Results 15,541-15,560 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 427 and 428 together. 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 nearly 62,000 households actively in receipt of HAP support, including 1,711 households in Wicklow. At the end of Q1...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 429 to 431, inclusive, together. My Department introduced an Energy Efficiency Programme that commenced in 2013, with the ambition to fund retrofit on all social homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works, this programme has seen improved energy efficiency and comfort levels in over 75,000 Local Authority homes over the period 2013 to the end of 2021...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding to local authorities under the Disabled Persons Grants Scheme to carry out works on local authority owned social housing stock to address the needs of older people, people with a disability or relieve overcrowding. The detailed administration of this scheme including assessment, approval and prioritisation of applications is the responsibility of local...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Following on from the Government decision of the 30 November 2021 in respect of the enhanced defective concrete blocks grant scheme, the Government approved the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022 on 21 June 2022. The purpose of this Bill is to implement and give legislative underpinning to a series of measures to improve and enhance the scheme...

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 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 (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022. Prior to that, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan was the mortgage available from local authorities. As of 4 January 2022, no new Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan applications will be accepted, although applications/approvals already in process will be honoured The Housing Agency provides a...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Water Services Acts 2007 and 2012 (Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems) Regulations 2012, the owner of a domestic waste water treatment system is responsible for its maintenance and renewal and should ensure that its parts and components are fit for purpose, operational where appropriate, kept in good order and repair so as to prevent a risk to human health or the environment. My...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not collect quantitative data on the performance of Choice Based Letting in local authority areas. The Department reviews the uptake of Choice Based Letting from time-to-time with a view to supporting its roll-out and standardisation across local authorities. Feedback from local authorities, to date, shows more than half operating a Choice Based Letting system, which they...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The current Wild Bird Declarations, one general and one relating to air safety allowing for the control of certain wild bird species, were extended by me in April 2022 and are due to expire on 31 July 2022. I have now signed two new Declarations, one general and one relating to air safety, that reflect Article 9 of the Birds Directive. These new Declarations will cover the period from 1st...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 444 and 445 together. The information requested by the Deputy is not held by my Department.

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 446 to 453, inclusive, together. Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recent summary for all counties, conducted in November 2021, is available at:...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 454 and 455 together. 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 nearly 62,000 households actively in receipt of HAP support. At the end of Q1 2022, over 102,500 HAP tenancies had...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 456 to 458, inclusive, together. My Department introduced an Energy Efficiency Programme that commenced in 2013, with the ambition to fund retrofit on all social homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. This programme has seen improved energy efficiency and comfort levels in over 75,000 Local Authority homes over the period 2013 to the end of 2021...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The recent identification of a Framework for the future of Water Services under the aegis of the Workplace Relations Commission will enable Irish Water to work in conjunction with local authorities and current water services staff to complete the integration of public water services into its own organisational structure, as envisaged in the Government’s Policy Paper on Water Sector...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under my Department’s renewal or repair of thatched roof grant scheme, in general a grant of up to €3,810, or two thirds of the approved cost, whichever is the lesser, may be payable in respect of necessary works to renew or repair the thatched roofs of houses. In the case of medical card holders however, a grant of up to €6,350, or up to 80% of the approved cost, may be...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is responsible for providing accommodation for persons arriving in Ireland from the conflict in Ukraine. My Department is supporting this work, establishing and chairing a cross-government Housing Taskforce to scope longer-term delivery accommodation options. Three streams have emerged from this work and are being...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Previously, the normal retirement age of retained firefighters was 55 years, with provision for an annual extension up to the age of 58 years, subject to a formal application process, including a compulsory assessment under the Occupational Health Scheme. In early 2020, the Workplace Relations Commission recommended that the existing provisions for the retirement age of retained...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Schemes (13 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 229 and 230 together. Under my Department’s renewal or repair of thatched roof grant scheme, in general a grant of up to €3,810, or two thirds of the approved cost, whichever is the lesser, may be payable in respect of necessary works to renew or repair the thatched roofs of houses. In the case of medical card holders, a grant of up to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (13 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: As provided for in Housing for All, the National Homeless Action Committee (NHAC) was established in Q4 2021. The overarching objective of NHAC is to ensure that a renewed emphasis is brought to collaborating across Government to implement actions in Housing for All, along with bringing better coherence and coordination of homeless-related services in delivering policy measures...