Results 19,241-19,260 of 26,350 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department intends to launch a fourth round of funding under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) during 2024. It is intended that this further round of funding will provide an opportunity for a number of the ‘pipeline’ projects that have or will emerge from master planning exercises carried out under Calls 1 and 2, to be considered for funding and may include...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority, and funding of €215m has been provided this year to support the delivery of homeless services by local authorities and their service delivery partners. The referred to highlights the important work undertaken to support those at risk of homelessness. Local authorities already oversee a range of...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has no current contracts with any Israeli state agency, any Israeli-based company or any company based elsewhere in the world which is owned or part-owned by any Israeli state agency or by any Israeli-based company.

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is not involved in any exercise, operation, training or research which includes involvement by any Israeli state agency, any Israeli-based company or any company based elsewhere in the world which is owned or part-owned by any Israeli state agency or by any Israeli-based company. However, to note Ireland (represented by Met Éireann) and Israel (represented by the Israeli...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, a tenant sources their own accommodation in the private rented market. The HAP tenancy agreement is between the tenant and the landlord and is governed by the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022. Tenants in the HAP scheme are required to sign a rent contribution agreement to pay a weekly rental contribution to the relevant local...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Humanitarian Senior Officials Group, which is chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, has met 75 times since it was established in March 2022. My Department has been represented at each meeting, which reflects my commitment to supporting the whole of Government humanitarian response to Ukraine.

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has undertaken a comprehensive review of the private rental sector, which involved significant stakeholder engagement and a public consultation process during 2023. A draft report is now being finalised detailing the findings of the review and outlining a range of policy options. In line with Priority Action 21 of the Housing for All Action Plan Update and Q3 2023 Progress...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (21 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: A comprehensive review of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) was initiated in 2021, led by the Office of the Attorney General. The review culminated in the publication of the draft Planning and Development Bill 2022 in January 2023. The draft Bill subsequently underwent a very extensive pre-legislative scrutiny process over a three month period, undertaken by the Joint...

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

Darragh O'Brien: In April 2023 a Cost Rental Tenant-in-Situ Scheme was put in place on an administrative basis to respond to cases of tenants who are at risk of homelessness, due to a Notice of Termination, but who are over the income thresholds for social housing supports. The current household net income limit for scheme eligibility is €66,000 for Dublin and €59,000 elsewhere. This is in line...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (22 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All, the Government’s housing plan, puts affordability at the heart of the housing system with an ambitious target to increase the supply of housing by delivering 300,000 homes for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing purposes over the nine year period to 2030. The plan commits to the delivery of 54,000 affordable homes by 2030...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (22 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Since the receipt of Government approval in January of this year, I have been working hard to progress the various programmes of work that are required to place the apartment remediation scheme on a statutory footing. Bespoke legislation is needed to underpin the remediation scheme, the cost of which is estimated at more than €2 billion. The Government are entirely focused on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Nov 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. In July 2022 the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched to support bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. From 1 May 2023, a grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (22 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, as amended, and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011. A household shall be ineligible for social housing support if that household has alternative accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (22 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme for Newly Built Houses 2010 is underpinned by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the Housing (Incremental Purchase) Regulations 2010. I can confirm that the regulations underpinning this scheme remain active. The scheme applies to the purchase of newly built local authority houses only. The scheme is one of a number of purchase options...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (22 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 673 of 7 November 2023 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (22 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: On 17 November, the Department of Foreign Affairs advised my Department that a number of citizens arriving from Gaza were in need of housing support. The provision of social housing supports, as well as emergency accommodation for homeless persons, rests with individual housing authorities. Details in relation to accommodation requirements were provided to the County and City Management...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (22 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Circular LG(P) 06/09 "Local Government Act 2001 (Section 161) Order 2004" is based on S.I. No. 216 of 2004 and also reflects the provisions of Circular 09/2009 "Civil Servants and Political Activity". The order provides that a local authority employee, whose maximum salary on the latest date for receipt of nominations at a local election does not exceed the maximum salaryfor the post of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme was introduced in 2012 for borrowers of all commercial lending institutions and is targeted at those households in mortgage arrears who have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP), who agree to the voluntary surrender of their home and who have very limited options, if any, to meet...