Results 19,521-19,540 of 26,350 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Naughten for raising these issues related vacancy and the other measures we brought forward to enable us to release further housing stock and accommodation capacity. I especially thank the Deputy for his engagement on that because he was very helpful and constructive as regards the establishment of the vacancy grant, which we have done. I am pleased to say that over 5,300...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I assure the Deputy it will be addressed and we will work with him on that. The Department of Health is working on the matter and we are concluding the drafting of the legislation. For the information of the House, as of 1 October last, there were over 1.6 million medical card holders and over 595,000 GP visit card holders. This means more than 42% of the population has access to free GP...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government agreed on 7 March that the ‘Winter Emergency Period’ under the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022 would come to an end on 31 March 2023, with deferred tenancy terminations taking effect over a staggered period from 1 April to 18 June 2023 as planned and legislated for under that Act. The Government at that time...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, or joint tenants, of local authority homes available for sale under the scheme. The Programme for Government and Housing for All commit to maintaining the right of social housing tenants to purchase their own home, subject to a number of reforms. The Scheme was originally introduced during 2016. A...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Conservation (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department launched the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme (EERP) in 2013 with the aim of funding retrofit of social homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013, over 77,500 local authority social housing dwellings have been retrofitted with a total exchequer spend of over €251 million. In 2021 a new holistic approach was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 67 together. Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) has been identified as a key measure to address increased housing delivery and methods to support increased use of MMC are set out in Pathway 5 of Housing for All. The development of MMC will improve productivity in construction and increase efficiency in residential construction. The Housing for All...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28, 55 and 88 together. Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes; 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing, and 28,500 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2026. Each local authority has prepared its own 5 year Housing Delivery Action Plan setting out their social and affordable housing delivery plans. 18...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (7 Dec 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. The Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Act 2022, which was signed into law in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The allocation of local authority dwellings, including the prioritisation of certain categories of households, is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation scheme made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations. This legislation requires all local authorities, as a reserved function of Elected...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, which 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). Details are available on the First Home Scheme website, www.firsthomescheme.ie. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In July 2022 I launched the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, which supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes. In May 2023, I announced a revised grant rate of up to a maximum of €50,000 available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and also for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (7 Dec 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: Defective Building Materials (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has had a number of engagements with the Banking and Payments Federation (BPFI) on specific issues raised by Defective Concrete Block (DCB) homeowners to see what can be done to address their concerns. As part of these discussions the BPFI has confirmed to my Department that, from their perspective, once a home has been certified as remediated under the DCB Scheme it will be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 47 together. I established the Implementation Steering Group to work through administrative issues around the Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) scheme as they arise and make recommendations if further changes to the regulations or guidelines on the Scheme are needed. The Group comprises the relevant local authorities, my Department, the Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Planning and Development Bill 2023 introduces statutory time periods for decision making for all consent processes, including for An Coimisiún Pleanála. This will bring certainty to consent processes for both the public and stakeholders involved in the delivery of key infrastructure such as housing and renewable energy. Timelines are being introduced for appeals as well as the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 37, 53, 59 and 74 together. The Government’s Housing for All plan is focused on tackling supply and affordability issues, including those in the rental market. The plan contains targets, actions and guaranteed State investment in housing aimed at increasing supply, which in turn will help increase access to affordable rental housing. Budget 2024...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 80 together. Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. Critical to supporting households to exit homelessness is increasing the supply of housing. Record state investment of €4.5bn has been made available this year to support the largest State home building programme ever, including 9,100 new build...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Data on the number of residential dwellings purchased by all buyer types, including by first-time buyers, are published by the Central Statistics Office. These data are available in table HPM02 (Residential Property Transactions) on the CSO website. The most recent data show more than 43,700 homes were purchased at market prices by all buyer types between January and September this year....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In July 2022 I launched the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, which supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes. In May 2023, I announced a revised grant rate of up to a maximum of €50,000 available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and also for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 72 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,...