Results 3,741-3,760 of 26,778 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1121 and 1122 together. 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 local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (23 Jul 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. The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of Q1 2024, over 119,000 HAP tenancies had been set-up...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) aims to retrofit a local authority home to a BER of B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent. It is expected that 36,500 local authority owned homes will be retrofitted under this programme out to 2030. The programme has been devised in a way to give local authorities a level of flexibility when selecting properties to retrofit, ranging from those requiring...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (23 Jul 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 enhanced scheme provides very considerable enhancements over the previous scheme for eligible homeowners. The overall cost of the enhanced scheme is estimated at...

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

Darragh O'Brien: There are currently three remediation schemes for building defects in homes, namely the Pyrite Resolution Scheme, the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Grant Scheme and the Interim Remediation Scheme for Fire Safety Defects in Eligible Apartments and Duplexes 2023. It should be noted that the schemes, are not compensation or redress schemes, rather, they are Remediation Grant schemes...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has been advancing the steps to put a scheme for the remediation of eligible defects in apartments and duplexes constructed between 1991-2013 on a statutory footing as a matter of priority. Given the complexity of the issues, including the significant amount of Exchequer funding that this Government has committed to assist affected homeowners, sufficient time is required to...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department supports local authorities with annual funding towards the management and maintenance of their social housing stock under a number of funding programmes including the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme (EERP). The Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) aims to retrofit a local authority home to a BER of B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent. It is expected that 36,500 local...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All includes a commitment to review income eligibility for social housing. From this review, it was recommended moving five local authorities from Band 3 to Band 2, ensuring the income eligibility thresholds better reflect housing costs in those counties. The Government also agreed to increase the baseline income thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities with effect...

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

Darragh O'Brien: A key principle of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented market. HAP rent limits are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment above the prescribed maximum rent limit. Since July 2022 this discretion level was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Jul 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 the following link: In relation to the number of people on the social...

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

Darragh O'Brien: There are a range of approved standards and guidelines for use in the design of public roads, footpaths and cycleways, primarily published by the Department of Transport (DoT). Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the National Transport Authority (NTA) may develop further standards and specifications, overseen by the Department of Transport. Urban roads and streets that have a speed...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1143, 1144, 1145 and 1176 together. Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government. 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 use as homes....

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1146 and 1161 together. My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on social housing delivery activity in all local authority areas on the statistics page of its website. Data in relation to funding provided by the State for HAP tenancies to end of Q1 2024 can be found on my Department’s website at this link: . At the end of Q1...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, natural light, fire safety, ventilation and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. Responsibility for the enforcement of the Regulations in the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: In December 2023, I announced the successful applications that are approved funding under my Department's Multi-annual Rural Water Programme for the waste water collection and treatment needs for villages without access to public waste water services. Following the announcement, my Department wrote to Clare County Council confirming approval of funding for projects in the villages of...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant Incremental Purchase Schemes provide for the purchase by eligible tenants of local authority properties which are available for sale under the terms of the particular scheme. All applications for the schemes must satisfy the requirements outlined in the relevant legislation. Local authorities may, within the provisions of the regulations, exclude properties from sale in the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Applications for social housing support are assessed by local authorities 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. It is a matter for each local authority, as part of its housing management functions, to determine the conditions in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (23 Jul 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). Housing for All required each local authority to prepare a Housing Delivery Action Plan...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Tackling coastal change management in response to climate change will be complex, multi-faceted and dynamic, demanding a range of research, policy and consequential management responses. Through the 15 recommendations set out in the report, an evidence-based coastal change management strategy facilitating key decisions to be taken to address and manage the impacts of coastal change over the...