Results 14,981-15,000 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Sector Staff (24 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The application of the flexi-time scheme for local authority staff who have resumed full office attendance following restricted attendance during the pandemic remains unchanged.  Following on from the issuing by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform of their Blended Working Policy Framework document as it relates to the Civil and Public sector, the local authority sector...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Government Communications (24 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Contact details for myself and Ministers of State Burke and Noonan can be found on my Department's website at the following link - www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-housing-local-gover nment-and-heritage/.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (24 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The increase in homelessness seen nationally in recent months is a serious concern for Government. We are acting to address this, and while significant work has been done there is still more to do. My Department publishes a detailed monthly report on homelessness, based on data provided by housing authorities. The Report outlines details of individuals utilising...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (24 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 local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level.  Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities.  Under the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (24 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 exchequer spend of €184 million under the scheme. In...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (24 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 229 to 232, inclusive, together. Addressing the current housing shortage requires short, medium and long-term action to stimulate housing supply. Housing for All set out four pathways to achieve its vision of a sustainable housing system.  Under Pathway 3, the Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme will help to kick-start urban apartment...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Investigations (24 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has not commissioned any formal investigations, internal or external, regarding information leaked to the media in the period under question.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 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. It will see 54,000 affordable home interventions which includes 36,000...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 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). AHBs will be supported by Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) funding and Local Authorities will be able to avail of funding for Cost Rental delivery through the Affordable Housing Fund. The LDA...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Referendum Campaigns (24 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government published a Policy Paper entitled Irish Water - Towards a National, Publicly-Owned, Regulated Water Services Utility in February 2021 setting out our views and expectations on the next phase of transformation in the water sector, to involve the integration of water services operations within Irish Water's organisation structure. The matter of a referendum on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (24 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The funding system that applies to local authorities in Ireland is a complex one, as 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 from government Departments and state agencies. My Department has a significant business agenda, covering a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (24 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policies (25 May 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: Departmental Schemes (25 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People Grant, each of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (25 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Addressing the current housing shortage requires short, medium and long-term action to stimulate housing supply. The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme is one measure within Housing for All that will help to kick-start apartment developments that might not otherwise be developed. The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme supports the building of apartments for sale to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (25 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 local level.  Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities.  My Department does not fund any homeless...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (25 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals.  At the end of Q4 2021, over 100,000 HAP tenancies had been set-up since the scheme commenced, of which there were more than 61,900 households actively in receipt of HAP support and over 33,000 separate landlords and agents providing accommodation to households supported by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (25 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (25 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 164 of 5 May 2022. The full time staff complement of the Vacant Homes Unit will involve further staffing, the specific resourcing requirements of which remains under ongoing review, to support the dedicated full-time Principal Officer and Assistant Principal Officer.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (25 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not have any grant available specific to the removal of asbestos from homes.   The Housing Adaptation Grant for Older People and People with a Disability scheme provides a range of grants for necessary improvement works or adaptations to houses in order to facilitate the continued independent occupancy of their own homes by older people and people with a...