Results 3,301-3,320 of 26,565 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). For 2023 the Government agreed that there would be increased provision for social...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 178 together. 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. Bhí roinnt cruinnithe den...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 92 together. The First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme designed to help bridge the gap between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home, for eligible first-time buyers, fresh start applicants and those who wish to build their first home. The First Home Scheme DAC is responsible for the operation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as quasi-judicial, independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2024 (RTA ) to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. Where a tenant is unsure as to the validity of a Notice of Rent Review served, he or she may refer the matter to the RTB for dispute...

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

Darragh O'Brien: New home commencement activity increased significantly in 2023, with more than 32,800 new homes commenced, the highest annual figure for any calendar year in the last decade. This increase has been sustained into 2024, with almost 35,400 commencements between January and July, up 91% on the same period last year and exceeding the total of 2023 by 8%. Rolling 12-month commencements to the end...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All commits to increasing the housing options available to older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence, including the development of a policy on rightsizing. The Housing for All policy objective to make more efficient use of existing housing stock includes tasking my Department with the development of a national policy on rightsizing and to explore...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 95 together. The recently published research by the ESRI on population growth and structural housing demand to 2040 provides a credible evidence-base for the development of revised housing targets by my department. Recognising the difficulty in accurately estimating population growth and future housing demand over the longer-term, the ESRI research...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Development Contributions (19 Sep 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 Provision (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department monitors multiple aspects of the housing market on an ongoing basis, including the quantum of housing purchased by household and non-household purchasers. Suggestions institutional investors are 'snapping-up' houses is not supported by the data, sectoral commentary, or from feedback provided by the real estate sector to my Department. Indeed, available data and sectoral...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Funding approvals are now in place for the delivery of over 4,300 affordable purchase and cost rental homes by 21 local authorities with the support of the Affordable Housing Fund. The legislative framework and arrangements in place to support local authority affordable purchase schemes are proving effective. Louth County Council has already delivered their first local authority led...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Cost Rental housing represents a key element of affordable housing delivery under the Government's Housing For All strategy, which is being achieved through collaboration with a range of delivery partners including Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, and the Land Development Agency. In relation to the O'Devaney Gardens and Oscar Traynor Road, my Department has approved funding for...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All, the most ambitious housing plan in the history of our State, was published in September 2021. The Plan contains a suite of actions that has, and continues to increase the provision of housing through accelerating supply and increasing the affordability of homes for our citizens, including for those in Cavan and Monaghan. Reflecting the importance placed on Housing for All, a...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. Decisions on the qualification of households for support, the awarding of medical priority, the most...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: There are a number of housing estates across the country that rely on developer provided infrastructure for their water services. These estates have not been taken-in-charge and their water services are not connected to the public (Uisce Éireann) network. The water services infrastructure, provided by the developer of such estates, is more commonly called DPI. My Departments’...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Interim Remediation Scheme for the funding of eligible emergency fire safety defect works in apartments and duplexes has been in place since December 2023. The Scheme, which is being administered by the Housing Agency on a nationwide basis, is open to applications from apartment Owners’ Management Companies (OMC) via the Housing Agency’s website. In the period since the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: House Sales (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In May 2021, conscious of the need to increase stock for home ownership, the Government introduced a series of measures designed to prevent the bulk buying of houses and duplexes. Apartments were not included in this measure. The Section 28 Guidelines for Planning Authorities “Regulation of Commercial Institutional Investment in Housing” aimed to prevent multiple housing and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as quasi-judicial, independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2024 (RTA) to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. The RTB published the Q1 2024 Rent Index on 12 September 2024. The quarterly index tracks price developments in the Irish rental...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: House Sales (19 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Pathway 3 of Housing for All recognises that lack of viability is constraining the development of apartments for the purpose of sale rather than rent in the built-up areas of cities that are more suited to higher-density residential development. Per section 3.4 of the Plan, Government has established the Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Fund to support the delivery of residential apartments...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The social and affordable housing development at Shanganagh is being delivered in a partnership between Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the Land Development Agency (LDA). In addition to social housing, the scheme will deliver 306 cost rental and 91 affordable purchase homes. In line with the Affordable Housing Act 2021, the administration of affordable housing schemes is a...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The allocation of local authority dwellings, including the prioritisation of certain categories of households, is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation scheme made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations. This legislation requires all local authorities, as a reserved function, to make an...