Results 7,601-7,620 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (23 May 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...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: We have been specifically discussing cost rental but there has also been a significant expansion in the first home scheme for first-time buyers. As I referred to earlier, one in two new-built homes bought last year was bought by a first-time buyer. Between help-to-buy and shared equity, the average equity we are providing is between €69,000 to €100,000 to first-time buyers and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The cost-rental viability measure will be available to AHB and across the sector. It will also be available to private developments if they are designated as cost rental and part of the condition will be that they will be designated as cost rental on an open book basis. We are working through those changes with the AHB sector also. It will apply and that is absolutely the intention. On the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes, we are looking at that and I believe they can work together. We have done that with regard to the AHF funding that local authorities can access at the moment. For example, with regard to South Dublin County Council and a new scheme we have started there, that is just about viable and we can get that out there. We will look at the combination of both and how that can practically work....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question and his support of Government in its rolling out of these measures. As he knows, cost rental did not exist 18 months ago. We have rolled it out and well over 1,000 tenancies have been approved. The Deputy referenced Shanganagh Castle, which is a very important and significant site, where ground has been broken. It is the largest social and affordable...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The waiving of development levies and the refund of Uisce Éireann connection charges apply to all, including the single one-off homes of families who have saved and want to build their own homes as well as small developments. I will provide an example. We were contacted by a 44-home scheme in a rural village that was not going to start but will now do so because of these cost-saving...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Fundamentally, this is an activation measure to increase supply. I thank Deputy O'Dowd for his kind comments. This measure is taking effect on the ground. Consider the measures the Government has introduced to support first-time buyers in buying at affordable rates. The help-to-buy grant gives them back €30,000 of their own taxes. I cannot imagine why anyone would be opposed to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Actually, it does not. The equity under the first home scheme is not a second mortgage, which is what others claimed. Under it, we are providing approximately €69,000 in equity. Combined, these come to nearly €100,000. People who have been renting or living at home have a real way now to buy their homes at an affordable rate, with mortgages of €1,000 or €1,100...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: We have already seen new schemes starting because of this measure. The commencement figures for quarter 2, which will be published this afternoon, are the highest in ten years. The commencement and completion figures for quarter 1 were the highest since we started collating these records. Everything is not perfect, but momentum is building, and we will take measures like this if they...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputies do not want houses at all. They want to take away every support from first-time buyers.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputies will take people's tax back off them and abolish the first home scheme.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80, 104 and 109 together. Section 48(2)(b) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provides that a development contribution scheme applied by a planning authority in respect of its functional area may make provision for payment of different contributions in respect of different classes or descriptions of development. The level of contribution and the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I would like it to happen in early 2024. I will come back in again.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I do not know that it is the third time the Deputy has asked about that. I have formally engaged with industry, both Banking and Payments Federation Ireland, BPFI, and Insurance Ireland. I have met them and we are continuing that engagement. Homeowners have been too. The code of practice is very important because it will underpin what interim works can take place and what the standard of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: To conclude, it is really important that residents know - and many developments have been fully remediated - that where works have started, those works will be covered. Where they are entering into contracts and where they have funds, they should continue with those works. All those works will be covered.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Specifically with regard to the tenant in situscheme, it has been a real success so far. To update the House, approximately 1,800 properties are going through the sales process right now. The targets that were set across local authorities were baseline targets and I have said that to everyone on numerous occasions. Additional funding will be required. If we can do more than 2,000 this...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: First, I have every sympathy and empathy for that lady and for the difficulties that people find themselves in. There are two issues here. We need to get the supply of social housing up. Our new-build programme is happening and we will build more this year than we did last year. Specifically in relation to the case the Deputy has referenced, we have given flexibility to the local...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The suite of measures is in place, and not just for HAP and RAS tenants. There is the cost-rental purchase scheme for tenants in situ. As I said, we have had our first approvals in that space and that has been managed by the Housing Agency. The other piece of work we have to do is the right of first refusal, about which we will bring forward legislation to the House in advance of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for this important question and colleagues for their input into this. Since receipt of Government approval in January to draft legislation to establish supports for remediation defects in apartments, I have been working to progress the various programmes of work required to put a significant remediation scheme on a statutory footing. A key aspect of this work is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defective Building Materials (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I know.