Results 3,681-3,700 of 26,565 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: On 5 June the Cabinet approved the expansion of the Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan to all Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant eligible homes. This supports the key policy objective in Housing for All in bringing vacant homes back into use. The eligibility of applicants is broadly the same as the Local Authority Home Loan with some specific amendments to accommodate...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Affordability and the chance to own a home is at the heart of the Government’s housing policy. As detailed in the Housing for All strategy, the Government has introduced a number of measures to support households and individuals wishing to purchase or build a home, as well as increasing the overall supply of new homes, with a target of 300,000 new homes up to 2030. The First Home...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Tackling vacancy is a key priority for this Government and Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. The Vacant Homes Action Plan, which I originally published in January 2023, built on Pathway 4 of Housing for All and set out the various actions that were being pursued to return vacant properties back into...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Laboratory Facilities (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Construction Products Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 (CPR) sets out rules for the marketing of construction products in the EU. Where a construction product covered by a harmonised standard is being placed on the EU market, the CPR requires the manufacturer to draw up a ‘declaration of performance’ and affix a ‘CE’ marking to the product. In order to do so,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 240 and 245 together. The Planning and Development Bill 2023, which shortly commences Seanad Second Stage is the culmination of a three year process of policy and legal review, led by the Office of the Attorney General; engagement with a diverse range of stakeholders and one of the most extensive pre-legislative and Select Committee scrutiny undertaken in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (25 Jun 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 detailed operation of the Scheme is a matter for the designated local authorities and the Housing Agency in the first instance. Their respective roles...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Financial Irregularities (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I can advise that I have not had any contact in person, or in writing, within the past six months with the secretary of the named organisation.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Through the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) public bodies are receiving targeted support for innovative and holistic solutions to the issues that have hindered the regeneration and rejuvenation of our large towns and cities. To date, there have been three Calls for proposals under the URDF with in excess of €1.9 billion allocated to almost 400 projects, located right...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department currently gathers and publishes data on a monthly basis on the number of homeless persons accommodated in emergency accommodation funded and overseen by local authorities. These reports are based on data provided by local authorities, produced through the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS). The monthly homelessness report includes details of individuals,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Electoral Reform Act 2022 amended Part V of the Local Government Act 1991 (as amended) in respect of the review of local electoral areas. Under Chapter 8 of Part 2 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022, future reviews of local electoral areas are now a function of An Coimisiún Toghcháin which was established on 9 February 2023. Section 23 of the Local Government Act 2001 (as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The legislation governing the clawback on previous affordable housing schemes is Section 99 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, or Section 9 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2002, depending on the home in question. Both pieces of legislation set the same clawback rule: where the property is resold within 20 years, the homeowner must pay a clawback amount equal to a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Freedom of Information (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Secretary General, with support from the Assistant Secretary of the Corporate and Business Support Division, oversees my Department's obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2014. Details of the number of staff employed by my Department who are assigned to the day to day processing Freedom of Information requests, and the number of such requests received by my Department in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (25 Jun 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. A review mechanism is provided within the Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Act 2022, which allows me, as Minister, to increase the overall grant scheme cap of €420,000...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Process (25 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 140 of the Electoral Act 1992 provides that every notice, bill, poster or similar document having reference to an election or referendum, or distributed for the purpose of furthering the candidature of a candidate at an election, or a particular result at a referendum, shall bear upon its face the name and address of the printer and of the publisher. The Programme for Government...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (20 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 134, 135 and 136 together. I refer to my reply to Question No. 186 of 18 June 2024 (PQ 25933/24) regarding a review of the Defective Concrete Block (DCB) Scheme. It should be noted that arising from the Government Decision of 30 November 2021 in respect of the enhanced DCB grant scheme, the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) was tasked with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (20 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government has developed the Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ (CRTiS) scheme for tenants in private rental homes who are at risk of homelessness because a landlord intends to sell the property but who are not in receipt of social housing supports. The scheme was established on a temporary administrative basis from 1 April 2023 and is currently managed by the Housing Agency, pending further...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (20 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Enforcement of the Building Regulations is delegated under the Building Control Act to local building control authorities (i.e. the 31 local authorities) who are independent in the exercise of their statutory powers. Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (20 Jun 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. A total of 2,150 applications have been submitted to the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme (Enhanced and previous) since its launch in June 2020 and to date 54...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Process (20 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Electoral legislation has not been amended on foot of the judgement of the Supreme Court in the case of Kiely vs Kerry County Council (Case No. 2014/366). The case concerned how the law, in this case the Local Elections Regulations 1995, was being applied rather than the substance of the law itself. Under electoral law, the returning officers are responsible for all matters in connection...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (20 Jun 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 detailed operation of the Scheme is a matter for the designated local authorities and the Housing Agency in the first instance. Their respective roles...