Results 14,681-14,700 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 195 and 196 together. My Department does not collate data of the type referred to in the Question.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All, is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes by 2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12 billion in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5 billion in funding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Government's Housing for All strategy, 10,000 Cost Rental homes will be delivered from 2021 to 2026 by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), Local Authorities and the Land Development Agency (LDA).  A Housing Delivery Action Plan prepared by each Local Authority will underpin Local Authority delivery of affordable purchase and cost rental homes to 2026. This includes any Local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 199 and 200 together. The Programme for Government commits to ensuring that Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) levels are adequate to support vulnerable households, while we increase the supply of social housing. Maximum rent limits for HAP were set for each housing authority area in 2016, in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection (DSP). In...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity, including details by individual local authority. This data is available to the end of 2021, and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-hou sing-provision/  My...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing for All Strategy delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system, with an ambitious target of 300,000 homes over the next decade for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing. 54,000 affordable home interventions will be delivered between now and 2030 to be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The advancement of social housing on sites owned by Kildare County Council is a matter in the first place for the Council; it is a matter for the Council to determine what housing delivery is initiated, including the nature, scale and timing of the housing. At the request of Kildare County Council, my Department has recently confirmed funding approval for the Council to work with Cluid...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme will support eligible applicants to purchase new homes in the private market through an equity share model, similar to that used in the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme. The Scheme will be restricted to new homes within regional price ceilings, in order for resources to be generally targeted at supporting purchases in the lower region (sub-median) of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 343 of 22 March 2022. The position has not changed.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 208 and 209 together. Since 2013, Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) to support local authorities with the retrofit of local authority owned homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013 over 75,000 homes have been retrofitted with a total...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: There have been no secondments from my Department to the university third level sector in the past two years. My Department is guided by the advice issued to all Government Departments by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to secondments which is available at the following link - hr.per.gov.ie/en/corporate-pages/career/mobility/secondment/ . 

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (4 May 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: EU Directives (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: While my Department is not paying any fine for failing to transpose EU directives at the moment, I can provide details of fines paid for the Derrybrien case (C-261/18). It is important to note that these fines were not paid for ‘non-transposition’ of an EU Directive, as the Derrybrien judgment related to the specific non-compliance of the Derrybrien wind farm with the EIA...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: A key action of Housing for All is that local authorities will develop and submit Housing Delivery Action Plans to include details of social and affordable housing delivery. The Plans set out details of both social and affordable housing delivery as appropriate over the period 2022-2026, in line with targets set under Housing for All.  All local authorities submitted their Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 the local level. My Department publishes a detailed monthly report on homelessness, based on data provided by housing authorities. The Report outlines details of individuals utilising...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (5 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question. It is an important one. A priority for me as Minister is to continue tackling the serious problem that is homelessness. The continuing increase in the numbers, which I flagged a number of months ago and which was to be expected, is of serious concern to me as I know it is to the Deputy. The Government, local authorities and others are making every...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (5 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. To conclude my initial response, I also want to refer to mortgage to rent, which is a very important mechanism for preventing homelessness. Last year, I made some significant changes which came into effect from 14 February of this year. Last year, 678 borrowers availed of the mortgage to rent scheme. We are targeting 1,000 this year and in each year onwards and I think...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (5 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: This is a mechanism that we want to see work. The Deputy referred to the tenants in situ scheme in Dublin City Council, which it effectively ran itself. It has not been precluded from operating that scheme. We need to balance what we are doing to make sure those waiting for a long time on the list will not be waiting even longer. This is a preventive measure. I want to see it work. I...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Planning Issues (5 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware of the allegations that have been made. I understand they are denied by the board members specifically. It is important that we say that. I have appointed a senior counsel, Mr. Remy Farrell, to provide a report to inform my consideration of the matter. Any allegations of this nature, be they related to individuals or the process, must be taken very seriously. We have done so...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Planning Issues (5 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I assure the Deputy that they will be. He will see that very shortly, or in a matter of days, when we publish them. The work is now being concluded. It is important that the public have confidence in the board. We all have a responsibility to ensure this is the case. The Government has made significant changes to the planning process by reinstating a two-stage process that starts in the...