Results 17,501-17,520 of 26,320 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 403 and 404 together. 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, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Departments’ Rural Water Programme, through Exchequer funding, facilitates the development of water services for areas of rural Ireland where there are no public water services. Responsibility for the day-to-day implementation of the Programme is devolved to the local authorities. My Department funds the authorities to carry out their work under the Programme. Local authorities are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 406 and 407 together. Group Water Schemes (GWS) are community-owned and community-run enterprises which manage water distribution systems in rural areas. My Department provides funding support, including through the payment of an annual subsidy, for some of the day-to-day costs of GWS. The application and approval process for this funding is administered by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 408 and 409 together. The management of local authority housing stock and social housing waiting lists, including the allocation of tenancies, are matters solely for local authorities in accordance with the Housing Acts and associated Regulations. That said, local authorities always strive to maximise the use of housing stock and prevent under-occupancy...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Property Registration (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Established on 1 March 2023, Tailte Éireann is the State agency formed following the merger of the Property Registration Authority, the Valuation Office and Ordnance Survey Ireland. All the functions previously carried out by the Property Registration Authority, the Valuation Office, and Ordnance Survey Ireland will now be performed by Tailte Éireann. Any information required by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities. It is an operational matter for local authorities to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Museum Projects (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: On 15 November 2021, I officially opened The Custom House Visitor Centre, in conjunction with the Office of Public Works (OPW) and in partnership with Fáilte Ireland. The Custom House Visitor Centre is a visitor experience exploring the construction, burning and restoration of Dublin’s Custom House featuring new and interactive exhibits telling the rich history of the building...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Capital Expenditure Programme (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not have any projects on hold due to capital funding pressures. My Department funds a number of bodies who manage their own projects. These bodies may be contacted directly by e-mail by members of the Oireachtas, as set out in the attached table.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (21 Mar 2023)

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, 2022....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. In order for a household to qualify for HAP, they must first be assessed as eligible for social housing support by their local authority. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. A key principle of the HAP scheme is that eligible...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In May 2022, Government approved a three-year Strategic Action Plan for renewal of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Building on the substantial investment under the Plan, which comes to an additional €55 million across three budgetary cycles, there are a range of funding initiatives managed by the NPWS to support individuals or groups to assist with the conservation of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Restrictions on cutting hedgerows are set out in Section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976, as amended. This Act stipulates that it is an offence to destroy vegetation on uncultivated land between the 1st of March and the 31st of August each year. It is a significant legal protection for our hedgerows and recognises the importance of this habitat for many bird and other species and as wildlife...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 419, 430, 431, 447, 451, 459, 461, 462, 478, 495, 497 and 499 together. 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, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 introduced the Rent Predictability Measure to moderate rent increases in those parts of the country where rents are highest and rising fastest. The Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Act 2021 introduced measures in July 2021 to extend the operation of Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) until the end of 2024 and prohibit any...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Sustainable Development Goals (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a significant and ambitious framework. A whole-of-Government approach to its implementation has been taken in Ireland. Ireland’s Second National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals, 2022 – 2024 was published in October 2022. The Plan was developed by the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 423 and 433 together. On the 7 March last the Government decided that the “Winter Emergency Period”, under the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022, will cease on the 31 March. This will see deferred tenancy terminations taking effect over a staggered period from 1 April to 18 June 2023. In...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (21 Mar 2023)

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, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, launched on 7 July 2022, supports eligible first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. It also supports other purchasers who have previously owned a home, under the 'Fresh Start' principle. Support available under the First Home is targetted at new build homes as a key policy objective of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reviews (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 426 and 468 together. Housing for All commits to reviewing the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. Among the areas which the review considered are the income thresholds, the grant limits, the application and decision making processes, including supplementary documentation required. A report on the review of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (21 Mar 2023)

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, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct...