Results 19,701-19,720 of 26,350 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: This is a horrendous case. I have read about it and I am aware of it as well. I know there is a matter before the courts now. From what I have read, the behaviour of the particular landlord mentioned by the Deputy has certainly been absolutely horrendous. The RTB, as the Deputy knows, has been heavily involved. It is a matter that Dublin City Council has also been involved in as well....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Any WRC ruling should be respected, unquestionably. I am not familiar with this specific case, but I will certainly raise it directly with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. If the Deputy will submit the documentation to me, I will certainly seek from the Minister a meeting with the Deputy and the impacted workers, if that is at all possible.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I met residents and representative business owners in Clonmel. I had a good meeting just prior to Christmas before the recess. I have engaged with Uisce Éireann on the behalf of those people as well. There has been significant investment by Uisce Éireann in Clonmel, as the Deputy knows, and in the region. Another potential investment is required and some workarounds are also...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: This Government has supported businesses right the way through the Covid pandemic. Most businesses and sectors will respect what we have done there. We work together to protect businesses. I am aware of increased costs on businesses due to inflation in the cost of wages, materials and so on, as are we all. The Government is bringing forward and has signed off on a package of €257...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Gabhaim buíochas le Deputy Ó Cuív as ucht na ceiste. Is cinnte go bhfuil deontas folúntais Chroí Cónaithe ag obair go dian tríd an tír. People have responded to it extremely well with over 7,000 applications and 3,600 approvals. We update it per local authority and we are now building data on one-off homes. Since the scheme was extended to rural...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I am not familiar with the specific case of Castlebar Educate Together National School. I will raise the matter directly with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, and ask her to engage directly with the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue. The Government is committed to providing all possible assistance to facilitate a resumption of operations at Tara Mines. This is a matter that has been raised directly at Government level by the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and by Senator Shane Cassells. As the Deputy will know, Enterprise Ireland is liaising with the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I agree with the Deputy that what is happening in Gaza, and now in the West Bank as well, is extreme, horrific and horrendous. It is totally and utterly disproportionate. What the State of Israel is doing in the destruction of Gaza, the killing of women, children, men and women and bombing Gaza into oblivion is outrageous but it is what is happening. As the Deputy has rightly said, our...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: When the three parties came into government, the LDA did not have legislation underpinning it and it had no money. We have been able to make significant advances in that regard and fully capitalise the LDA. I received approval for further capitalisation before Christmas. It delivered approximately 800 homes last year. I have been in Limerick on a number of occasions with the LDA. I was...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: To correct a point made by the Deputy, we met our housing targets in 2022. We exceeded them in that year and in 2023, and substantially so. As regards student accommodation, I will be with the Minister, Deputy Harris, tomorrow at a launch in DCU. We have already invested €61 million in additional student accommodation that we want to be affordable. My Department has worked directly...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: What we are seeing in the North as well is the fact there is no Assembly or government there. The public services there are under incredible strain across every sector, from local government to health. I came into politics through my membership of a trade union and I support the right of workers to defend their rights and pay and conditions. What we have been able to do in this country for...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will bring the matter Deputy Durkan raised to the attention of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, and get her to come back to him. I join Deputy Donnelly in commending the work of the gardaí in Dublin West after the horrific incident on Christmas Eve on Main Street, Blanchardstown, a place I know very well as he does. We are committed to continued increased investment in An...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 191, 192 and 193 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: House Sales (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department doesn't track the purchase of houses by individual or institutional purchasers, whether domestic or from overseas. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) captures and publishes data on house purchases by household and non-household buyers, including by institutional investors. The data can be accessed via tables HPA02 and HPA12 on the CSO website data.cso.ie/

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 195, 196, 197, 198 and 212 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Data on the commencement of residential dwellings, at local authority level, are published monthly on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/a5cb1-construction-activity-starts / The data show 686 commencement notices for new homes were received in Fingal County Council in October and November 2023, the second highest for this period since records began in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is not held by my Department. The data may be sought from the local authority directly. The oversight and practical management of housing waiting lists, including the allocation and transfer of tenancies, is solely a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated regulations.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Act, 1981. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I am considering the report, entitled 'A Review Into Certain Planning Matters in Respect of Donegal County Council', by Mr. Rory Mulcahy S.C., and will bring this matter to Government for consideration in due course. The review is a scoping report and as such it does not make findings as to the truth or otherwise of allegations that have been made by an individual against named persons....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (18 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, which launched on 7th July 2022, supports first-time buyers and other eligible homebuyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market, and now self-builders, through the use of an equity share model. Details, including in relation to the application process, are available on the First Home Scheme website, www.firsthomescheme.ie. In addition, the...