Results 7,141-7,160 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (20 Sep 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: Invasive Species Policy (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is responsible for the implementation of the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation (1143/2014) which provides for a range of concerted EU wide measures to be taken with respect to listed species of Union concern (the 'Union list'). Asian hornet is included on the Union list. Led by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), in cooperation with the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 414 and 415 together. 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 a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Communications (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Following the passage and enactment of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 the existing set of electoral information leaflets including "How members of local authorities are elected" were updated to reflect the new legislative provisions relating to the electoral registration process. The information leaflets: How Members of Local Authorities are Elected;The Register of Electors; andInformation for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: EU Directives (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I welcome the upcoming transposition and implementation of the European Accessibility Act (EAA), which I believe will be carried out by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), under Minister O'Gorman, by year end. This transposition will ensure the important introduction of mandatory minimum accessibility requirements for certain products and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (20 Sep 2023)

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: Departmental Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I can confirm that I have approved two proposals to date under the Croí Cónaithe Cities Scheme for the delivery of 121 units in total. The table below provides the details for each. Scheme No. of units Scheduled completion date Dublin 53 31/12/2025 Cork 68 30/11/2025 Contracts in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (20 Sep 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: Departmental Reports (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority. This data is available to the end of 2022, and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (20 Sep 2023)

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, my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In 2017, my Department issued policy and procedural guidance to housing authorities relating to the role they can play to assist victims of domestic violence. The issuing of this 2017 policy and guidance was a significant action in the second national strategy on Domestic, Sexual & Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV) 2016-2021, and has since played an important role in addressing the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, natural light, fire safety, ventilation and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. Responsibility for the enforcement of the Regulations in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department issued Acquisition Cost Guidelines (ACGs) in April of this year for each local authority area. These ACGs are updated by my Department on an annual basis. The ACGs provide cost guidelines for the acquisition by housing authorities, of second-hand properties for the provision of social housing. These guidelines reference lower and upper cost ranges along with an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 429 and 518 together. I have no plans to apply Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) rent controls to every tenancy in the country. In all cases, section 19(1) of the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (RTA) prohibits the setting of a rent that exceeds market rent. The Housing Agency and the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) continually monitor rents across the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I can confirm that my Department is in the final stages of completing comprehensive Framework documentation that will assist and support the launch of the upcoming Multi-annual Rural Water Programme. Extensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including the Rural Water Working Group which includes the key stakeholders in the Sector, was a valuable and necessary requirement to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (20 Sep 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: Housing Schemes (20 Sep 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: Housing Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Both the Programme for Government and Housing for All commit to strengthening the Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme and ensuring that it is helping those who need it. Building on the significant amendments already made to the scheme in 2017, the 2021 Review, which was published on the 24 January 2022, examined the impact of these changes and what further changes would benefit those in need of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 436, 514 and 537 together. Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. In July 2022 the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched to support bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. From 1 May 2023, a grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 is available...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (20 Sep 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: On 25 April 2023, the Government approved additional measures under the Housing for All Action Plan 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...