Results 18,601-18,620 of 26,320 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, fire safety and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. These Regulations apply to all properties let or available for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 401 and 402 together. Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective system to address queries directly to the relevant bodies. The contact email address for An Bord Pleanála in this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 403, 404 and 524 together. The competition to appoint the next chief executive of Dublin City Council was advertised by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) on 15 September 2023. The competition is open for applications until 5 October 2023 and details of the appointment process are outlined in the information booklet for this competition. Dublin City...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Industrial Disputes (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 405, 422 and 426 together. Under the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible and each local authority is an individual employer. The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) provides...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 406, 407 and 408 together. The existing Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines were issued in 2005, as Ministerial Guidance under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act). Any person may lodge an application for permission to a planning authority in accordance with section 34 of the Act, for the construction of a house, which may...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible. Staffing numbers for the local authority sector for the period sought are available on the Public Service Numbers databank, which is hosted and maintained...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The regeneration of Poolbeg West is an important step in the transformation of the Dublin Docklands area, with the potential to provide for 3,500 homes. A novel condition of the planning scheme for the Poolbeg West Strategic Development Zone, is the requirement that a further 15% of approved homes across the SDZ should be social and affordable homes, in addition to the 10% statutory social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The new scheme is now open to applications in four counties: Clare, Donegal, Limerick and Mayo with comprehensive information of all aspects of the Scheme available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is responsible for the implementation of the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation (1143/2014) which provides for a range of concerted EU wide measures to be taken with respect to listed species of Union concern (the 'Union list'). Asian hornet is included on the Union list. Led by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), in cooperation with the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 414 and 415 together. 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. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Communications (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Following the passage and enactment of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 the existing set of electoral information leaflets including "How members of local authorities are elected" were updated to reflect the new legislative provisions relating to the electoral registration process. The information leaflets: How Members of Local Authorities are Elected;The Register of Electors; andInformation for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: EU Directives (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I welcome the upcoming transposition and implementation of the European Accessibility Act (EAA), which I believe will be carried out by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), under Minister O'Gorman, by year end. This transposition will ensure the important introduction of mandatory minimum accessibility requirements for certain products and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) is a new tax introduced in Finance Act 2021 which seeks to increase housing supply by encouraging the activation of development on lands which are suitably zoned and appropriately serviced. It aims to bring those lands which have benefitted from investment in services and are capable of being developed forward for housing. The tax is an action contained...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I can confirm that I have approved two proposals to date under the Croí Cónaithe Cities Scheme for the delivery of 121 units in total. The table below provides the details for each. Scheme No. of units Scheduled completion date Dublin 53 31/12/2025 Cork 68 30/11/2025 Contracts in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The new scheme is now open to applications in four counties: Clare, Donegal, Limerick and Mayo with comprehensive information of all aspects of the Scheme available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority. This data is available to the end of 2022, and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: An Bord Pleanála (the Board) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts. There are now more people working at the Board than at any time previously. Since October 2021, my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In 2017, my Department issued policy and procedural guidance to housing authorities relating to the role they can play to assist victims of domestic violence. The issuing of this 2017 policy and guidance was a significant action in the second national strategy on Domestic, Sexual & Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV) 2016-2021, and has since played an important role in addressing the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, natural light, fire safety, ventilation and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. Responsibility for the enforcement of the Regulations in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department issued Acquisition Cost Guidelines (ACGs) in April of this year for each local authority area. These ACGs are updated by my Department on an annual basis. The ACGs provide cost guidelines for the acquisition by housing authorities, of second-hand properties for the provision of social housing. These guidelines reference lower and upper cost ranges along with an...