Results 6,161-6,180 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: What we need to do and what we are doing is to increase supply across all tenures. Deputy Paul Donnelly knows that very well because he has been out turning sods with me his own constituency at the largest social and affordable housing schemes in the country. These are in Mulhuddart and in Donabate-Portrane, which is my own area. There are 1,200 homes, which the Deputy’s party...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Withdraw it.

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

Darragh O'Brien: What did you do?

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

Darragh O'Brien: Cad a dhearna thú? What did you do?

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

Darragh O'Brien: One amongst many of you.

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

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Bacik for her question on this important issue. She will know we have commenced Second Stage of the Planning and Development Bill. As I have said, this is the most significant reform of our planning legislation that probably ever has taken place. It is a 700-page Bill that seeks to provide clarity, certainty and consistency in our planning legislation and system. That is...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Indeed. We are filling those roles now. There are now 15 board members and 314 posts have been approved in the board. We were as low as five members last year with all the controversies that came about in An Bord Pleanála. We had to stabilise it and get it moving. I will happily work with the Deputy and colleagues in the Opposition to strengthen this further if that is required....

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

Darragh O'Brien: Anois, an fhírinne. Ar dtús, caithfidh mé a rá go bhfuil ár bplean ag obair. Tá sé ag obair anois. Níl na buntáistí á fháil ag gach duine fós. Thógamar 30,000 teach nua anuraidh agus tá mé cinnte go mbeimid ábalta níos mó ná sin a dhéanamh i mbliana. Thógamar níos mó...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy cannot.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government agreed on 7 March that the ‘Winter Emergency Period’ under the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022 would come to an end on 31 March 2023, with deferred tenancy terminations taking effect over a staggered period from 1 April to 18 June 2023 as planned and legislated for under that Act. The Government at that time...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, or joint tenants, of local authority homes available for sale under the scheme. The Programme for Government and Housing for All commit to maintaining the right of social housing tenants to purchase their own home, subject to a number of reforms. The Scheme was originally introduced during 2016. A...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Conservation (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department launched the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme (EERP) in 2013 with the aim of funding retrofit of social homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013, over 77,500 local authority social housing dwellings have been retrofitted with a total exchequer spend of over €251 million. In 2021 a new holistic approach was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 67 together. Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) has been identified as a key measure to address increased housing delivery and methods to support increased use of MMC are set out in Pathway 5 of Housing for All. The development of MMC will improve productivity in construction and increase efficiency in residential construction. The Housing for All...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28, 55 and 88 together. Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes; 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing, and 28,500 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2026. Each local authority has prepared its own 5 year Housing Delivery Action Plan setting out their social and affordable housing delivery plans. 18...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: An Bord Pleanála (the Board) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts. The Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Act 2022, which was signed into law in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The allocation of local authority dwellings, including the prioritisation of certain categories of households, is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation scheme made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations. This legislation requires all local authorities, as a reserved function of Elected...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme, designed to help bridge the gap for eligible first-time buyers, eligible homebuyers, and now self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). Details are available on the First Home Scheme website, www.firsthomescheme.ie. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In July 2022 I launched the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, which supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes. In May 2023, I announced a revised grant rate of up to a maximum of €50,000 available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and also for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (7 Dec 2023)

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: Defective Building Materials (7 Dec 2023)

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. As part of these discussions the BPFI has confirmed to my Department that, from their perspective, once a home has been certified as remediated under the DCB Scheme it will be...