Results 18,701-18,720 of 26,350 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (26 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The scope, prioritisation, procurement and progression of individual projects is a matter for Uisce Éireann and is approved through its own internal governance structures and board. Under the Water Services Act 2013, Uisce...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (26 Sep 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 local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities. Issues in relation to...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 343 and 344 together. An Interdepartmental Group (comprising officials from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport and Media; and Údarás na Gaeltachta) is in place to support and accelerate the ongoing work in relation to planning in Gaeltacht areas. One of the key aims of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (26 Sep 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 local authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual local authorities. My Department does not fund any homeless service...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Ireland (26 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 346, 347 and 353 together. Waterways Ireland is a North South Body responsible for the management and maintenance of more than 1000km of Ireland's inland waterways. They include the Shannon, Shannon Erne Waterway, Erne System, the Barrow, the Royal and Grand Canals and the Lower Bann Navigation. It is funded by my Department and the Department for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Ireland (26 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 348 and 354 together. Waterways Ireland is North-South Body under the British-Irish Agreement Act, 1999, and as such was established without a Board. The functions of the Agency are exercised by a Chief Executive and Accounting Officer, under the direction of the North South Ministerial Council and a Monitoring Committee consisting of senior officials form...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Agriculture Industry (26 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I have considered the matter raised and in accordance with the Good Agricultural Practice Regulations (SI 113 of 2022) I have decided, this year, to extend the slurry spreading period to 7 October 2023. The closed period for slurry spreading will therefore start on the 8 October 2023.

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

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme, designed to help bridge the gap for eligible first-time buyers, eligible homebuyers, and now self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). The expansion of the First Home Scheme to include a self-build product was officially...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Help-to-Buy Scheme, for self build properties, the approved valuation of the home must be €500,000 or less, which includes the cost of the site. This threshold is set by the Minister for Finance. Policy in relation to the Help to Buy Threshold is a matter for the Department of Finance. The supports available through my Department are set out at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Ireland (26 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Waterways Ireland is proposing to update the Shannon Bye-laws and Canal Bye-laws which are more than 30 years old and no longer fit for purpose. The needs of users have changed, environmental landscape and health and safety considerations have developed significantly and the waterways themselves have been transformed over the past thirty years. The purpose of updating the Bye-laws is to make...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides a range of funding streams, through local authorities, to assist AHBs with the delivery of social housing, examples of which include the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) with a Payment and Availability Agreement, or the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS). The Capital Loan Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) was closed to new applications in 2011. The terms and conditions,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Where a vacancy arises in a dwelling owned by an AHB, the relevant local authority may nominate suitable households from its housing or transfer list to that body, having regard to the order of priority set out in its allocation scheme. If an AHB is in receipt of funding under a relevant Exchequer funding scheme, they must comply with the terms and conditions of that scheme. AHBs may also,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Awaiting reply from Department.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Ireland (26 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Shannon Flood Relief State Agencies Co-ordination Working Group which is chaired by the Office of Public Works (OPW), is the lead agency for the coordination and implementation of Government policy in relation to the management of flood risk in Ireland. This Group has the lead role in developing policy on national flood risk management and the lead role in co-ordinating the actions and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regulatory and Poverty Impact Assessments (26 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Awaiting reply from Department.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (26 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My officials would be happy to engage with the Deputy or the landowner in relation to the question, once the precise location of the lands in question can be ascertained. Detailed information in relation to protected sites in Ireland can be found at the following link: www.npws.ie/protected-sites Landowners who wish to engage with my officials in relation to protected sites can email...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Office of Public Works (28 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand that the Office of Public Works (OPW) have confirmed that they have no involvement with Baltimore Station House and have not expressed any interest in acquiring it. Requests in respect of the OPW's involvement in respect of the property should be addressed to the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform who has responsibility for the Office. The Land...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (28 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The raising of the ratio of mortgage to income from 3.5 to 4 times for first-time buyers, as mandated by the Central Bank of Ireland, came into effect on 1January this year. With regard to the First Home Scheme, this change was carried over on the same date. Full details of the First Home Scheme are available at:www.firhomescheme.ie. The Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (28 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for Alldelivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and putaffordabilityat theheartof the housing system. There are two equity schemes currently available to support the affordable purchase of homes to eligible applicants. The First Home Scheme is operated by a Designated Activity Company (DAC), governed by a Board of Directors comprising...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government backed mortgage scheme for those 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. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build. Local authorities...