Results 2,861-2,880 of 25,713 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (19 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this end,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (18 Jun 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 (Scheme) and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The Scheme was legislated for following extensive consultation with all relevant stakeholders. At the time of the Scheme launch, I established an Implementation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (18 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All targets the delivery of 18,000 new Cost Rental homes in the period out to 2030. A strong pipeline is in place and under continuous development by Local Authorities, by Approved Housing Bodies using the Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL), by the Land Development Agency, and now also by private providers under the Secure Tenancy Affordable Rental (STAR) scheme. The core...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (18 Jun 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (18 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 ('the 2022 Act') on 22 June 2023, which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The detailed operation of the Scheme is a matter for the designated local authorities and the Housing Agency in the first instance. Their respective roles...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (18 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme was introduced in 2012. It offers households with acute, unsustainable mortgage arrears who have little or no prospect of a significant change in circumstances, the chance to surrender a property to a lender and in turn become a social housing tenant whilst staying in their own home and community. The MTR scheme is targeted at those households in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (18 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Budget 2024 provides for continued record investment in Housing with €4.25 billion in Exchequer funding for the delivery of housing programmes, comprising capital funding of €2.6 billion and current funding of €1.5 billion. The Capital provision of €2.6 billion will be supplemented by Land Development Agency (LDA) investment and Housing Finance Agency (HFA)...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: European Court of Justice (18 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department continues to put in place the necessary measures to ensure the full transposition, implementation and enforcement of EU environmental law in Ireland. For matters that fall within the policy remit of my Department, the table below sets out detail of cases where the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has handed down judgments and imposed penalties in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Question Heading for question(s) 194 (18 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 194 and 195 together. The standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. Responsibility for the enforcement of the Regulations in the private rental sector rests with the relevant local authority. If a property has been found to be non-compliant with the Regulations, it is a matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (18 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The policy of providing grant funding to households for work on Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (DWWTS), including septic tanks, arises from the need to address damage being done to water quality in sensitive areas in particular. Three separate grants are available to provide financial assistance to householders to repair or upgrade their defective DWWTS. The grants are focused on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (18 Jun 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 Services Act, 1981. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy and national standards, providing a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (18 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 199, 200 and 201 together. Under Section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts, 1981 & 2003, there is a standing obligation on the “person having control” of the premises to ensure appropriate measures for fire safety are in place at all times. In addition, the design and construction of buildings is regulated under the Building Control Acts...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (18 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207 and 209 together. The Building Regulations set out minimum standards for the design and construction of buildings and works to ensure the health and safety of people in and around buildings. They are subject to ongoing review in the interests of safety and the well-being of persons in the built environment, and to ensure that due...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank members and the Chair. I welcome the opportunity to discuss with the committee the Department's Revised Estimates for 2024 and the Votes for Tailte Éireann and the Electoral Commission, which are also under the aegis of this Department. I am joined by the Minister of State with responsibility for local government and planning, Deputy Alan Dillon, and by the Minister of State...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Nothing has been surrendered. The additional amount – it was approximately €62 million – was allocated to the secure tenancy affordable rental investment scheme, STAR, to which we were receiving applications. We only opened that scheme late last year and there was a great deal of interest in it, so we wanted to secure those tenancies. I will discuss the AEV in a...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Where it comes from is what I-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We will get the information on where it came from for the Deputy.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Will the Deputy repeat his question?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Let me check that and come back to the Deputy. I am only being told where it is going. I will have to look at it and compare it with the previous ones.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (13 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand the point. I do not have it to hand.