Results 6,181-6,200 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 47 together. I established the Implementation Steering Group to work through administrative issues around the Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) scheme as they arise and make recommendations if further changes to the regulations or guidelines on the Scheme are needed. The Group comprises the relevant local authorities, my Department, the Housing...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Planning and Development Bill 2023 introduces statutory time periods for decision making for all consent processes, including for An Coimisiún Pleanála. This will bring certainty to consent processes for both the public and stakeholders involved in the delivery of key infrastructure such as housing and renewable energy. Timelines are being introduced for appeals as well as the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 37, 53, 59 and 74 together. The Government’s Housing for All plan is focused on tackling supply and affordability issues, including those in the rental market. The plan contains targets, actions and guaranteed State investment in housing aimed at increasing supply, which in turn will help increase access to affordable rental housing. Budget 2024...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 80 together. Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. Critical to supporting households to exit homelessness is increasing the supply of housing. Record state investment of €4.5bn has been made available this year to support the largest State home building programme ever, including 9,100 new build...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Data on the number of residential dwellings purchased by all buyer types, including by first-time buyers, are published by the Central Statistics Office. These data are available in table HPM02 (Residential Property Transactions) on the CSO website. The most recent data show more than 43,700 homes were purchased at market prices by all buyer types between January and September this year....

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 Provision (7 Dec 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 72 together. 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,...

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: Maximum rent limits for HAP were set for each housing authority area in 2016 in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection (DSP). In reviewing the rent limits, my Department worked closely with DSP and monitored data gathered from the Residential Tenancies Board and the HAP Shared Services Centre. A key principle of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is that eligible...

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

Darragh O'Brien: On 25 April 2023, as part of a suite of measures to help reduce housing construction costs and incentivise increased housing supply, the Government introduced a temporary time-limited arrangement to waiver the local authority “section 48” development contribution and a refund scheme for water and wastewater connection charges payable to Uisce Éireann. I can confirm that...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 48 and 68 together. My Department’s Rural Water Programme, through Exchequer funding, delivers improvements to private domestic water services in areas of rural Ireland where there are no Uisce Éireann water services. The Multi-annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP) is the main funding stream providing capital funding to address some of the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as a quasi-judicial 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 issue referred to is an operational matter for the RTB. My Department is not aware of the issue...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 79 together. According to the latest census data available there are almost 500,000 domestic waste water treatment systems (DWWTS), mostly septic tanks, in Ireland. Under the Water Services Acts 2007 and 2012, it is the responsibility of the owners to ensure that their DWWTS is fit for purpose, operational and kept in good order. Owners of septic tanks...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (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 and is the first multi-annual fully funded housing plan in the history of the State. The Plan is supported by an investment package of over €4 billion per annum, through an overall combination of €12 billion in direct Exchequer funding,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (7 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. Many areas of cities, towns and villages of all sizes face the blight of vacant properties, which, if brought back into use, could add real vibrancy and provide new accommodation in those areas. While the reasons for vacancy are often complex, the re-use and regeneration...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Land Development Agency (LDA) has a major role in the delivery of new homes, particularly on underutilised and vacant State lands. It has two primary housing delivery channels, which are Direct Delivery on State-sourced lands; and Delivery through housebuilder partners, known as ‘Project Tosaigh’. The LDA’s near to medium term delivery pipeline through these delivery...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) scheme launched in May 2022 . The scheme is a viability measure designed to support the building of circa 5,000 apartments for sale to owner-occupiers. The scheme aims to bridge the current 'viability gap' between the delivery cost of building apartments and the market sale price (where the cost of building is greater). The scheme is managed by the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The approach taken under the Pyrite Remediation Scheme was considered in the development of the Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Grant Scheme. However, due to the different scale of both schemes and the flexibility sought by homeowners the DCB Grant scheme required a different approach. The enhanced scheme, as legislated for by the Oireachtas, is now up and running and will see significant...

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

Darragh O'Brien: In April 2022, I announced a new funding measure, as an advance stage of the upcoming Multi-annual Rural Water Programme, for the waste water collection and treatment needs of villages and settlements that do not have access to public waste water services. Funding of €50 million has been specifically allocated under the National Development Plan 2021-2030. The first round of...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage for those who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build. On 14 November 2023, I...