Results 14,601-14,620 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of addressing building defects. It commits to an examination of defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing’s report "Safe as Houses?". Housing for All, the Government’s national plan on housing to 2030,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is set out in the tables below. 1January 2020 to 26 June 2020 Name Salary Expenses Minister Eoghan Murphy TD €40,053.25 €1,231.24 Minister of State Damien English TD €19,538.96 €8,094.08 Minister of State John Paul Phelan...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 632 to 634, inclusive, 674 and 686 together. In relation to the questions posed, I can inform the deputies that I am aware of the allegations which have been made and understand that those allegations are denied by the Board member concerned. A Senior Counsel is being appointed to provide a report to inform my consideration of the matter. I also...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 636 and 644 together. My Department currently hosts 13 staff on full time secondments from other public sector organisations, mostly from the Local Authority sector.  As the receiving organisation my Department either pays the salaries of these staff directly or recoups their parent organisation for their salary costs.  There are no secondments...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Issues (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: An application to register unregistered lands in the Land Registry can be made to the Property Registration Authority (PRA) by lodging a First Registration Application.  On completion of a First Registration Application, a folio number is assigned to the property by the PRA. There are differing types of First Registration Applications that may be lodged, including applications based...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: No interns are currently engaged by my Department.  However, my Department does facilitate internships by students engaged in full-time or part-time further and higher education courses from time to time depending on business needs and the requirement for short term specific expertise.  In general such internships are unpaid but on occasion some such internships have been...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (26 Apr 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: Defective Building Materials (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of addressing building defects. Housing for All, the Government’s national plan on housing to 2030, reiterates these commitments. I brought a Memorandum to Government on an enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme on 30 November 2021. It included an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are making an important contribution to social housing delivery, as envisaged under current Government policy.  My Department operates a number of funding programmes that assist local authorities to work in partnership with AHBs to construct or purchase new homes and make them available for social housing. One such programme that AHBs progress...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I have no function in regard to the management of playgrounds. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth provided grant funding for refurbishment of playgrounds, however the management of playgrounds is a matter for the local authorities directly.  Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Issues (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Through the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO), my Department is currently providing €295,688 in funding to the Rivers Trust Resilience Pilot Project. Run in collaboration with the Rivers Trust Ireland, this project provides funding to the Inishowen Rivers Trust in County Donegal and the Maigue Rivers Trust in County Limerick to each employ a Project Officer for a period of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Standards Authority of Ireland (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I brought a Memorandum on an enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme to Government on the 30 November 2021 and it included an unprecedented suite of improvements to the current scheme. Government approved the enhanced scheme which it is estimated will cost approximately €2.2Bn. Full details in relation to the changes announced are available at the following...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Usage (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has undertaken numerous measures to reduce its energy usage. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) recently published its Annual Report for 2021 on Public Sector Energy Efficiency Performance. The report notes that my Department has exceeded the baseline target of a 30% energy reduction. We currently stand at an energy savings of 39.6% and are on the glide path to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All (published in September 2021) provides a new housing plan for Ireland to 2030 with the overall objective that every citizen in the State should have access to good quality homes through a steady supply of housing in the right locations, with economic, social and environmental sustainability built into the system. The strategy sets out, over four pathways, a broad suite of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 658, 659 and 660 together. Housing for All (published in September 2021) provides a new housing plan for Ireland to 2030 with the overall objective that every citizen in the State should have access to good quality homes through a steady supply of housing in the right locations, with economic, social and environmental sustainability built into the system....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The funding system that applies to local authorities in Ireland is a complex one, as those authorities derive their income from a variety of sources including commercial rates, charges for goods and services and funding from Central Government including my Department but also other government departments and state agencies. Most of the funding from Central Government to local authorities must...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Meetings (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing for All Delivery Group of Secretaries General, which is chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, has met 8 times since September 2021. The minutes of these meetings, including persons in attendance, are published by the Housing for All Secretariat in the Department of the Taoiseach on the dedicated Housing for All webpage which can be accessed...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 664 and 697 together. I refer to the reply to Question No. 343 of 22 March 2022, which sets out the position in the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ukraine War (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is responsible for meeting the immediate and short-term accommodation needs of persons arriving in Ireland from the conflict in Ukraine. As part of a whole-of-government response, DCEDIY, in close cooperation with local government, is securing accommodation for arrivals through: - hotels, guest houses and B and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ukraine War (26 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is responsible for meeting the immediate and short-term accommodation needs of persons arriving in Ireland from the conflict in Ukraine. As part of a whole-of-government response, DCEDIY, in close cooperation with local government, is securing accommodation for arrivals through: - hotels, guest houses and...