Results 6,561-6,580 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91, 99 and 124 together. Last year, we exceeded our housing delivery targets and we will exceed them again this year. We will deliver more new social homes this year than we did last year and will continue to break records with the largest social housing provision in 50 years. We will build substantially more affordable homes than last year and we have more...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: It is also opposed to the Croí Cónaithe scheme. What the Deputies opposite want to do is CPO those properties and send them back in as some type of affordable home.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: They are opposed to it. They have actually brought motions forward in the House that have detailed their opposition to it. Let us be straight about it.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I am glad Deputy Ó Broin has converted.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: To answer Deputy Murnane O'Connor's question, to the end of September of this year, 289 new homes commenced in Carlow. This is an increase of 26% on the same period in 2022 and the highest number of commencements in Carlow for this period since the data series began in 2014. With three months of the year still remaining, commencements so far this year already exceed the second highest...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: There is no question that progress is being made right across the country in every local authority area, in all 26 counties of the Republic. We are acutely aware that we need to do a lot more but there has been a step change in housing delivery under this Government. About 40% to 50% of the homes that will be delivered this year will be backed by this Government, be they social or...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: -----for local authorities like the one in Carlow. Now we are purchasing the land for them, and for approved housing bodies as well, to build into the future so we have the land banks to continue to deliver the homes we need. The progress is very welcome. We are not at all going to rest on our laurels. We want to do more. The pipeline for next year, looking at the commencements for this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: On staffing and resources, local authorities have never had more staff than they have now. They have never had more resources than they have now. Where we receive submissions from local authorities, like in this instance from Carlow County Council, if they put a case forward to us and require additional sanction, we look at those requests favourably, though they obviously have to stack up....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Sinn Féin could have allocated money to it in its alternative budget.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: There has been a Pauline conversion concerning this scheme, which they have consistently opposed.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Hear, hear.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In line with programme for government commitments I established the Housing Commission in December 2021 as an independent body to examine and evaluate Ireland's housing system, including issues such as tenure standards, sustainability, quality-of-life issues and the provision of housing. At the same time, I also tasked the commission to advise the Government on the critical factors to be...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand the point Deputy Ó Broin has made. First I must get a decision from the Government based on the recommendations that I will bring forward as to what the next steps are. I know the committee has engaged on this and it is important that the committee views the report. I do not believe that should take a great length of time either but the committee needs to consider what is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Ó Broin. If a minority report comes forward that is fine. It is a good thing and it shows that people are taking the matter seriously. The commissioners are drawn from all different walks of life and perspectives. It is a small number of members and the vast majority are in agreement with the report as it is. I want to be clear that I have had no information on any...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Planning Issues (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy O'Callaghan for his question. Since the publication of Housing for All, the Government has focused on the activation of permissions, which we are seeing happen now. I will go through that in some more detail. The residential zoned land tax is a new tax, introduced in the Finance Act 2021, which seeks to increase housing supply by encouraging the activation of land which is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Planning Issues (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: What is happening on the ground can be seen across the country, including in Deputy O'Callaghan's constituency in Dublin. We have not seen anything like the number of homes and apartments under development since 2007. Progress is being made. The residential zoned land tax is a big change in how we manage land and how we will deal with reducing speculation on land and people hoarding land....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Planning Issues (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: No one is delaying it. One has to get it right. This is a really-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Planning Issues (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: This is really extensive work.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Planning Issues (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Across every single local authority, all maps were published. We had to allow the public to make submissions if they wanted to request a dezoning of land too, where land was zoned residential, they had no intention of developing it and did not want to develop it. We had to engage with all relevant stakeholders to allow that public information campaign and for public consultation to happen....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fire Safety (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I too welcome those homeowners affected by this serious issue, which the Government is committed to helping resolve. Since the receipt of Government approval in January of this year, I have made considerable progress on the various programmes of work that are required to place the apartment remediation scheme on a statutory footing. We all agree it is important that this happens. As the...