Results 15,521-15,540 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Functions (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Vacant Homes Unit, established in my Department, was responsible for the preparation of the National Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy published in 2018. This set out the high level objectives of the Vacant Homes Unit including the establishment and provision of funding to local authorities in order to establish a vacant homes office in each local authority area and also for Vacant Homes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Property Registration Authority (PRA), which is under the aegis of my Department, continued to maintain a high level of service to support a robust property market throughout the period of COVID-19 restrictions. Landdirect.ie is an online service, provided by the PRA, to enable the public to search a map and identify a property with corresponding folio numbers from the National Land...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Property Registration Authority (PRA) which is under the aegis of my Department continued to provide essential services to support the property market throughout Covid-19 restrictions. The procurement and payment of rent for off-site file and document storage space is a matter for the Office of Public Works (OPW). In 2021, overall completions of applications had recovered to 90%...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I first of all wish to advise that I have no direct function with regard to the provision of accommodation specifically for international students and/or English language students. Increasing the supply of all types of housing is key to relieving the pressure on the existing rental stock, which will benefit all renters, including English language and international students. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The development of the site at St Kevin's Hospital is currently being progressed by the Land Development Agency (LDA). This 14.5 acre site is expected to deliver 265 social and affordable homes, those being a mix of cost rental and affordable purchase. The LDA have advised my Department that a contractor has been appointed to undertake enabling works and they are currently completing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Buy and Renew Scheme supports Local Authorities in purchasing and renewing housing units in need of repair, which can then be made available for social housing use. Local Authorities have already purchased c.750 homes for social housing use. I have asked Local Authorities to increasingly target vacant and derelict properties that can be brought back to use as part of new public housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) brings vacant properties in need of repair back into use for social housing. The scheme is a crucial initiative in tackling vacancy under Housing for Allbecause in addition to providing social housing, it also has additional benefits in terms of regeneration, employment and investment in local areas. It assists private property owners, local authorities and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department published the terms of reference (attached) for the Report into the management of conflicts of interest and relevant disclosures by the Deputy Chairperson of An Bord Pleanála in relation to certain Decisions of that Board on the 12th of May 2022. In accordance with the terms of reference, Remy Farrell, Senior Counsel, was requested to provide a report to the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s Multi-annual Rural Water Programme, through Exchequer funding, delivers improvements to water services in areas of rural Ireland where there are no public water services. A working group – the Rural Water Working Group - is considering the composition of the measures for inclusion for funding under the upcoming multi-annual programme. Once I have had an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Regulations (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 397 to 399, inclusive, 401 and 408 to 410, inclusive, together. The existing Wild Bird Declarations were extended by a period of three months to 31 July 2022 to allow for the completion of the review of submissions received as part of the public consultation process, the receipt of legal advice and other internal discussions in relation to species...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Cork Event Centre was included as a commitment under Project Ireland 2040 and it underlines the Government’s objectives around urban regeneration, enhanced amenity and heritage, associated quality of life standards, balanced regional development, and the regeneration and development of Cork City Centre. It was agreed in the context of Budget 2020 that responsibility at central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: There is no record of any payments to ‘Kinzen’ (www.kinzen.com/company) on my Department’s Financial Payments System. Carr Communications Ltd was engaged by my Department on several occasions over the 30 months within the scope of the question – predominantly for staff training on leadership/people management, presentations and interviews. The costs incurred during...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 406 and 413 together. 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, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: In April 2018 the Department of Finance published the Stability Programme Update for 2018 which was the first set of fiscal projections produced by that Department to incorporate the CSO decision to reclassify the majority of Tier 3 Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) as part of the local government sector. This was an important first step in the Government's assessment as to the impact of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels in accordance with Section 7 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013. This includes the connection of new developments to the public water services system. In line with the creation of Irish Water, development...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 415 to 419, inclusive, together. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Jul 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: Fire Stations (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding to local authorities for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme. These schemes assist eligible applicants living in privately owned homes to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. Funding of €81.25 million is available nationally in 2022 which is an increase of €6.25 million on the 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (12 Jul 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 Government has recently reduced the minimum reckonable income required under the...