Results 3,581-3,600 of 26,565 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I know this is the Seanad. I had the honour of serving here for five years. I have great regard for this Chamber. I have commenced legislation in this Chamber and come here as often as I can. Senators Moynihan, McDowell and others raised the CPO issue. The Law Reform Commission's long-awaited report is published. We had already been at an advanced stage of preparing the Bill. I took a...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: It should not be the norm. It should not be just a go-to. There are reasons some of that happened. I got rid of the strategic housing developments, SHDs. I understood the principle of them. The application of them was different because communities felt they did not have their say. If they went to the board and it decided against them, their only recourse was to the courts. We made that...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will conclude now. I will come back on that on Report Stage.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (11 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Rural Water Programme provides financial assistance to households in specific circumstances where capital works are required to rectify defective Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (DWWTS), including septic tanks. The policy of providing grant funding to households for work on DWWTS arises from the need to address damage being done to water quality in sensitive areas in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (11 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to my answer to Question No. 430 on 9 July 2024 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Procurement Contracts (11 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not have direct involvement in executive functions such as procurement, carried out by a local authority. Under Section 149 of the Local Government Act 2001, the Chief Executive of a local authority is responsible for the executive functions of the local authority, and for that purpose to manage and control generally, the administration and business of the authority,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (11 Jul 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: Fire Stations (11 Jul 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 Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (11 Jul 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, eligible homebuyers, and self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). Full details are available on the First Home Scheme website, www.firsthomescheme.ie. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (10 Jul 2024)

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. In order to ensure the continued outturn of cases within the Board, my Department has provided...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (10 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) scheme launched in May 2022 with a view to supporting the building of 5,000 apartments for sale to owner-occupiers. The Scheme aims to bridge the current “Viability Gap” between the delivery cost of building apartments and the market sale price ( where the cost of building is greater). The scheme is managed by the Housing Agency and full...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Functions (10 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Department does not fund any homeless service directly but provides funding to housing authorities towards these costs. Section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988 sets out the purposes for which costs may be incurred by local authorities in respect of the provision of homeless accommodation and related services. Under the funding arrangements, the Department recoups up to 90% of the costs of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Process (10 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The legal framework for the holding of referendums is set out in the Constitution and the Referendum Act 1994. Article 46(2) of the Constitution provides that every proposal for an amendment of the Constitution shall upon having been passed or deemed to have been passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas, be submitted by Referendum to the decision of the people in accordance with the law...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a priority for Government. My Department does not collate the figures requested in relation to the anticipated yield of housing units arising from Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000. However, the data sought may be available from Kildare County Council. Critical to supporting households to exit homelessness and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (10 Jul 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. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. A grant of up to €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (10 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Grant schemes for water services funded by my Department are provided for certain private domestic water and wastewater services such as Group Water Schemes and Septic Tanks. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment provides a range of information and resource supports for businesses. Further information can be found on their website which brings together information and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (10 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme designed to help bridge the gap between a purchaser’s 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 Scheme was expanded on 17th April 2023 to include the Tenant Home Purchase Product, enabling...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (10 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan (LAHL) is a Government-backed mortgage for creditworthy for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022, when it replaced the Rebuilding Ireland home Loan which was in operation from Jan 2018 to Jan...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (10 Jul 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: Housing Schemes (10 Jul 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 table below sets out the number of mortgage to rent...