Results 2,701-2,720 of 25,713 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government. The Vacant Homes Action Plan, which I originally published in January 2023, built on Pathway 4 of Housing for All and set out the various actions that were being pursued to return vacant properties back into use as homes. In April I published an update on the Action Plan which shows the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: There have been two meetings held so far in 2024 of the Galway Task Force. This is alongside a range of other contacts that my Department has with both Galway local authorities in relation to a range of issues affecting housing and related areas. The Chairperson's report in respect of 2023 has been completed and will be sent to the main Task Force participants for review and discussion at the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: An Interdepartmental Group (comprising my Department, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and údarás na Gaeltachta) is still continuing its work in developing specific planning guidance for Gaeltacht areas. There is also a separate Working Group made up of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Since the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 (which continue to have effect in addition to subsequent clarifications and national policy changes in the NPF) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably, obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and protection of the environment...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (23 Jul 2024)

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. Details of cases to be determined by the Board are a matter for the Board. Under section 30 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock. This will fluctuate over time, as tenancy surrender and re-letting of stock is an ongoing process. Therefore, ongoing data in relation to vacant local authority owned homes are not routinely collated by my Department. However, statistics in relation to social housing stock, at a point in time, are published by the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) continues to be an important part of the suite of measures available to local authorities to provide social housing supports. Funding of €111m is available this year to support both new and existing RAS tenancies. It is expected that approximately 1,400 new tenancies will be established this year. My Department has completed a review of RAS which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1183 and 1184 together. The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2024 (the RTA) regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The RTA apply to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy, subject to a limited number of exceptions. The dwellings to which the Act does not...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All seeks to deliver an average of 33,000 new homes for each year of the plan. The Department of Finance estimates the current cost of delivering these homes is around €13.6 billion per year. A recent update to these figures, by the Department of Finance, estimates the cost of delivering an increased average of 50,000 per year would be around €20.3 billion. Costings...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1188 and 1189 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 and is the first multi-annual fully funded housing plan in the history of the State. The annual targets include the delivery of 90,000 new social homes, 36,000 new affordable purchase homes and 18,000...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1191, 1192 and 1194 together. The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Therefore, ongoing data in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Due to the post-2008 crisis, numerous residential developments were left in an unfinished state throughout the country. In 2010, a multi-annual action programme on unfinished developments was established and was focused on finding solutions through collaboration between government, local authorities, NAMA, developers, receivers, Irish Water (now Uisce éireann), residents, funders and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant Purchase Schemes provides for the purchase by eligible tenants of local authority properties which are available for sale under the terms of the particular scheme. All applications for the schemes must satisfy the requirements outlined in the relevant legislation. Statistical information regarding the number of homes sold under the Scheme, from 2020 until the end of 2023, broken...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Archaeologists are recruited at the first point of the scale. The full year cost of an archaeologist, based on the first point of the scale at 1st June 2024, and including Employers' PRSI, is €41,736.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2023, is available on my Department's website at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-ass...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Programmes (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1206 and 1207 together. The Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) aims to retrofit a local authority home to a BER of B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent. It is expected that 36,500 local authority owned homes will be retrofitted under this programme out to 2030. The programme has been devised in a way to give local authorities a level of flexibility when...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Cork City Council has advised that they are assessing the potential for redevelopment and regeneration of social housing at Noonan's Road. Feasibility is at an early stage and is connected with the planned relocation of residents from their existing accommodation. The Council has also advised that in due course, when initial feasibility is concluded and a procurement and design route chosen,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual local authorities. A homelessness...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Through the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) public bodies are receiving targeted support for innovative and holistic solutions that support the regeneration and rejuvenation of our large towns and cities. To date, there have been three Calls for proposals under the URDF with in excess of €1.9 billion allocated to almost 400 projects, located right across the Country....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government supports the uptake of Uisce éireann's Small Towns and Villages Growth Programme (STVGP), which will provide growth capacity in smaller settlements that would otherwise not be provided for in Uisce éireann’s capital investment plan. An allocation of almost €100 million for this programme was approved by the Commission for Regulation of...