Results 19,921-19,940 of 26,350 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (7 Feb 2024)

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 provides for the enhanced grant scheme, and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. Where the owner of a relevant dwelling dies after an application for a remediation option grant has been submitted to the designated local authority, and the designated...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 253 and 262 together. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 provided for the development of a deposit protection scheme to be operated by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). However, significant changes have taken place in the rental market since this legislation was passed. The Housing for All Action Plan Update published in November 2022,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Following a review conducted by my Department in 2022, the Government agreed to my recommendation to increase the baseline social housing income thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities with effect from 1 January 2023. The thresholds increased to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Notwithstanding these recent changes, my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not provide specific funding allocations for public lighting. The provision and maintenance of public lighting is the responsibility of each individual local authority. Local authorities receive income from a variety of sources including grants from Central Government, Local Property Tax proceeds, commercial rates and other locally-raised charges. It is a matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 258 and 263 together. The taking in charge of housing estates by local authorities is provided for under section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), and the procedures for this are initiated under section 11 of the Roads Act, 1993. The taking in charge of residential estates is also a reserved function of the elected...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines which is addressing a number of key aspects of the Guidelines including setback distance, noise, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. My Department, in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 260 and 271 together. Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. A grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Referendum Campaigns (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In line with Programme for Government commitments, I established the Commission on Housing in December 2021 as an independent body to examine and evaluate Ireland's housing system, including issues such as tenure, standards, sustainability, and quality-of-life issues in the provision of housing. At the same time, I also tasked the Commission to advise the Government on the critical...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Official Travel (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The details requested, since June 2020, are available and regularly updated on my Department's OpenData website and are available to view under the following links.2020: No foreign travel undertaken2021: data.gov.ie/dataset/ministerial-travel-20212022: data.gov.ie/dataset/ministerial-foreign-travel-costs-2022202 3: data.gov.ie/dataset/ministerial-travel-2023

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: 2023 Housing expenditure, including for the delivery of social and affordable homes, is currently being finalised and will be published in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (7 Feb 2024)

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 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. Social housing support is intended to address a household’s long-term housing need it is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Direct subvention is not available to the Land Development Agency (LDA) for the purposes of ensuring their rents are below market rents, however, the LDA can participate in schemes that are open to the whole market. My Department provides funding to the LDA in respect of programme expenditure associated with the functions that are detailed under Section 29 of the LDA Act 2021. These functions...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Action 43 under the 2023 Housing for All Action Plan Update, which can be accessed at this link: 2023 Housing for All Update., includes the commitment "to convene a working group that includes the major utility and infrastructure providers to align delivery programmes to ensure the timely delivery of utilities and infrastructure required to support housing development, with updates to be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In 2021, as one of the successful applications under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund's (URDF) second call for proposals, I announced a preliminary allocation of €7,140,000 towards Wicklow County Council's proposal for the regeneration of the Bray Harbour Area. The proposal, made up of 6 individual projects, includes amenity and public realm works, promenade boardwalk...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Advertising (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department seeks, where possible, to minimise legal costs and avails of the services of the Chief State Solicitor's Office, the Attorney General's Office and the State Claims Agency in terms of the provision of legal advice and representation of the Department in Court cases. The below table sets out details in relation to external legal services provided directly to my Department by legal...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants of local authority houses which are available for sale under the scheme. All applications for the Scheme must satisfy the requirements outlined in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the associated regulations. The Act includes provision for a local authority to take into consideration...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (7 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), all development, unless specifically exempted under the Act or associated Regulations, requires planning permission. Section 4 of the Act and Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended (the Regulations), set out various exemptions from the requirement to obtain planning permission. Any such...