Results 6,601-6,620 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual local authorities. When a household has been assessed as homeless,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual local authorities. Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988 sets out the purposes for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 159 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 by 2030. 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: Derelict Sites (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Derelict Sites Act 1990 (the Act) imposes a general duty on every owner and occupier of land to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the land does not become, or continue to be, a derelict site. The Act also imposes a duty on local authorities to take all reasonable steps, including the exercise of appropriate statutory powers, to ensure that any land within their functional area does...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 which contains the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Grant Scheme commenced on 22 June 2023 and the related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023. The enhanced scheme provides very considerable enhancements over the old Scheme for eligible homeowners. Since the commencement of the enhanced...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Rural Water Programme, through Exchequer funding, delivers improvements to private domestic water services in rural areas where there are no public (Uisce Éireann) water services. It provides operational and management subsidies for the group water sector and also provides capital investment in the wider rural water sector. The Multi-annual Rural Water Programme provides capital...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Coastal Zone Management (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In response to the developing risks associated with climate change - including changing weather patterns and an estimated sea level rise of up to one metre by the year 2100 - the Government established the Inter Departmental Group on Managing Coastal Change Strategy chaired by my Department and the Office of Public Works. The purpose of the Group was to scope out an approach for the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). For 2023, the Government has agreed that there will be increased provision for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Agriculture Industry (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Good Agricultural Practice – GAP- Regulations allow for an extension of the slurry spreading season up until the 15th October provided there are suitable ground and growth conditions and a favourable weather forecast to ensure that the slurry spreading will not impact water quality. This year I approved the maximum extension allowing farmers more time to empty their tanks before...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of Q2 2023, over 112,900 HAP tenancies had been set-up since the scheme commenced, of which there were over 58,200 households actively in receipt of HAP support. At end Q2 2023, nearly 4,200 new HAP tenancies had been created this year, which is an average of 161 new HAP...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Pollution (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Blessington Reservoir, also known as Pollaphuca Reservoir, is monitored by the EPA to assess its ecological health for the Water Framework Directive. The most recent full assessment, using data from 2016 to 2021, classified the lake as being in satisfactory ecological condition (Good Ecological Status). Algal blooms (phytoplankton over-growth) in lakes are a natural phenomenon that can...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The increase in homelessness is a serious concern for Government and is being actively addressed. There is no shortage of will or determination to deal with the issue of homelessness. It remains a top priority for our Government. Resources and funding are not an obstacle to the urgent efforts required. Reflecting the importance placed on Housing for All, a record €5.1bn capital...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Building Regulations (Part M Amendment) Regulations 2022 will greatly improve community participation and social inclusion for people with complex care needs. The key objectives of the Building Regulations (Part M Amendment) Regulations 2022 are to increase the provision of changing places toilets in certain new buildings, and to improve the accessibility and usability of existing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Long term lease arrangements, including the enhanced lease, of privately owned dwellings can be entered into by either local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Under these arrangements the local authority or AHB acts as the landlord to the tenant. The terms of these agreements are set out in standard template agreements provided by my Department, which must be used by all local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Government Reform (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In June this year, Government referred the report of the 2022 Dublin Citizens’ Assembly to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Committee was asked to consider the recommendations contained in the report, and to advise on whether to hold plebiscite to determine if Dublin should have a directly-elected Mayor and local government structures as recommended,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department currently provides funding for three demand-led domestic waste water treatment system (DWWTS) grant schemes. The purpose of the grants is to provide financial assistance to householders for the remediation, repair, upgrade or replacement of DWWTS (commonly known as septic tanks). These grants are focused on the areas of greatest environmental priority to protect human health...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: As you are aware the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 which contains the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Grant Scheme commenced on 22 June 2023 and the related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023. The enhanced scheme provides very considerable enhancements over the old Scheme for eligible homeowners. I established the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Services (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is designated as 'Lead Government Department', as set out in the Government approved Strategic Emergency Management (SEM) Framework (2017), in relation to coordination of response to flooding and certain other emergencies at national level where warranted. Other Departments have lead roles in respect of other specific types of emergencies, as set out in the SEM Framework. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department's Multi-annual Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme (DPI) is focused on housing estates which do not have their water services connected to the public network but instead rely on infrastructure provided by developers. The aim of the DPI programme is to provide funding to local authorities to assist them in implementing solutions that resolve...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (9 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All was published 2 September 2021 and the Government published its first annual update of the plan's actions on 2 November 2022. Progress :reports are published quarterly. The ninth of these reports, covering progress in Q3 2023, is due for publication in the coming weeks along with the second annual update of the plan’s actions. These reports can be accessed at...