Results 19,941-19,960 of 26,350 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department issued the ‘Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines for Planning Authorities’ on 15 January 2024 under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended). The provisions of the Guidelines apply to all planning decisions made after the Guidelines came into force. The Guidelines set national planning policy and...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, there is a policy objective to increase and improve housing options for older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence. Housing for All builds on and takes forward the ongoing actions in "Housing Options for Our Ageing Population" policy statement from 2019, published jointly by my Department and the Department of Health, which provides policy...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 280 and 281 together. The legislative provisions to establish Urban Development Zones (UDZ) are set out in Part 22 of the Planning and Development Bill 2023 and provide for the identification of suitable sites which in the opinion of the Minister or relevant authority, would be of ‘significant economic, social or environmental benefit to the State and...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to my reply to Question No. 123 of 13 December 2023 regarding this matter. Approval to purchase under the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is a separate matter to obtaining finance. An applicant must pay the purchase money at the time the sale of the house is completed. Finance can be sought from a variety of sources including commercial lenders, or the Local Authority Home...

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

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. Many areas of cities, towns and villages of all sizes face the blight of vacant properties, which, if brought back into use, could add real vibrancy and provide new accommodation in those areas. While the reasons for vacancy are often complex, the re-use and regeneration...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All the Government will deliver 54,000 affordable homes between now and 2030. The Land Development Agency (LDA) represents a crucial lever in the Government’s delivery of affordable and social homes, coordinating relevant public lands within State control and activating key underutilised sites to maximise housing delivery. The LDA has an immediate focus on...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All sets out the range of actions necessary to increase the supply of housing to the required 33,000 homes, on average, per year over the next decade. 54,000 affordable homes will be delivered between now and 2030 to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency and through First Home, which is a strategic partnership between the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Social Housing is delivered through a range of local authority and Approved Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (8 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I can confirm that in April 2022, my Department in conjunction with the local authorities completed a report on waste water needs of villages not served by public waste water collection systems. Included in the Report is a nationwide listing of all villages and similar settlements without access to public waste water infrastructure. My Department will provide a full list of these...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (8 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022, to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants and as such, the dispute resolution process is an operational matter for the RTB. My Department does not hold the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Requests for housing transfers are considered solely by the relevant local authority concerned in accordance with that authority’s allocation scheme, which is made by the elected members under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and in compliance with Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011, as amended. Local authorities are responsible for assessing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (8 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 and 224 together. 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. There are now more people working at the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (8 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities are independent statutory bodies with their own democratically elected councils, and management and governance structures. Under Section 63 of the Local Government Act 2001, a local authority is "independent in the performance of its functions". The disposal and acquisition of land are local authority functions. Section 183 of the 2001 Act provides for the procedure to be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (8 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The priority drafting of the necessary amendments to the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 has been approved by Government. These amendments will shortly begin the legislative process as part of the upcoming Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is undertaking a review of the future of the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) which considers the role of RAS in the private market, taking account of the Housing Assistance Payment scheme and Approved Housing Body participation. The draft report was submitted to me on 6 October 2023 in order to note the contents and recommendations. My Department is currently in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (8 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Constitutional recognition of local government provides the basis for a separate local government system, distinct from national government. Local authorities are independent statutory bodies with their own democratically elected councils and management structures. Subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions. The elected council is the primary...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (13 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: On 25 April 2023, the Government approved additional measures under the Housing for All Action Plan to incentivise the activation of increased housing supply and help reduce housing construction costs, including the introduction of temporary time-limited arrangements for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions and the refunding of Uisce Éireann...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (13 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. Under section 7 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013, my Department has no operational function in this matter. However, it may be helpful to note that Uisce Éireann has established a dedicated team to deal with representations...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (13 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The regeneration of the Oliver Bond House complex by Dublin City Council (DCC) has my Department's full support. My Department provided Stage 1 Capital Appraisal approval to DCC for the redevelopment for the flats in Blocks L, M and N, on the 16th March 2022. This allowed for a guarantee of Departmental support whilst also tasking DCC to investigate a review of options to find the most...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (13 Feb 2024)

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 by 2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the...