Results 41-60 of 10,670 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (12 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All commits to increasing the housing options available to older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence, including the development of a policy on rightsizing. The Housing for All policy objective to make more efficient use of existing housing stock includes tasking my Department with the development of a national policy on rightsizing and to explore...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Policy (11 Jun 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 setback distance, noise, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. The aim of the review is to strike an appropriate balance between addressing the concerns of local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Animal Welfare (11 Jun 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. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this end, my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (11 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 368 and 395 together. I received the Report of the Housing Commission on 8 May and published it in full very soon thereafter on 22 May. The Commission’s work has taken two-an-a-half years to conclude, culminating in a 400 plus page report (including appendices), and 83 recommendations and 540 or so actions and sub-actions. Accordingly, it requires...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (11 Jun 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: Departmental Data (11 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is committed to promoting and maintaining an inclusive and diverse workplace that protects the rights of all employees. To demonstrate our commitment to providing a fully inclusive culture my Department is currently developing an internal Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) policy, in collaboration with staff. This work is in line with commitments made in the Civil Service...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Government Reform (11 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The General Services Supervisor (GSS) is the most senior grade within the general operative and related grades structure in local authorities. It is of its nature therefore primarily a supervisory grade which operates across all of the key functions including Roads, Water and Environment. The duties assigned to a GSS will vary according to the nature of the role, the number of staff...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (11 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The equity share in an affordable home purchase arrangement is a function of the gap between the purchasing power of the approved affordable housing purchaser and the open market price of the property concerned. The provision of affordable purchase housing by local authorities is supported by a capital subvention of €50,000, €75,000 or €100,000 per home from the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (11 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government Legislation Programme for the Summer 2024 Session, which was published on 16 April 2024, sets out my Department's priority legislation and can be accessed at the following weblink: www.gov.ie/en/publication/edb3c-government-legislation-progr amme-2024/ Importantly, the Planning and Development Bill 2023 remains a top priority for me and the Government, and commences Report...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (11 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 374, 376 and 377 together. Statistics in relation to the social housing stock are published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in the Local Authority Performance Indicator Report. These reports provide a range of information in relation to social housing stock, including the number of dwellings in local authority ownership and the percentage...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (11 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Both the Programme for Government and Housing for All commit to maintaining the right of social housing tenants to purchase their home. The most recent tenant purchase scheme, the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme was introduced in 2016 and is based on an incremental purchase model. This scheme strikes a balance between increasing the scope for those in receipt of long-term housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (11 Jun 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 grant scheme, as set down by the Oireachtas, facilitates the remediation of existing houses that have been damaged by the use of defective concrete blocks, but not the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (11 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: An assessment and analysis have been carried out of the various allegations raised in correspondence received by my Department in respect of this issue. The Department found that most of these matters had already been subject to review or investigation by an appropriate body external to the Council, including the Courts in some cases. The issue remains under consideration, as necessary.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (11 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Currently, there is no specific legislation in Ireland dealing with light pollution and my Department has no role in this regard. If required, the responsibility for the development of a national strategy or legislation in respect of light pollution would rest with my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (11 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 383 and 384 together. Following the adoption of the Housing for All Plan, each local authority was required to prepare a Housing Delivery Action Plan setting out details of its planned social and affordable housing delivery programme over the period 2022-2026, in line with targets set and need identified. The Plans include details of the locations and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (11 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 385 and 386 together. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) as the economic regulator of Uisce Éireann also has a role to protect customers by setting quality of service standards and ensuring customers are treated fairly. The CRU approves the Uisce Éireann Codes of Practice through its publication of the Domestic and Non-Domestic...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (11 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Uisce Éireann is focused on providing water that is fit for human consumption, with the objective of providing this service uniformly to its customers across the country. Uisce Éireann has a strong customer service focus through their Customer Charter, which outlines the standard of service customers should expect to receive. The Water Charges Plan outlines the manner and method by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (11 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not have any grant available specific to the remediation of rising damp in private homes. My Department provides funding to local authorities in respect of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist eligible people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants include the Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (11 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (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 apply are set out in section 3(2) of the RTA, and include...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (11 Jun 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Sli na Ri, Bagenalstown is a P&A-CALF funded project consisting of 23 homes which is being delivered by Cooperative Housing Ireland in collaboration with Carlow County Council. To date Carlow Council has fully allocated tenants to ten of the homes within the development, a further eight properties have recently completed the nomination process with tenants due to move in shortly. All...