Results 16,221-16,240 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 Nov 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 real vibrancy and provide new accommodation in those areas. The Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund is a key initiative which underpins...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (15 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 addressing homelessness at a local level. Under the Housing Act...

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

Darragh O'Brien: In accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, local authorities are responsible for the management and maintenance of their housing stock including carrying out pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out responsive repairs. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme supports the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities for the leasing of houses and apartments. Long term lease arrangements can be entered into by either local authorities or approved housing bodies for periods of between 10 and 25 years. Local authorities lease dwellings taking account of local need,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Nov 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. 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 Land Development Agency and €5bn funding through the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 86, 88 and 89 together. My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity in all local authorities, including information on social housing build, acquisition and lease units broken down by local authority. This data is available until the end of Quarter 2 2022 and is published on the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not collate data of the type referred to in the Question.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (23 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 and 93 together. My Department provides 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 of applications is the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (23 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is continuing to work closely with local authorities and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) to identify, refurbish, and bring into use, multi-unit vacant properties that may be suitable and available for accommodation purposes for beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine. In cases where buildings identified as vacant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities operate a number of Choice Based Letting systems. Several offer paper-based systems, while others offer both paper-based and online services. Local authorities are generally helpful in assisting applicants to apply for their services and anyone who has difficulty in accessing should contact their local authority.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (24 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Following on from the Government decision of the 30 November 2021 in respect of the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) 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....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: In July, I launched the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant as part of the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund. The grant benefits those who wish to turn a formerly vacant house or building into their principal private residence. The grant was initially launched in respect of vacant properties in towns and villages but I am pleased to say that as of the 15 November, the expanded grant also...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (24 Nov 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. 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 Land Development Agency and €5bn funding through the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (24 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Oversight of the financial institutions is outside the scope and remit of my Department but I did write to the Minister for Finance on these matters. The Minister for Finance advised that neither he nor his Department have any role in relation to the commercial decisions of individual regulated entities, such as decisions they may make on applications for credit, or in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, launched on 7th July this year, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. Full information on the First Home Scheme is available at the following link: www.firsthomescheme.ie. The First Home Scheme Designated Activity Company (DAC) holds responsibility for operating and maintaining...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (24 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My office is currently preparing a response to the correspondence referred to in the information supplied. 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. My Department has no operational function in this matter. Irish Water is required by national regulations to consult...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Grant Payments (24 Nov 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: Housing Schemes (24 Nov 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The flexibility of Housing Assistance Programme (HAP) as a social housing support is one of the scheme's key characteristics and was one of the primary benefits envisaged at the outset of the scheme. With this in mind, Departmental circulars relating to inter-authority movement issued in 2017 and 2019, with the aim of facilitating movement of HAP households from one local authority area to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (22 Nov 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 (DCB) 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,...