Results 5,201-5,220 of 28,221 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has engaged with Louth County Council in relation to the scheme at Cois Farraige and engages on an ongoing basis to advance their commitment to an affordable housing delivery programme that will respond effectively to the significant affordable housing need it has identified across the county. The response to the advertising of the 10 homes at Cois Farraige was less than...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) has been identified as a key measure to address increased housing delivery and methods to support increased use of MMC are set out in Pathway 5 of Housing for All. In July 2023 the Roadmap for increased adoption of MMC in Public Housing delivery was published and sets out recommendations to progress the most advanced and efficient construction methods in...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1162 and 1186 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (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 Schemes (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). Social Housing is delivered through a range of local authority and Approved Housing...

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

Darragh O'Brien: 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. In April I published an update on the Action Plan which shows the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: There have been two meetings held so far in 2024 of the Galway Task Force. This is alongside a range of other contacts that my Department has with both Galway local authorities in relation to a range of issues affecting housing and related areas. The Chairperson's report in respect of 2023 has been completed and will be sent to the main Task Force participants for review and discussion at the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: An Interdepartmental Group (comprising my Department, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and údarás na Gaeltachta) is still continuing its work in developing specific planning guidance for Gaeltacht areas. There is also a separate Working Group made up of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Since the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 (which continue to have effect in addition to subsequent clarifications and national policy changes in the NPF) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably, obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and protection of the environment...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (23 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. Details of cases to be determined by the Board are a matter for the Board. Under section 30 of the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock. This will fluctuate over time, as tenancy surrender and re-letting of stock is an ongoing process. Therefore, ongoing data in relation to vacant local authority owned homes are not routinely collated by my Department. However, statistics in relation to social housing stock, at a point in time, are published by the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) continues to be an important part of the suite of measures available to local authorities to provide social housing supports. Funding of €111m is available this year to support both new and existing RAS tenancies. It is expected that approximately 1,400 new tenancies will be established this year. My Department has completed a review of RAS which...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1183 and 1184 together. The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2024 (the RTA) regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The RTA apply to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy, subject to a limited number of exceptions. The dwellings to which the Act does not...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All seeks to deliver an average of 33,000 new homes for each year of the plan. The Department of Finance estimates the current cost of delivering these homes is around €13.6 billion per year. A recent update to these figures, by the Department of Finance, estimates the cost of delivering an increased average of 50,000 per year would be around €20.3 billion. Costings...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1188 and 1189 together. Housing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade and is the first multi-annual fully funded housing plan in the history of the State. The annual targets include the delivery of 90,000 new social homes, 36,000 new affordable purchase homes and 18,000...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1191, 1192 and 1194 together. 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. Therefore, ongoing data in...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Due to the post-2008 crisis, numerous residential developments were left in an unfinished state throughout the country. In 2010, a multi-annual action programme on unfinished developments was established and was focused on finding solutions through collaboration between government, local authorities, NAMA, developers, receivers, Irish Water (now Uisce éireann), residents, funders and...