Results 5,841-5,860 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (31 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Planning Framework (NPF) in Ireland includes National Policy Objective 37, which mandates a Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) in each local authority area. The HNDA aims to ensure long-term strategic housing needs are met across all tenures, providing a robust evidence base to support decisions about new housing supply, investment, and housing-related services. Several...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (31 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In line with Programme for Government commitments, I established the Commission on Housing in December 2021 as an independent body to examine and evaluate Ireland's housing system, including issues such as tenure, standards, sustainability, and quality-of-life issues in the provision of housing. At the same time, I also tasked the Commission to advise the Government on the critical factors to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (31 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The 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, ventilation, natural light, fire safety and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. These Regulations apply to all properties let or available for let,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (31 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (31 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. A grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (31 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 45(5) of the Local Government Act 2001 (as amended) provides that a local authority may, by standing orders, regulate the right of members of the public and members of the media to be present at meetings of the local authority. This provision includes the making, by standing orders, of rules in relation to the recording or relaying of the proceedings as they take place or at a later...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (30 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Emergency Refurbishment (Ukraine) Programme comprises two delivery strands, one of which is focused on buildings in public ownership and the other which supports owners of private buildings to refurbish them to the appropriate standard as per guidelines from my Department. These guidelines are available on my Department's website at this . Private owners can upload their properties for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (30 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants of local authority houses that are available for sale under the scheme. The scheme is underpinned by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015. The 2015 regulations were amended by the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) (Amendment) Regulations...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (30 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The monitoring of operational standards in Uisce Éireann is a matter for which I have no function. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is statutorily tasked with monitoring Uisce Éireann's performance in accordance with section 39 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 (as amended). I have asked the CRU to respond directly on this matter. The CRU has a dedicated...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (30 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 317 and 318 together. The 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, ventilation, natural light, fire safety and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. These...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (30 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: 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. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (30 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not generally keep a record of qualifications held by staff members, and accordingly there may be staff working in various roles in the Department who have a qualification in quantity surveying but applied for different positions. However, we do currently have seven full-time quantity surveyors employed in the Department in roles where this is a requirement. There were...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (30 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 332 and 358 together. In November 2023, I announced substantial improvements to the terms and conditions of all three Domestic Waste Water Treatment System (DWWTS) grants available to households. At the time my Department also advised all local authorities of the changes made which are an increase of the grant amount available to €12,000 from...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Process (30 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The polls for European Parliament and Local elections in Ireland are typically taken on the same day. Under section 26 of the Local Government Act 2000, an election of members of every local authority shall be held in the year 2004 and every fifth year thereafter. The poll at local elections shall be held in the month of May or June, as may be fixed by Ministerial Order. The procedure for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Register of Electors (30 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities, in their capacity as registration authorities, are responsible for the management and maintenance of the electoral register, and each one is now required to prepare and maintain a pending electors list. This enables the pre-registration of 16 and 17 year olds, who are then transferred to the electoral register automatically when they turn 18 A series of national and local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (30 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The government has implemented several measures to ensure a balanced housing market across all tenures, including home ownership, social housing, and private rental. Under the 'Housing for All', the Government committed to an 'owner-occupier' guarantee, allowing local authorities to designate a percentage of houses and duplexes in a development for owner-occupiers. In May 2021, the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: An adequate supply and mix of housing across all tenures is critical to balancing supply and demand in the housing market, including for home ownership, social housing and private rental. Under Housing Policy Objective 1.10 of Housing for All, Government committed to introducing an ‘owner-occupier' guarantee to enable local authorities specify the proportion of houses and duplexes in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ministerial Staff (30 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I have two nominated Garda drivers assigned to me in my role as Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. These drivers operate on a week on/week off basis and details of their contracts are a matter for my colleague the Minister for Justice. The two Ministers of State in my Department have appointed two civilian drivers, each also on a week on/week off pattern. These drivers'...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (30 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: On 25 January 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Ireland failed to fully implement the Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC). 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 breaches of the limit for Trihalomenthanes...