Results 15,641-15,660 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (15 Sep 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 and the Bill passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas and was subsequently signed into law by the President on the 23 July, 2022. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (15 Sep 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: When dealing with special leave with pay (SLWP) for Covid-19 my Department applies the guidelines and policies set out in the Guidance and FAQs for Public Service Employers during COVID-19. The latest version of this document was issued on 22 May 2022 and included changes to the policy surrounding the payment of SLWP. This document can be found using the following link: SLWP is currently...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The design and delivery of new social homes as well as the maintenance and upkeep of existing properties, are the direct responsibility of our local authorities, working in partnership with AHBs. My Department is providing substantial funding to the local authorities for their work in these important areas and I understand that the Council is deploying some of the €1.628 million which...

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

Darragh O'Brien: A key principle of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented sector, which best suits their needs, in their area of choice. On entering the HAP scheme, tenants are required to stay in the same property for at least two years. However, they may be able to apply to their local authority for a new HAP payment...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (20 Sep 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 and the Bill passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas and was subsequently signed into law by the President. The purpose of this Act is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (20 Sep 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 257 and 292 together. I refer to the reply to Questions No. 210, 230 and 232 of 14 September 2022 which sets out the position in the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (20 Sep 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, including the Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands. Irish Water takes a strategic, nationwide approach to asset planning and investment, and meeting customer requirements. The prioritisation and progression of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (20 Sep 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: With the support of the Housing Delivery Co-ordination Office (HDCO) in the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), my Department undertook a review of the requirements for affordable housing staff resources in those local authorities with an identified strong demand for housing from households with an affordability constraint. Key considerations in this review included the type of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (20 Sep 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, launched on 7 July 2022, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. The scheme also allows for applications from certain non-first time buyers under the Government's 'Fresh Start' principle. Full details of the First Home Scheme, including eligibility criteria, are available on the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Further and Higher Education (20 Sep 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is not held by my Department.   The Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the exercise of his functions under the Valuation Act 2001, as amended. The Valuation Office provides a professional valuation service to Government Departments, State Agencies and other public bodies. This work relates to capital and rental valuations, including valuations...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (20 Sep 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The funding system that applies to local authorities in Ireland is a complex one, as those 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 government departments and state agencies. Most of the funding from Central Government to local authorities must...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (20 Sep 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 Transport (20 Sep 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Climate Action Plan sets out an ambitious course for national decarbonisation to deliver a scale-up in emission performance across all sectors over the coming decade to meet 2030 targets and to set a trajectory to meet 2050 objectives. The plan recognises that climate change is a complex issue that requires transformative responses from every sector in society and that all measures,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (20 Sep 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 and the Bill passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas and was subsequently signed into law by the President. The purpose of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policies (20 Sep 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The continuing increase in the numbers accessing emergency accommodation throughout the country is a serious concern. The Government, local authorities and others are making every effort to reduce homelessness. Key to this is the delivery of new social housing and boosting overall supply of homes. The Government is investing significantly in social and affordable housing, with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policies (20 Sep 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Having regard to the manifest and grave risk to human life and public health posed by the spread of Covid-19 and in order to mitigate, where practicable, the effect of the spread of that disease, the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 provided for a temporary moratorium on tenancy terminations, other than in exceptional and limited cases during the emergency period...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (20 Sep 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, my Department was tasked with undertaking an analytical exercise to examine whether the level of discretion available to Local Authorities under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) was adequate. The Housing Agency undertook to carry out this analytical exercise on behalf of my Department to better understand what level of discretion should be made available to Local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (20 Sep 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Water Services (No 2) Act 2013 provides for the – - establishment of Irish Water and - transfer of water services functions, property and assets from local authorities to Irish Water by way of Ministerial Order. This asset transfer process began in 2015, and by end June 2022, a total of 22 Ministerial Orders had been made to transfer water services assets from the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (20 Sep 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand the Question refers to Group Water Schemes. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (20 Sep 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 277 and 278 together. 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...