Results 5,881-5,900 of 26,666 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (20 Mar 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/she is responsible. Local authorities are required to seek sanction from my Department for all new posts above agreed workforce plan levels. In 2022, my Department received 888...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Commission (20 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The role of my Department is to provide an appropriate policy and legislative framework for a modern and efficient electoral system. Under the Electoral Acts, local authorities, in their capacity as registration authorities, are responsible for the management and maintenance of the electoral register. It is the duty of each authority to ensure, as far as possible, and with the cooperation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Private Partnerships (20 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 708 and 709 together. Oversight for the Public Private Partnership (PPP) process across all Government Departments rests with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, which develops the general policy framework and provides guidance to Government Departments. My Department is currently progressing the Social Housing PPP Programme, which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (20 Mar 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. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual local authorities. My Department does not fund any homeless service directly...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (20 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 712 and 713 together. All development proposals require planning permission unless they are specifically exempted under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act) or the supplementary Planning and Development Regulations, 2001, as amended (the Regulations). In addition, national planning policy, guidelines and legislation do not dictate the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Broadband Infrastructure (7 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Tailte Éireann is the State agency formed on 1 March 2023 following the merger of Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Property Registration Authority and the Valuation Office. All the functions previously carried out by the Property Registration Authority, the Valuation Office, and Ordnance Survey Ireland are now being performed by Tailte Éireann. The Valuation Division of Tailte...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (7 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In October 2018, I requested that the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) conduct an independent review of the Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands Region (WSP-EMR) as proposed by Uisce Éireann. The WSP-EMR review was intended to support my decision in relation to the capital consent that would be required if planning approval is obtained for the project. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Mar 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. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. Local authorities have a responsibility to ensure that tenancies are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Mar 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: Housing Schemes (7 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 247, 248, 249, 250, 251 and 252 together. 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). ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (7 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 255, 256 and 257 together. Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, 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. The allocation of local authority dwellings,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traffic Management (7 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Overall responsibility for roads policy and funding for the implementation of transport strategies is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Transport. Kildare County Council as the Roads Authority, is responsible for the management of the road network in its jurisdiction. Notwithstanding the above, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is providing part-funding for some...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (7 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 260 and 261 together. I launched the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2024-2026 (MARWP 2024-2026) on 17 January 2024. Local authorities have been invited to submit applications for funding for priority projects in their areas with a closing date of 12 April 2024. The core purpose of the MARWP 2024-2026 is to provide the necessary funding to address...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Mar 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 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: Local Authorities (7 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Since the introduction from July 2021 of the new remuneration package available for local authority elected members following the publication of the Moorhead Report, there is in fact financial support for elected members in relation to the running of an office. The Local Representation Allowance (LRA) is payable to an elected member of a local authority on a vouched basis for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Process (7 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government approved the drafting of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 on 30 January 2024. I recently wrote to the Chair of the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, enclosing the general scheme and advising my Department is happy to assist the Committee in the course of its deliberations as part of the pre-legislate scrutiny process. I look forward to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (7 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not compile data on homeowners who have registered their Domestic Waste Water Treatment System (DWWTS), including septic tanks, with their local authority. The DWWTS grant schemes are administered by the local authorities and my Department does not hold information on the number of applications for grants processed by each local authority. However the following table...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 266 to 269, inclusive, together. In 2021, following the second call for proposals under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, I announced a provisional allocation of €11,027,500 in URDF support for Mayo County Council's two successful proposals – the Castlebar Historic Core Reactivation Initiative (€8,527,500) and for works to...