Results 2,801-2,820 of 26,762 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Rail Network (5 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy may be aware, the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport. The operation, maintenance and renewal of the rail network and stations on the network, including the station at Waterford, is a matter for Iarnród Éireann in the first instance. Of relevance, the Waterford North Quays Redevelopment comprises a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Taxi Regulations (5 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy states the Programme for Government 2025 commits to 'extend the ten-year vehicle limit for taxis registered in 2015, offering another year of service' and I will engage with my Department to consider how best to take that commitment forward. The background to this issue is that the National Transport Authority (NTA) as the statutory, independent, regulator made regulations in...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Public Transport (5 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The issue raised by the Deputy in relation to a catering trolley on the Tralee to Dublin rail service is an operational matter for Irish Rail. Therefore, I have referred the Deputy's question to Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Rail Network (5 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy may be aware, the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport. The operation, maintenance and renewal of the rail network and stations on the network, including the station at Tralee, is a matter for Iarnród Éireann in the first instance. In view of Iarnród Éireann's responsibility in this matter I am...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Road Projects (5 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the planning and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Public Transport (5 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services in Dublin and nationally, and for the scheduling and timetabling of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Public Transport (5 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services provided under public service obligation (PSO) contracts....

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Public Transport (5 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. At a policy level, the National Sustainable Mobility Policy, published in 2022, contains two particularly relevant high-level goals - 6. Take a whole of journey approach to mobility, promoting inclusive access for all7. Design infrastructure according to Universal Design Principles...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff (5 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department regularly promotes roles for staff that are available in EU Institutions which will help facilitate Ireland's 2026 EU presidency, by advertising relevant roles internally. Currently there are 10 Department of Transport staff seconded to the Permanent Representation and to the EU institutions. Staff are encouraged to apply for positions in the EU Institutions and have been...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I am satisfied that my Department properly implements the provisions of Circular 4/2013 in respect of staff returning from career breaks. Staff returning from career breaks are included in workforce planning considerations with a view to filling any appropriate existing or forthcoming vacancies in my Department. The Department has reassigned any staff returning from career breaks during...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (22 Jan 2025)

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 Grant Scheme applies to the owners of dwellings located in designated local authorities, which are damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks and provided the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support available for people who have a long-term housing need. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. Under the HAP scheme, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority. This data is available to the end of Q3 2024, and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link:. My Department also publishes the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Interim Remediation Scheme for Fire Safety Defects in Eligible Apartments and Duplexes (‘Scheme’) provides for the funding, through Owner Management Companies (OMCs), of emergency fire safety defect works in order to provide an acceptable level of fire safety in affected buildings pending completion of the full remedial works. As of 31st December 2024, 193 applications...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government has approved the principle of allowing remediation costs already incurred or levied to be covered under the forthcoming statutory remediation scheme, once such costs fall within the scope and defined parameters of the latter. The details and mechanics of such retrospective funding are being addressed as the legislation is drafted. To this end, a pathfinder exercise from a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reviews (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All targets the delivery of 18,000 new Cost Rental homes to 2030. A strong pipeline is in place and under continuous development by Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies the Land Development Agency, and now also private providers under the Secure Tenancy Affordable Rental (STAR) scheme. The Cost Rental model ensures rents are based on the costs of delivering, managing,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme 2016 came into operation on 1 January 2016 and allows tenants of local authority houses to apply to purchase their home. The scheme is governed by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015, as amended, and is open to eligible tenants of local authority houses that are available for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (22 Jan 2025)

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. Recruitment of all staff is a matter for the Board. However, the workforce plan of the Board is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Insurance Industry (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual projects is a matter for Uisce Éireann and is approved through its own internal governance structures. Uisce Éireann is responsible for its own arrangements in relation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (22 Jan 2025)

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 the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training...