Results 5,101-5,120 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (6 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I announced the opening of the Interim Remediation Scheme (Scheme) on 11 December 2023 for the funding of emergency fire safety defect works in apartments and duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013. The Scheme is being administered on my behalf by the Housing Agency on a nationwide basis and is open to applications from Apartment Owner Management Companies (OMCs) via the Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Conservation (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 377 and 378 together. Since 2013, Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) to support local authorities with the retrofit of local authority owned homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Over the period 2013 to the end of 2023, local authorities received over €308 million in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Impact Assessments (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive, Directive 2011/92/EU as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU, specifies projects which, by virtue of their nature, size or location are likely to have significant effects on the environment and should be subject to EIA. The Directive requires projects listed in Annex I of the Directive to be subject to mandatory EIA and provides that Member...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Impact Assessments (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive, 2001/42/EC, is a process for the formal, systematic evaluation of the likely significant environmental effects of implementing a plan or programme, before a decision is made to adopt the plan or programme. The SEA Directive aims to provide for a high level of protection of the environment and to contribute to the integration of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: While the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on 25 January that Ireland had failed to fully implement the Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC), it is important to note that the Court’s findings refer to the historical position in September 2020. Considerable progress has been made since then to the water supplies concerned in this case. The ruling is in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Process (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The primary role of my Department in electoral matters is to provide an appropriate policy and legislative framework for a modern and efficient electoral system. Within that framework, local Returning Officers are responsible for all matters in connection with the actual conduct of elections and referendums. This includes, in accordance with section 94 of the Electoral Act 1992, the provision...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The taking in charge of housing estates by local authorities is provided for under section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), and the procedures for this are initiated under section 11 of the Roads Act 1993, as amended. The taking in charge of residential estates is also a reserved function of the elected members. It is generally a standard condition of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 387 and 388 together. There are a number of housing estates across the country that rely on developer provided infrastructure for their water services networks. These estates have not been taken-in-charge and their water services networks are not, currently, connected to the public (Uisce Éireann) network. The water services infrastructure, provided by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (5 Mar 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. The new scheme is now open to applications in four counties: Clare, Donegal, Limerick and Mayo with comprehensive information of all aspects of the Scheme available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s grant scheme for the renewal or repair of a thatched roof provides funding of up to €6,350 or up to 80% of the approved cost, whichever is the lesser, in respect of necessary works to renew or repair the thatched roofs of private houses situated on the mainland where the private owner holds a medical card. A higher level of assistance of up to €8,252 is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All was published 2 September 2021. There is a commitment in the Plan to update the actions on an annual basis, including timelines and responsibilities to sustain momentum on delivery. Government has published two annual updates, the first on 2 November 2022 and the second on 14 November 2023. The copy of Housing for All and the Updated Housing for All Action Plans, which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand the Question refers to housing estates relying on Developer Provided Infrastructure (DPI) for their water services. Using funding provided under the National Development Plan, my Departments’ Multi-annual Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme (DPI Programme) provides funding to assist in progressively resolving issues with DPI across the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Awaiting reply from Department.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In the local government sector, acting up arrangements may only be considered where all options around re-organisation and re-allocation of work have been fully exhausted. Each local authority must also ensure that an acting up arrangement is used only where absolutely necessary. The matters raised have already been the subject of a Labour Court hearing which recommended that the parties...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 400, 401 and 402 together. The Local Authority Home Loan (LAHL) 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 be used both...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes; 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing and 28,500 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2026. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All sets out the range of actions necessary to increase the supply of housing out to 2030 comprising of 54,000 affordable homes to be delivered by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through First Home, which is a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks. Local authorities have published 5 year Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has not had engagement with, or received reports or briefings from Uisce Éireann regarding the inclusion of the project, for the location mentioned in the details supplied, in the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (5 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Question does not make reference to a specific Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report. I am assuming that the report referred to is Antimicrobial Resistance and the Environment – Sources, Persistence, Transmission and Risk Management (AREST). If this is the case, the report was published in February 2024. The findings and recommendations of the research study will be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (5 Mar 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 The Enhanced Grant Scheme provided for the extension of the scheme to include dwellings damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks in its construction, in the...