must lend mortgages on a prudent basis, taking into account the most recent income and employment data available. It would not be appropriate to lend when there is an identifiable risk that the person’s income and ability to pay might not return to the level required to support the borrowing requested. This is both...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The 2021 Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA) process is currently underway and the results will be published towards the end of Quarter 1, 2022. The SSHA is a point in time snapshot of demand for social housing support in local authority areas and does not necessarily reflect continuous entry to and exit from the housing waiting lists. The most recently published summary, conducted...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Applications for social housing support are assessed by local authorities 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). As social housing support is intended to address a household’s long-term housing need it is expected that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 303 and 312 together. My Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of emergency accommodation and related services for homeless...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 307 and 310 together. My Department received a submission from Clare County Council, dated 23 July 2021, requesting the extension of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme to County Clare. A response issued to the Council on 3 August 2021 indicating that my Department would review the submission and it also sought a detailed breakdown of costs...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department informed those local authorities requesting an extension to the Defective Concrete Block Scheme, that before any extension 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 are to take a lead role in determining, in accordance with the IS:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the counties of Donegal and Mayo to carry out the necessary remediation works to dwellings that have been damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks. Whilst the...