Results 6,141-6,160 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (12 Dec 2023)

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. In July 2022 the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched to support bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. From 1 May 2023, a grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (12 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 451 and 452 together. Exchequer funding of €3.8 million is being provided to the Land Development Agency (LDA) in 2024 to cover expenditure associated with their non-commercial functions. This is further broken down into €3m for Capital and €800,000 for Current funding. These functions are detailed under Section 29 of the LDA Act...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Grant Payments (12 Dec 2023)

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. In July 2022 the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched to support bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. From 1 May 2023, a grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of addressing building defects. It commits to an examination of defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing’s report "Safe as Houses?” In response to the difficulties that homeowners are facing due to the presence of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing First recognises that a stable home provides the basis for recovery in other areas. With Housing First, the priority is to support a person who has experienced homelessness into permanent housing as quickly as possible, without any preconditions around addiction or mental health treatment. Then, intensive work continues on these issues once they are housed. Housing First is a key...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: On 24 October 2023, the Government approved the General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill for priority drafting and publication during this Oireachtas session. The Bill proposes, inter alia, a number of technical amendments to enhance the operation of the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2022, the outcomes thereunder and the operational efficiencies of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (12 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Since the publication of Housing for All, the Government has focused on the activation of permissions and land for housing. The Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) is a new tax introduced in Finance Act 2021 which seeks to increase housing supply by encouraging the activation of lands which are suitably zoned and appropriately serviced. Draft maps were published by local authorities on 1...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme is deemed to be a social housing support under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014. As a long term housing support, an assessment of housing need must be completed in order for a household to qualify for HAP. Any household with an identified housing need is eligible for HAP. In order for housing assistance to be provided under the Act...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (RTA), to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants and as such, the registration of tenancies is an operational matter for the RTB. My Department does not hold the details sought...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Land Development Agency will deliver hundreds of homes this year. It was not delivering any homes when we took over after coming into government. Deputy Boyd Barrett opposed the legislation to establish the Land Development Agency when we voted on it, so we would not have a land development agency. It has committed €1.25 billion in equity.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I am sorry, but it is doing that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: We come in at every opportunity. We legislated for the LDA, we capitalised it and it is delivering homes. We want it to deliver more and we are going to further capitalise it to deliver more. The Deputy is earnest in his remarks but when the solutions to these issues are brought forward, like a State construction firm, the LDA, he votes against them.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Naughten for raising these issues related vacancy and the other measures we brought forward to enable us to release further housing stock and accommodation capacity. I especially thank the Deputy for his engagement on that because he was very helpful and constructive as regards the establishment of the vacancy grant, which we have done. I am pleased to say that over 5,300...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I assure the Deputy it will be addressed and we will work with him on that. The Department of Health is working on the matter and we are concluding the drafting of the legislation. For the information of the House, as of 1 October last, there were over 1.6 million medical card holders and over 595,000 GP visit card holders. This means more than 42% of the population has access to free GP...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: This Bill is a major step forward and that is why it is important that we work together to get it passed as expeditiously as possible. There were some who accused us of rushing this Bill but we have not done so. We have engaged with stakeholders in the planning forum and right the way through. We had detailed pre-legislative scrutiny of this Bill but Committee Stage will be important. I...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: It is not.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: It is not. I will come back in.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I know the Deputy is earnest about this issue and that he raises it regularly. For the Deputy’s information, the price ceiling for the first home scheme in Dublin is €475,000 for a home and €500,000 for an apartment, and we review those ceilings every six months. On that scheme, we have had more than 7,000 registrations and more than 3,000 approvals, many of which were...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: We will

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Through our local authorities alone I have approved funding for more than 4,500 local authority-led affordable homes, starting from on or about €160,000 or €166,000. That is working and I have met people who are moving into those homes. The first home scheme ceilings will be reviewed at the end of this year. I have given the Deputy the real ceiling; it is €475,000 in...