Results 15,921-15,940 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policies (6 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 and 187 together. The Programme for Government sets out a commitment to examine defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing’s report Safe as Houses?,and to assist owners of latent defect properties by identifying options for those impacted by defects, to access low-cost, long-term finance. In...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (6 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Meetings (6 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Following the passing of legislation in 2019, with effect from 4 April 2022, landlords are required to register their tenancies with the RTB every year, within one month of the anniversary of when the tenancy began. I am aware that some landlords and agents are encountering issues with the new RTB tenancy management system and I met with the RTB in July and in September to discuss the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (6 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 192 and 193 together. In November 2021 the Government agreed a comprehensive Defective Concrete Block Grant redress scheme. This scheme was designed to support home owners who have been severely affected by issues relating to defective products in the construction of their homes. One of the actions arising from that decision was the development of a levy to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (6 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 194, 197 and 210 together. 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, with Exchequer funding of €65 million available...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (6 Oct 2022)

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

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (6 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, the role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist housing authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding. Funding of €20 million has been made available in 2023 for the delivery of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (6 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding for the Housing Adaptation Grant for Older People and People with a Disability scheme, which is 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 disability. These schemes cover works reasonably necessary for the purposes of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (6 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 by 2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (6 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) budget funds the ongoing current costs of social homes delivered using a variety of different delivery streams. This includes properties built or acquired by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) using funding under the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) and the Housing Agency Acquisitions Fund (HAA), which are then made available under a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (6 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. Once a household is deemed eligible for social housing support, it is a matter for the local authority...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (6 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 by 2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (6 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 204 and 206 together. 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. As of 4 January 2022,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (6 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government ‘Our Shared Future’ commits to developing a Youth Homelessness Strategy. This commitment is articulated in Housing for All. The development of this Strategy was identified as a priority action at the first meeting of the National Homeless Action Committee in December 2021. This Strategy has been underpinned by an extensive consultation process,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (6 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: A review of homeless deaths was undertaken on behalf of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) by Dr Austin O’Carroll. The review analysed the available data concerning deaths in homeless services for 2020 to identify learnings for homeless and health services that could help tailor the provision of care to homeless people. This ‘Interim Report on Mortality in Single...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (6 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme was reviewed in 2021 in line with Programme for Government and Housing for All commitments, with a number of changes subsequently coming into effect from 1 February 2022. The minimum reckonable income required to be eligible under the scheme changed from €15,000 to €12,500. The time tenants are required to be in receipt of social housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (6 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. Many areas of cities, towns and villages of all sizes face the blight of vacant properties, which, if brought back into use, could add vibrancy and provide new accommodation in those areas. The Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund is a key initiative which underpins...

Tailte Éireann Bill 2022: Financial Resolution (11 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: THAT provision be made in the Act giving effect to this Resolution for the charging of, in accordance with an order made by the Minister under section 25 of the Act, the fees payable to Tailte Éireann in relation to the performance by it of its functions.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (11 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 304 and 339 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Culture Policy (11 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: On 29 September, the Taoiseach and I announced 25 awards totalling more than €4.3 million under the Shared Island Local Authority Development Funding scheme at an event in Cavan. Funding was awarded to 25 projects which brought together 23 different local authorities from across the island. Galway City Council, as the lead local authority, was awarded €147,000 in funding...