Results 14,081-14,100 of 26,290 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (16 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department issued a circular in February 2021 asking each local authority to identify a decarbonising zone and to provide a broad outline of the main projects that could be implemented in the decarbonising zone plus an indication as to the potential outcomes deliverable in terms of reductions in carbon emissions. Galway City Council identified the Westside area of the city as its...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (16 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: To date, 29 of 31 local authorities have submitted plans  for decarbonising zones. The projects proposed fall into a range of climate change areas including green mobility, renewable energy, and adaptation. A list of the proposed decarbonising zones is set out in the table below.  Two local authorities, Dun Laoghaire, Rathdown County Council and Fingal County Council,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (16 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is a scheme which funds the building of public infrastructure by local authorities. Its objective is to provide public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages to housing delivery. This enables the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in Dublin and in urban areas of high demand. LIHAF...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Road Projects (16 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: In order to support the costs associated with its intended construction of a Naas Inner Relief Road, in October 2017 Kildare County Council was approved for exchequer grant funding of up to €4,500,000 under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF). LIHAF funding supports the provision of infrastructure to facilitate residential land banks and allow for the delivery of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ministerial Staff (16 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department currently employs six civilian drivers. At this time there are no Garda Ministerial drivers assigned to my Department. The total salary cost for the civilian drivers in 2021 was €260,924.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I am trying to answer the Deputy's questions. I know what questions he asked. I can remember them so he does not need to remind me.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The regional caps are as they are right now. We will keep them under review. I am not reviewing them right now. I expect the first home shared equity to be effected from the end of quarter 2 this year. We have appointed the interim CEO and, as of now, the company has a staff of one. The affordable unit team within my Department is working very hard on this and other areas. There is a...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I cannot say right now. It could be a combination of both. I am happy to keep the committee informed of progress.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Is the Deputy asking about the Croí Cónaithe town and villages, the Croí Cónaithe cities or both? They are two different initiatives.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: We are still working through those mechanisms. It will be for owner occupiers. It is about bringing back to viability units that up to now were not viable and thus, getting people and families living in our cities on an owner-occupier basis. It could potentially be on an equity basis but there would be a reduction in cost. It would be done by way of a transparent, open call.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: We have not yet concluded the work on Croí Cónaithe cities. On the €50 million Croí Cónaithe towns and villages, I expect that to be in the form of a grant in the main to first-time buyers or fresh start buyers, who are people who may have owned a home but have been through a divorce, personal insolvency and so on. Again, we are working that through as well.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: It is to assist a purchase such that someone would be the owner-occupied within that space.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: No. I heard the Deputy say that last week. That is not necessarily the case.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy will see the line item is Croí Cónaithe €50 million. Effectively, that is the amount that we have this year. I hope we are in a position to be able to spend that this year. We need to get those schemes up and running, which we will do this year.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: A number of issues have been raised by Deputy Higgins which the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, can deal with and I will return to speak on the housing issues then if that is okay.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Higgins, in the first instance, for all of her work on this committee in support of the Housing for All strategy. The year 2022 is going to be a very significant one. The Deputy has outlined a number of different funding streams for the delivery of affordable housing. I have been out in Tandy's Lane with the Deputy also. I see our local authorities, like South Dublin County...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: With respect to the Chairman, I wish to return, first, to a couple of points. Arklow and Vartry are two very good examples mentioned there by the Chairman, one which relates to fresh and state-of-the-art drinking water supplies and plant in Vartry and then Arklow, where we have had untreated wastewater since virtually forever going into the Arklow River and polluting that area. We now...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I will answer very quickly and the Minister of State, Deputy Burke may wish to add on it. It was very significant that the legislation passed and is now an Act. MARA, in skeletal form, will be established this year. I expect it to be fully operational by 1 January 2023. It is very important that we have a streamlined planning process to harness the resource of offshore wind for energy...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Which heading is that?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I am just looking at it here. The total expenditure was €2.763 million in 2021. What is the Deputy's question on?