Results 5,561-5,580 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Conservation (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 - 2023, local authorities received over €308 million in funding to carry out energy upgrade works on over 79,000 properties. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, supports first-time buyers and other eligible homebuyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market, and now self-builders, through the use of an equity share model. Details are available on the First Home Scheme website, www.firsthomescheme.ie. The First Home Scheme DAC is fully responsible for the operation of the First...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In October 2021, the Government published Housing for All, our housing plan to 2030. The plan sets out over four pathways a series of actions to achieve a steady supply of housing in the right locations and with economic, social and environmental sustainability built into the system. The plan addresses the actions needed to support delivery under the four pathways and to enable a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, the Government has targeted the delivery of 28,500 new affordable homes from 2022 to 2026, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks. Clare County Council has prepared and published its own 5-year Housing Delivery Action Plan to meet...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 138 together. Cost Rental is a form of rental tenure designed to assist a cohort of renters who face significant affordability challenges meeting high rents in the private sector and who are not eligible for social housing support. The core principle of Cost Rental is that the rents cover the development, management, and maintenance costs of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. The review is addressing a number of key aspects of the Guidelines including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. My Department, in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC)...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has had a number of engagements with the Banking and Payments Federation (BPFI) on specific issues raised by Defective Concrete Block (DCB) homeowners to see what can be done to address their concerns I set up an Implementation Steering Group for the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme, comprised of officials from the relevant local authorities, my Department,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government’s Housing for All plan is focused on tackling supply and affordability issues, including those in the rental market. The plan contains targets, actions and guaranteed State investment in housing aimed at increasing supply, which in turn will help increase access to affordable rental housing. Under Housing for All, over €5bn is available for capital investment in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of Q3 2023, there were nearly 57,617 households actively in receipt of HAP support. Maximum rent limits for the HAP scheme are set out for each housing authority area by the Housing Assistance Payment (Amendment) Regulations 2017. The limits applicable are related to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 288 of 1 February 2024 which sets out the position in the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (15 Feb 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 a local level. Section 2 of the Housing Act 1988 outlines how local authorities can form an opinion on whether or not an individual/household shall be regarded as homeless, while section 10...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and associated services for homeless persons rests with individual local authorities. 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. While...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Government affords a high priority to the use of vacant or underutilised state land for housing delivery. Under Housing for All, each Government Department/ Agency was requested to examine their existing portfolio of properties and place them on the market if they are not re­quired and may be suitable for conversion to residential accommodation. This is to ensure that every effort is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2023 (S.I. No 99 of 2023) from March 2023 transpose the recast Drinking Water Directive into national legislation. Section 4 of the Regulations require the water supplier to ensure drinking water is wholesome and clean, does not present a risk to human health. The water suppliers, in conjunction with the supervisory authorities (Environmental...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to my reply to Question No. 377 of 13 February 2024 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. Increasing the supply of housing is critical to address homelessness and record levels of investment are being provided under Housing for All to support the delivery of housing. In 2024, over €5bn in investment is available to support the delivery of housing and local authorities have a target to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Parnell Square Cultural Quarter (PSCQ) project was included as part of the overall North Inner City Concept Area 1 (NICCA) proposal from Dublin City Council (DCC) under Call 2 of my Department’s Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) programme. The URDF, which was established as part of the NDP in 2018 with an allocation of €2 billion is providing up to 75%...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Priorities (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The regeneration of the Oliver Bond House complex by Dublin City Council (DCC) has my Department's full support. My Department provided Stage 1 Capital Appraisal approval to DCC for the redevelopment for the flats in Blocks L, M and N, on the 16th March 2022. This allowed for a guarantee of Departmental support whilst also tasking DCC to investigate a review of options to find the most...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: There are over 146,000 local authority social housing properties in the State. It is important that local authorities fulfil their legal obligations with regard to management and maintenance of this valuable State asset, ensure that their homes comply with relevant standards and that vacancy and turnaround times are kept to a minimum. My Department is committed to supporting local authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Cost Rental is a form of rental tenure designed to assist a cohort of renters who face significant affordability challenges meeting high rents in the private sector and who are not eligible for social housing support. The core principle of Cost Rental is that the rents cover the development, management, and maintenance costs of the homes, so that the long-term future of the homes is...