Results 6,641-6,660 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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 social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (8 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Data in relation to grant applications, including processing times, is monitored on an on-going basis by the Vacant Homes Unit in my Department, which is in regular communication with the Vacant Homes Officers, now in place in all local authorities and part of whose role it is to oversee administration of the grant. My Department acknowledges the administrative overheads in delivering...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (8 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 51 together. Since the receipt of Government approval in January of this year, I have been working to progress the various programmes of work that are required to place the scheme to establish supports for the remediation of fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Capital Expenditure Programme (8 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The data requested is set out in the following table. Subhead 2023 Allocations 2024 Allocations 2023 REV €000 2023 Capital Carryover €000 2023 LPT €000 Total 2023 Allocation €000 2024 AEV €000 2024 LPT €000...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (8 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The new scheme is now open to applications in four counties: Clare, Donegal, Limerick and Mayo with comprehensive information of all aspects of the Scheme available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Government Reform (8 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66, 67 and 68 together. I note the report of the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (CLRAE), adopted on 25 October 2023, concerning the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Ireland. The report follows a process of engagement by a delegation of the Congress’s monitoring committee with a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government backed mortgage scheme for creditworthy applicants 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. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (8 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department undertakes the Lead Government Department role, as set out in the Strategic Emergency Management (SEM) Framework (2017), in relation to the coordination of national level responses to flooding emergencies, where warranted. My Department's National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management undertakes this role and works closely with Local Authority Severe Weather Assessment...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (8 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: On 25 April 2023, the Government approved additional measures under Housing for All to incentivise the activation of increased housing supply and help reduce housing construction costs, including the introduction of temporary time-limited arrangements for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions and the refunding of Uisce Éireann water and...

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Ah, stop now. Behave yourself for once, will you?

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Sinn Féin spokesperson on finance comes in here and makes a two-minute contribution to say Sinn Féin supports homeownership. Sinn Féin is opposing the help-to-buy grant, vacancy grants to bring vacant stock back into use so people can buy and own houses and do them up and the first home scheme. All three of those schemes are working well and all three would be removed by...

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Perhaps the Deputy misspoke.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Perhaps the Deputy wants to use the opportunity of this debate to tell the House and his colleagues when he will publish a housing plan at all. Perhaps the housing plan itself-----

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Is that the 2016 document?

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: It is a housing plan that is as simple as what Sinn Féin put down in its motion tonight. Housing accounts for three pages of Sinn Féin's 52-page alternative budget.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: People would expect a lot more of Deputy Ó Broin than for him to be magicking up figures and magicking up houses across the board. They want him to say what it is he will do and not simply that Sinn Féin will do more.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Sinn Féin will not do more. It needs to ensure that its members across the Twenty-six Counties support the development of houses in their areas. We can add to an ongoing list of continued-----

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: -----and planned objections that Deputy Ó Broin's party colleagues are making across the country.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I am glad the Deputy has mentioned homelessness. I am trying to address the House in spite of the continued interruptions that have been made. Homelessness remains the number one priority for the Government.

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: We are actually exiting more people.