Results 3,281-3,300 of 25,713 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (30 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Land Development Agency's (LDA) Business Plan 2024-2028 plans to deliver approximately 14,000 homes over its lifetime, including through the adaptive reuse of existing buildings where appropriate such as at the former St. Kevin’s Hospital in Cork and Devoy Barracks in Naas. To deliver housing on this scale, the Government have provided for the investment of up to €2.5...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Over 4,000 affordable housing supports were delivered in 2023 representing an increase of 128% on 2022 activity. To build on the momentum now in place, my Department has been working with the Housing Delivery Coordination Office and the County and City Management Association to identify additional staffing resources required by local authorities to ensure more affordable purchase and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (30 May 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 approach taken under the Pyrite Remediation Scheme was considered in the development of the Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Grant Scheme. However, due to the different...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Conservation (30 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: 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. Works eligible under my Department's revised EERP include attic/cavity wall insulation or external wall insulation where required, windows and doors...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (30 May 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. A key action under Pathway 4 was the introduction of the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund in July 2022. The Fund provides for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and the Ready to Build Scheme. At the outset, the Croí Cónaithe Towns fund aimed to deliver...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (30 May 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 enhanced grant scheme was legislated for following extensive consultation with all relevant stakeholders. At the time of the Scheme launch, I established an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (30 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: 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. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Conservation (30 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department supports local authorities with annual funding towards the management and maintenance of their social housing stock under a number of funding programmes including the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme (EERP). My Department also provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (30 May 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: Housing Policy (30 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a priority for Government. Critical to supporting households to exit homelessness and prevent homelessness in the first instance, is increasing the supply of housing. Almost 12,000 new social homes were delivered in 2023, through Build, Acquisition and Leasing, including 8,110 new build homes, the highest level of new build social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (30 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) has been identified as a key measure to address the different housing needs in Ireland and methods to support the development of MMC in Ireland are set out in Housing for All. MMC is the term used to describe a range of manufacturing and innovative construction alternatives to traditional construction, including modular construction. MMC has the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (30 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 134 together. The First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme, designed to help bridge the gap for eligible first-time buyers, other eligible homebuyers, and self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). The First Home Scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Cúrsaí Tithíochta (30 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Tá Grúpa Idir-Rannach (ina bhfuil mo Roinnse, an Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán, agus Údarás na Gaeltachta) fós ag leanúint lena chuid oibre ag forbairt treoir phleanála faoi leith do cheantair Ghaeltachta. Tá Grúpa Oibre eile ann freisin ina bhfuil an Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (30 May 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 Grant Scheme is open to applications in four counties: Clare, Donegal, Limerick and Mayo. When a local authority that is not designated under the Scheme determines...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Language (30 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Responsibility for coordinating and funding the promotion of the Irish Language rests with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media which coordinates the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030. I have no role in this regard. Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the performance of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: heading (30 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 127 together. Under Housing for All, the Government has targeted delivery of 47,600 new social rented homes and 28,500 new affordable homes from 2022 to 2026. Each local authority has prepared its own 5-year Housing Delivery Action Plan setting out their planned social and affordable housing delivery. Mayo and Monaghan have published their plans on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Gaeltacht Policy (30 May 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: Housing Schemes (30 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Cost rental is a new form of tenure which was introduced under the Affordable Housing Act 2021, where rents are set only to cover the cost of financing, building, managing and maintaining the homes. The Government's Housing for All strategy commits to delivering a total of 18,000 Cost Rental homes over the period to 2030, and significant funding is being made available to support provision by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (30 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy will be aware that 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 Act also provides for the Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Social Homes Scheme. This is a scheme for the purpose of enabling a designated...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (30 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department fully supports Dublin City Councils refurbishment or rebuild of social housing complexes in Dublin 8, 10, and 12. The aim of a regeneration project is to create sustainable communities through a combination of social, educational and economic initiatives and also by rejuvenating the built environment by a mixture of demolition, construction and refurbishment of dwellings...