Results 16,881-16,900 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Building Regulations (Part M Amendment) Regulations 2022 will greatly improve community participation and social inclusion for people with complex care needs. The key objectives of the Building Regulations (Part M Amendment) Regulations 2022 are to increase the provision of changing places toilets in certain new buildings, and to improve the accessibility and usability of existing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not provide specific allocations to local authorities, rather funding for housing programmes is made to the local authorities as programmes and projects advance and relevant claims fall due for payment. Funding provided by my Department to each Local Authority for Housing programmes in each of the years 2017 to 2021 is set out in the table below. The funding details for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I wish to explain at the outset that my role as Minister in relation to the planning system is primarily to provide a policy and legislative framework under which the planning authorities, An Bord Pleanála (the Board) and the Office of the Planning Regulator (the OPR) perform their statutory planning functions. The legislative framework chiefly comprises the Planning and Development...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. The review is addressing a number of key aspects including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. Guidance on the noise aspect is currently being finalised by the Department in conjunction with the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Water Services Act 2007, as amended, required all owners of premises served by an individual domestic waste water treatment system to register the system with their local authority by 1 February 2013. Having a strict cut-off date to register, together with appropriate sanctions for non-compliance, helped to ensure that an estimated 95% of systems were registered. The Domestic Waste...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 216 and 218 together. 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 fire authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The NDP allocation for the Department was agreed in mid-2021, supporting very ambitious targets for delivery of Capital infrastructure across all areas of my Department. In September 2021, the Government published Housing for All, a new 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of addressing building defects. These include a commitment to examine defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing’s report Safe as Houses?Housing for All, the Government’s national plan on housing to 2030, reiterates...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has not directly conducted or commissioned research into premature deaths of persons experiencing homelessness. However, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: On 19 January 2022, the Government announced their decision to make a Covid-19 recognition payment for frontline healthcare workers to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. This once-off payment is ring fenced to staff who were ordinarily onsite in Covid-19-exposed healthcare environments within the period from 1 March 2020 to 30 June 2021. It applies to eligible staff in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (26 Jan 2023)

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: Housing Schemes (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Pathway 4 of Housing for All a blueprint is set out 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The relevant details are being compiled and will be provided to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) supports the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities for the leasing of houses and apartments, including Part V leasing. The average lease cost is calculated based on claims for operational new units submitted by local authorities and recorded on my Department’s SHCEP financial management...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The relevant details are being compiled and will be provided to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Constituency Commission (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Electoral Reform Act 2022 ('the Act') provides for, among other matters, the establishment of the Electoral Commission - which will be titled An Coimisiún Toghcháin. In addition, the Act provides for the review of Dáil and European Parliament constituencies to be undertaken by the new Coimisiún following its establishment. Under the provisions of the Act, the Report...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 45(5) of the Local Government Act 2001 (as amended) provides that a local authority may, by standing orders, regulate the right of members of the public and members of the media to be present at meetings of the local authority. This provision includes the making, by standing orders, of rules in relation to the recording or relaying of the proceedings as they take place or at a later...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (26 Jan 2023)

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: Legislative Measures (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Electoral Reform Act 2022 ('the Act') was enacted on 25 July 2022 and section 1(5) provides that the provisions of the Act are subject to commencement orders being made. The Electoral Reform Act 2022 (Commencement) Order 2022 and the Electoral Reform Act 2022 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2022 provided for the commencement of a number of the provisions of the Act. Both statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (26 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: On 20 January 2023, I launched a three-month public consultation on proposed amendments to Building Regulations relating to fire safety. The proposed changes aim to improve fire safety in new buildings and support the re-use of existing buildings by simplifying, clarifying and rationalising fire safety requirements. The review is also a key action of the government’s Housing for All...