Results 2,761-2,780 of 25,713 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Basic Unit Costs (BUCs) formally referred to as Unit Cost Ceilings, specifically relate to social housing build projects developed directly by local authorities or approved housing bodies on their own land, using Public Works forms of contract. While not a record of actual delivery costs, the BUCs are based on an analysis of returned data from tendered social housing schemes and act as a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) was a scheme initiated in 2016 under the previous Rebuilding Ireland plan which funded the building of public infrastructure by local authorities. Its objective is to provide public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages to housing delivery. This enables the accelerated delivery of housing on key...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The social and affordable housing development at Shanganagh is being delivered by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in collaboration with the Land Development Agency and includes 306 cost rental and 91 affordable purchase homes. I understand that the cost rental apartments will be let and managed by the Land Development Agency (LDA). The designation of cost rental homes requires that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government is firmly committed to using vacant or underutilised lands in state ownership for the delivery of housing. A range of measures are in place to advance this commitment and the Land Development Agency's (LDA) delivery programme of housing on State lands is well advanced. Good progress is being made on transferring lands to the LDA and constructing homes, such as in Cork where the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Services (9 Jul 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 Service Acts, 1981 and 2003. The National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management (NDFEM), within my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Artificial Intelligence (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not use ChatGPT or any other Artificial Intelligence (AI) to conduct business. As with all new technologies, my Department is assessing the potential of AI in the delivery of services, in line with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) guidance on its usage in the public service, and works closely with the NCSC which encompasses the State's national/governmental...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Equipment (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not comment on operational security matters as it would be inappropriate to disclose information that may in any way assist those with malicious intent. I can say however that my Department operates processes and procedures to manage assets and that lost or stolen devices are managed appropriately. My Department also continues to work closely with the National Cyber...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Tackling vacancy is a key priority for this Government and Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Jul 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 an average of 10,000 new build social homes each year in the period to 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government agreed on 7 March 2023 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. My Department and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 410 and 411 together. The Acquisition Cost Guidelines (ACGs) and Basic Unit Costs (BUCs) are reviewed and updated as appropriate by my Department, usually on an annual basis, with the most recent update being issued to all local authorities in May 2024. I will arrange to share a copy of both the ACGs and BUCs with the Deputy. The ACGs provide cost...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: On 5 June Government approved a Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan (LAPR), which is expansion of the Local Authority Home Loan, to support the purchase and renovation of homes which are eligible for the existing Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant. Under the new Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan (LAPR), a first-time buyer or Fresh Start applicant who wishes to purchase...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Capital Expenditure Programme (9 Jul 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: Local Authorities (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: On 5 June Government approved a Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan (LAPR), which is an expansion of the Local Authority Home Loan, to support the purchase and renovation of homes which are eligible for the existing Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant. Under the new Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan (LAPR), a first-time buyer or Fresh Start applicant who wishes to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, all development, unless specifically exempted under the Act or associated Regulations, requires planning permission. The Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022 provide for an exemption from the requirement to obtain planning permission in respect of the change of use of certain vacant commercial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Commission (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under electoral law, postal voting is available for a number of different categories of people including the following: whole-time members of the Defence Forces members of An Garda Síochána Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses/civil partners electors living at home who are unable to vote because of an illness or a disability electors whose occupation, service or...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 420 and 421 together. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (RTA) to regulate the rental sector; provide information to tenants and landlords; maintain a national register of tenancies; resolve disputes between tenants and landlords; and conduct...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Natural Heritage Areas (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 422 and 423 together. I refer to the reply to Question 105 of 3 July 2024 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 425 and 428 together. The Affordable Housing Fund is available to local authorities to assist towards the costs of developing new homes which are made available for affordable purchase by eligible persons. Subventions ranging from €50,000 to €100,000 per home are provided, having regard to the density and location of the housing scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (9 Jul 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 contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The new scheme is now open to applications in four counties: Clare, Donegal, Limerick and Mayo with comprehensive information of all aspects of the Scheme available on my...