Results 15,121-15,140 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Conservation (14 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 519 and 520 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: Housing Schemes (14 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of 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, including more than 2,300 households in Kildare. Local authorities have discretion, because of local rental...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government backed mortgage 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. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) involves a three way contractual relationship between landlord, tenant and the local authority with each party having their own responsibilities. Accommodation provided under RAS is governed by the terms of the Residential Tenancies Acts (RTA) 2004 to 2021, as amended. Section 12(1)(c) of the RTA sets out in legislation the requirements for a landlord...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant Purchase Scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, or joint tenants, of local authority homes available for sale under the scheme. Applicants must meet certain criteria, including minimum reckonable income and minimum time in receipt of social housing supports, to be eligible. The scheme was reviewed in 2021 in line with Programme for Government and Housing for All...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support available for people who have a long-term housing need. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. Eligible households can source their own accommodation in the private rental sector which should be within the HAP rent limits provided to them by the local authority. In order...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (14 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Funding of €68.5 million under the National Development Plan has been allocated for the period 2021-2025 for legacy water services issues in relation to lead pipe remediation and the Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme.  My Department is operating a multi-annual programme to provide funding for the progressive resolution of housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (14 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP), payments for vacant dwellings are recouped to local authorities for a maximum period of 3 consecutive months to allow for tenanting of the dwelling by local authorities.  If the dwelling remains vacant at the end of the 3-month period and has not been withdrawn from the scheme, it is deemed to be inactive and notified to my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (14 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not collect data on the purchase of residential properties by individual private companies. That said, the Government introduced measures in May 2021 to limit the bulk purchase of houses and duplexes by institutional investors. The measures included - requiring planning authorities (via Ministerial Guidelines under Section 28 of the Planning and Development...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I am working with Government colleagues and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to provide for an increase in the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) discretion rate to 35% and for new tenancies, to expand the couple’s rate to single persons. This will secure more tenancies and prevent new entries to homelessness. Once this engagement process is complete, the changes to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policies (14 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Building Regulations provide for the health and safety of people in and around buildings.  Part L of the Building Regulations provide for the Conservation of Fuel and Energy. Part J of the Building Regulations provide for Heat producing Appliances.   All new dwellings must comply with all parts of the building regulations.   Part J of the Building...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Programme for Government (14 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is leading implementation of the process to expand Ireland's network of marine protected areas (MPAs) and the associated commitments in the Programme for Government, namely: (1) to develop comprehensive legislation that will enable MPA designation and management, and (2) to realise Ireland's outstanding target of 10% MPA coverage of our waters as soon as is practical,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (14 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question 243 of 19 May 2022 and the information provided on the water quality issues with Kilteel Group Water Scheme.  My Department's Rural Water Programme provides capital funding under a multi-annual programme and an annual subsidy for the operational and management costs of group water schemes providing water for domestic use. The funding under...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (15 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy, published in July 2018, provided a targeted, effective and coordinated approach to identifying and tackling vacancy across Ireland. The range of objectives and actions in the strategy have been pursued in partnership with stakeholders and agencies across the housing sector to address vacancy in our housing stock. The key drivers of these actions are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (15 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 28 together. The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, fire safety and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (15 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 30 together. Under Housing for All, 10,000 Cost Rental homes will be delivered from 2021 to 2026. These new homes will be delivered by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), supported by Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) funding, and Local Authorities, funded by the Affordable Housing Fund. The Land Development Agency will also deliver Cost Rental, either on its...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All sets out the range of actions necessary to increase the supply of housing to the required 33,000 homes, on average, per year over the next decade. 54,000 affordable home interventions will be delivered between now and 2030 to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing First recognises that a stable home provides the basis for recovery in other areas. With Housing First, the priority is to support a person who has experienced homelessness into permanent housing as quickly as possible, without any preconditions around addiction or mental health treatment. Then, intensive work continues on these issues once they are housed. Housing First has been a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Affordable homes supported by the Department's Affordable Housing Fund will be made available to eligible buyers at reduced purchase prices through the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme. The provisions of the scheme are detailed under Part 2 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021. The percentage difference between the market value of the home and the discounted purchase price is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity. 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-housing-provis ion/ My Department also published the Quarter 4 2021 Social...