Results 7,061-7,080 of 26,762 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Government Fund (LGF) in any given year, comprises of a combination of Local Property Tax (LPT) receipts and Exchequer funding for various supports and programmes. For 2024, the expected expenditure from the Fund will be over €1bn, and the Government is making a significant contribution of €449.9m of Exchequer funding in this regard. The Exchequer funding is made up...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (17 Jan 2024)

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. While responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual local authorities, the administration of homeless services is organised...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: There are currently three separate Domestic Waste Water Treatment System (DWWTS), commonly called septic tanks, grant schemes available to householders. The purpose of these grants is to provide financial assistance to reduce the environmental impact from defective septic tanks and to protect human health. They are available to householders where a septic tank has been found to be defective...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Legislative reforms to regulate the short-term letting sector through the planning code, in areas designated as “rent pressure zones” (RPZs), were introduced under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 which came into effect on 1 July 2019. Local planning authorities are responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level data on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery and spend activity. This data includes information relating to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) and the Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) and can be found at the following link...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (17 Jan 2024)

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. There are now more people working at the Board than at any time previously. Since October 2021,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) was formally established on 17 July 2023. MARA is an independent body with responsibility for the performance of the functions statutorily assigned to it. Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. MARA can be contacted at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) is a new tax introduced in Finance Act 2021 which seeks to increase housing supply by encouraging the activation of development on lands which are suitably zoned and appropriately serviced. It aims to bring those lands which have benefitted from investment in services and are capable of being developed forward for housing. The tax is an action contained...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Public ownership is a core principle governing the development of water services and the Government has given its full commitment to holding a referendum on ownership of water services It is important to note that the establishment of Uisce éireann in public ownership is already firmly secured under the Water Services Acts 2007 to 2022. I have previously committed to bringing forward...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Water Supply Project - Eastern and Midlands Region is a strategic national project, included in the National Development Plan, to help meet the long-term water supply requirements for the Eastern and Midlands region. The project is subject to the Public Spending Code, which sets out the value for money requirements for the evaluation, planning and management of public investment projects....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Grant Scheme offers funding for rebuilding or remediation to the current standard of the home. The terms of the scheme, as legislated for, provide for costs based on works completed in compliance with the requirements of the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations 1997 (S.I No.497 of 1997). The scheme allows for like-for-like replacement and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 806 and 839 together. Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) has been identified as a key measure to address the different housing needs in Ireland and methods to support the development of MMC in Ireland are set out in Housing for All. MMC is the term used to describe a range of manufacturing and innovative construction alternatives to traditional construction,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Allotments Provision (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 807, 808, 809 and 810 together. Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines, issued as Ministerial Guidance under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act (as amended) refer to Community Gardens and Allotments as ‘plots of land which are made available (usually by a local authority) to community groups or individuals...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Report on Relevant Public Lands published by the LDA in March 2023, identified land at the former Cork Prison as a site which could potentially be repurposed and utilised to develop affordable and social housing. My Department undertook a series of stakeholder engagements with site owners identified within that report, including officials from the Department of Justice, in relation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: This Government is acutely aware of the housing accommodation and affordability challenges faced by many sectors of society including the health sector. 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 and 54,000 affordable homes by 2030. The Government...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for housing support through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme. Once a household has been deemed eligible for social housing support, it is a matter for the local authority to examine the suite of social housing supports available, including the HAP scheme, to determine the most appropriate form of social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Community Development Projects (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department supports an ambitious National Regeneration Programme delivered by local authorities in Limerick, Cork City and Dublin City that seeks to address the causes of disadvantage in social housing estates through a holistic programme of physical, social and economic regeneration. The aim for national regeneration programme is to create sustainable communities through a combination of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Cork Events Centre was included as a Government commitment under the revised National Development Plan in 2021. This underlines the Government’s support for urban regeneration, enhanced amenity and heritage, associated quality of life standards, balanced regional development, and the regeneration and development of Cork City Centre. It was agreed by Government in the context...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department doesn't track the purchase of houses by individual or institutional purchasers, whether domestic or from overseas. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) captures and publishes data on house purchases by household and non-household buyers, including by institutional investors. The data can be accessed via tables HPA02 and HPA12 on the CSO website www.data.cso.ie/.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (17 Jan 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department operates a number of funding programmes that assist local authorities to work in partnership with Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to construct and purchase homes and make them available for social housing. One such programme that local authorities and AHBs progress Social Housing projects through is the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF). CALF funding is capital support...