Results 14,141-14,160 of 26,290 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Flood Risk Management (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: In September 2004, Government approved a national flood risk policy which assigned OPW the lead role for flood risk management and mitigation. The OPW is responsible for overseeing Ireland’s approach to flood risk management across three strategic and policy areas, i.e. prevention, protection and preparedness. The 2004 report also acknowledged that the primary concern of my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Property Registration (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Property Registration Authority (PRA) continued to maintain a high level of service to support a robust property market throughout the period of COVID-19 restrictions. As set out in the PRA Customer Charter, completion times are measured in respect of cases that are in order (that is, that are not rejected or queried) and do not involve a change to map. In 2019, 87 per cent of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: To qualify for social housing support a household must meet all of the eligibility criteria, which primarily relate to income, availability of alternative accommodation, and previous rent arrears. Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 334 and 351 together. The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Schemeis open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides that, as the Minister, I may set out a minimum income required to purchase under the scheme. The minimum income...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department launched the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme (EERP) in 2013 with the aim of funding retrofit of social homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013, over 75,000 units of local authority stock have been retrofitted with a total exchequer spend of over €183 million. Up to 2020, the EERP was carried out in two Phases:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Affordable Housing Act 2021, the first ever standalone affordable housing legislation, established a basis for four new affordable housing measures. These measures will deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to put affordability at the heart of the housing system and prioritise the increased supply of affordable homes through (1) delivering affordable homes on local authority...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: A ‘Fresh Start’ principle applies for applications to State loan schemes such the Local Authority Home Loan. The following categories of persons are eligible to apply for the Local Authority Home Loan under the Fresh Start principle: - Applicant(s) that previously purchased or built a residential property, but is divorced and has left the property and divested themselves of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Regulations (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976 creates two prohibitions that apply between 1 March and 31 August annually. - Subsection (1)(a) makes it an offence for a person to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy, during that period, any vegetation growing on any land not then cultivated. - Subsection (1)(b) makes it an offence for a person to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy, during that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) was launched in 2018 under the National Development plan 2018-2027 to support more compact and sustainable development in accordance with the objectives of the National Planning Framework. To date there have been two calls for proposals under the URDF, the first in July 2018 and the second in January 2020. The table below gives the approved...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 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 alia the efficiency of the current banding model and income limits applicable to local authorities, was completed in Q4 2021. I am currently...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 341 and 342 together. My Department is currently developing proposals to support the provision of waste water treatment requirements for villages and similar settlements that do not have access to public waste water infrastructure. I propose to make a further announcement on this aspect of the Programme in the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Agency provides a central support service that assesses applications for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan on behalf of local authorities and makes recommendations to the authorities to approve or refuse applications. Each local authority must have in place a credit committee and it is a matter for the committee to make the decision on applications for loans, in accordance with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 344 and 345 together. My Department's Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2019-2021 included a measure to fund Community Waste Water Connections (previously called Public Group Sewerage Schemes), Measure 6(b). This measure aims to facilitate the continued expansion of central waste water collection systems by extension off the public (Irish Water) network...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: In 2019, my Department’s Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2019-2021 allocated €350,000 to the group water scheme referred to in the details supplied for water treatment improvements. I understand that the local authority have sought an increase of this funding. There has been ongoing correspondence between the local authority and my Department on the matter with further...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Energy Rating (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 347 to 349, inclusive, together. The Government is committed under Housing for All to developing a roadmap to implement minimum Building Energy Rating (BER) standards, or ‘Cost Optimal’ equivalent, for the private rental sector beginning in 2025. This will increase energy efficiency, help to alleviate fuel poverty, help to protect...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government backed mortgage scheme for those on modest or low incomes who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Project Tosaigh aims to bring 5,000 privately developed units of affordable housing on stream over the first half of Housing for All. This is in addition to the State lands the Land Development Agency (LDA) is already working on. The initial focus of the initiative is on projects which have been granted planning permission or for which a grant of planning is anticipated in the short term...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to develop a scheme between local authorities and Irish Water to provide drinking water fountains nationwide to reduce plastic bottle litter. In addition, EU Directive 2020/2184 (the Drinking Water Recast Directive) as adopted on 16 December 2020 updates the obligations on Member States in relation to the quality of water intended for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: House Sales (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 359 and 360 together. My Department does not collect data in relation to the ownership or construction of individual housing units purchased and sold in the housing market. The Government is cognisant of the potential impact of institutional investment on the housing market but recognises there is an important role for such investors in financing the much...