Results 3,661-3,680 of 26,778 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (9 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Planning and Development Bill 2023 (the Bill) has a number of provisions relating to public rights of way. Section 51(2) of the administrative reprint version of the Bill as amended at Seanad Committee Stage provides that a development management statement may include objectives for a range of matters including “preserving a specific public right of way, including a public right of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Solar Energy Guidelines (9 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: It remains 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: Renewable Energy Generation (9 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The planning systems plays an important role in the delivery of renewable energy development and related development, from both a legislative and a policy perspective. The Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) provides the basis for plan-making and decision-making within the planning system in respect of solar energy development and battery storage. This legislative framework will be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (9 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 878 to 882, inclusive, together. In 2021 a new holistic approach was applied to the Local Authority Energy Efficient Retrofit Programme (EERP), designed around the Programme for Government's commitment led by the Department for the Environment, Climate and Communications that calls for the 'retrofit' of 500,000 homes to a B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent (BER)...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Sep 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. In December 2022, funding of €94m was provided to local authorities to address legacy land debts. The provision of this funding was linked to the immediate development of a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support available for people who have a long-term housing need. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. Under the HAP scheme, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 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. A revised Social Housing Support Application Form was introduced with effect from 19 April 2021. The new...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (9 Sep 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 housing authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities. My Department does not fund any homeless service directly...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (9 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Water Services Acts 2007-2022 set out the arrangements in place for the delivery of water and wastewater services by Uisce Éireann and further set out the scrutiny and oversight provisions that apply in respect of these arrangements. Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of the planning, delivery and operation of water and wastewater services at national,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (9 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 894 and 895 together. Local Authority Home Loan The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage for creditworthy 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 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. The loan can...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 896 and 897 together. The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government backed mortgage scheme for creditworthy 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 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. The loan can be used both for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the scheme. The scheme is underpinned by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015, as amended by the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) (Amendment) Regulations...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (9 Sep 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Land Development Agency Act 2021 was signed into law in July 2021. The Act established the Land Development Agency (“LDA”) as a commercial semi-state body with the power to pursue a wide range of activities to deliver its mandate, including managing and developing public land, and collaborating with other parties for the delivery of housing. Ultimately, this statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Projects (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government’s Shared Island Local Authority Development funding scheme, which is administered by my Department, supports a programme of feasibility assessments by local authorities, on potential cross-border projects across a range of sectors including biodiversity, sustainable tourism, circular economy, innovation, and cultural and creative industries. The scheme, which is funded...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Projects (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is currently providing part-funding to applicant-led projects, enabling more compact and sustainable development within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and large towns. To date, there have been three rounds of funding provided...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities have responsibility for the administration of the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme. This includes the initial validation of applications, notifying homeowners of the Housing Agency's determinations on damage threshold, the appropriate remediation option and grant amount, determination of the grant payable for alternative accommodation and storage costs and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: To fund its commercial activities, the Land Development Agency (LDA) currently has access to:€2.5bn of equity capital from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF),€1.25bn of borrowings as provided for under the LDA Act, as well as;€1.25bn that can be raised by the LDA through the performance of certain functions.Of the €2.5bn available through ISIF, the LDA...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I am considering the report, entitled 'A Review Into Certain Planning Matters in Respect of Donegal County Council', by Mr. Rory Mulcahy S.C., and will bring this matter to Government for consideration in due course. The review is a scoping report and as such it does not make findings as to the truth or otherwise of allegations that have been made by an individual against named persons. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme supports the building of apartments in urban cores 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 launched on 10 May 2022 and there have been two calls for Expression of Interest...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (23 Jul 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Planning statistics are compiled by each planning authority on an annual basis for collation and publication on my Department’s website at the following link: The data collected relates to the total number of applications and decisions for all developments that require planning permission, broken down by year and planning authority. However, more granular data, such as in relation to...