Results 3,381-3,400 of 26,778 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (1 Oct 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). Social Housing is delivered through a range of local authority and Approved Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: There are currently three Septic Tank grant schemes available from my Department providing financial assistance to households. Each local authority has responsibility for the administration of the grants in their own areas. In each local authority there is a Rural Water Liaison Officer who is responsible for the day to day management of these grants. The officer is best placed to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (1 Oct 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 the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (1 Oct 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 the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (1 Oct 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 or she is responsible. Details of staffing numbers are available from each local authority and are not available from my Department at the granular level requested. In...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (1 Oct 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. A review mechanism is provided within the 2022 Act, which provides for an increase or decrease the overall grant scheme cap (currently €420,000) a year after...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: 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, Fresh Start applicants and self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). The eligibility criteria for the First Home Scheme, including in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (1 Oct 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 2022 Act sets out the role of the Housing Agency who act as agents on behalf of the local authorities under the terms of the Scheme. Once a home has met the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Official Engagements (1 Oct 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: Departmental Consultations (1 Oct 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: Land Issues (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Tailte Éireann is an independent Government agency under the aegis of my Department. Tailte Éireann provide a property registration system, property valuation service, and national mapping and surveying infrastructure for the State. Under Section 8(6) of the Tailte Éireann Act 2022, Tailte Éireann is independent in the performance of its functions. It is understood from...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Derelict Sites (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Derelict Sites Act 1990 imposes a general duty on every owner and occupier of land to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the land does not become, or continue to be, a derelict site. The Act also imposes a duty on local authorities to take all reasonable steps, including the exercise of appropriate statutory powers, to ensure that any land within their functional area does not...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not generally keep a record of the qualifications held by staff members, and accordingly there may be staff working in various roles in the Department who are qualified Conservation Architects but who have applied for different positions. However, please see the table below which sets out in FTE terms, the number of staff working as Architects as of the 31st August 2024....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2023, is available on my Department's website at In relation to the number of households on the social housing lists...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual local authorities. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Louth County Council has already delivered their first local authority led affordable purchase scheme. My Department, in conjunction with the Housing Delivery Co-ordination Office of the Local Government Management Association and the Housing Agency, is continuing to advise and support Louth in developing further affordable housing schemes that are well-aligned with the local housing market...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: European Union (26 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Gweedore waste water treatment was originally included in proceedings against Ireland taken by the European Commission but this was withdrawn in 2017. In July 2022 Uisce Éireann, in partnership with Donegal County Council, completed an innovative project for waste water treatment in Gweedore. This new scheme will ultimately lead to a reduction in the reliance on septic tanks in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (26 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: As provided for in the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019, the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) was formally established on 1 February 2021. AHBRA is an independent body tasked with providing the regulation of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for the purposes of protecting housing assets provided or managed by such bodies. The register of AHBs...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Solar Energy Guidelines (26 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: It is the case that, as with the large majority of development types, there are currently no specific planning guidelines in place in respect of solar energy developments. Proposals for individual solar energy developments are subject to the statutory requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, in the same manner as other proposed developments, with planning...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (26 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Generally social housing rents are linked a tenant’s income. My Department provides a range of funding streams, through local authorities, to assist Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) with the delivery of social housing, examples of which include the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) with a Payment and Availability Agreement, or the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS). The Capital Loan...