Results 13,981-14,000 of 26,290 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (9 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) was launched in 2018 to support more compact and sustainable development. The Fund is providing part-funding for projects that will enable a greater proportion of residential and mixed-use development to be delivered within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and large towns, while also ensuring that more parts of our urban areas...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Water Services Acts 2007 and 2012 (Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems) Regulations 2012, the owner of a domestic waste water treatment system is responsible for its maintenance and renewal and shall ensure that its parts and components are fit for purpose, operational where appropriate, kept in good order and repair so as to prevent a risk to human health or the environment. My...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The function of the Local Government Audit Service is to complete the audits of all local authorities annual financial statements, including that of Mayo County Council, using a structured audit methodology in accordance with the Code of Audit Practice and related guidelines. Local Government Auditors are independent in the performance of their duties and it is a matter for each auditor to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (10 Feb 2022)

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 where...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 276 and 277 together. Responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. Under the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 Irish Water is required to collect charges, where relevant, from its customers in accordance with a water charges plan, detailing tariffs and charging...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: All applications for URDF support are assessed in terms of their alignment with the intended purpose of the relevant URDF call and also their viability before being considered for approval. In line with a Government Decision of May 2018, the assessment process for Call 2 of the URDF included the consideration of applications by a Project Advisory Board (PAB) consisting of relevant Government...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Sector Staff (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: There are 228 staff of my Department working in County Wexford. The following headcount breakdown by Division and Business Unit reflects the position at 31 December 2021. Division Business Unit Headcount at 31 Dec. 2021 Corporate & Business Support Assistant Secretary Corporate & Business Support Division 1 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme includes a measure to provide funding to enable existing Group Water Schemes, including ‘orphan’ schemes, to progressively transition to the public water sector and be taken in charge by Irish Water. In the Programme for 2019-2021, over 150 taking in charge projects, including ‘orphan’ schemes, were...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department's Multi-annual Rural Water Programme includes a measure for the development of Community Water Connections (formerly called Public Group Water Schemes). This measure enables the further expansion of the public water distribution network as extensions to the existing Irish Water network in areas where a Group Water Scheme or private wells are not viable options. The estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Sustainable Development Goals (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: A renewed focus is currently being given to progress Ireland’s commitment to Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. Substantial progress has been achieved in recent months in respect of reviewing Ireland’s implementation of Agenda 2030 and identifying key priorities and actions for inclusion in the next National Implementation Plan. It is intended that the draft Plan will be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: As outlined in HPO 12.2 of Housing for All, proposals for Urban Development Zones (UDZs) are being progressed. It is proposed that UDZs will provide for a coordinated, plan-led approach to the development of areas with significant potential for residential and urban growth. It is also proposed that ‘Land Value Sharing’ obligations will apply within these areas, in order to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Homeless Action Committee is a cross-governmental and inter-agency oversight group with membership drawn from key Departments, agencies and bodies with a delivery and supporting role in tackling homelessness. The overarching objective of the Committee is to ensure that a renewed emphasis is brought to collaborating across Government to implement actions in Housing for All, along...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Over the period to 2030, Housing for All commits to delivering a total of 18,000 Cost Rental homes. The delivery of these homes will be supported by funding across three delivery strands: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), supported by Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) funding; Local Authorities through the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF), and the Land Development Agency (LDA), either on their...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (10 Feb 2022)

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 first National Implementation Plan for Housing First, published in September 2018, which put the programme on a national footing, was designed to provide this response, by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government commits to ensuring that HAP levels are adequate to support vulnerable households, while we increase the supply of social housing. Under Housing for All, my Department was tasked with undertaking an analytical exercise to examine whether an increase in the level of discretion available to Local Authorities under HAP is required, in order to maintain adequate...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant Purchase Scheme was reviewed in line with Programme for Government and Housing for All commitments in 2021, with amendments to these criteria subsequently approved by Government. The new regulations - S.I. No.776 of 2021 Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 were published on 11 January 2022 and came into effect on 1st February 2022. Further changes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland was published in September 2021 and, as part of a broad suite of social housing reforms, committed to reviewing income eligibility for social housing. The review, which examined inter aliathe efficiency of the current banding model and income limits applicable to local authorities, was completed in Q4, 2021. I expect to make a decision...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government contained a commitment to establishing a Commission on Housing to examine issues such as tenure, standards, sustainability and quality-of-life issues in the provision of housing. As further set out in Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland, the Commission will also bring forward proposals on the Referendum on Housing referred to in the Programme...