Results 7,661-7,680 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in the ‘New Dwelling Completions’ series show 6,716 new homes were added to the national housing stock in Q1 2023. This is an increase of 19% on Q1 2022, when 5,669 new homes were completed, and the highest number of Q1 completions recorded since the series began in 2011. The rolling 12-month total of 30,898 completions has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2018 provided for an exemption, up until the end of 2021, from the requirement to obtain planning permission in respect of the change of use of certain vacant commercial premises, including vacant or under-utilised areas over ground-floor shops and offices, to residential use. This measure was aimed at facilitating the productive...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The purpose of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 ('the 2022 Act'), as agreed by Government on 30 November 2021, is to implement and give legislative underpinning to a series of measures to improve and enhance the current grant scheme including increasing the current 90% maximum grant to a 100% grant for all remediation options available...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All was published 2 September 2021. The first annual update of the plan's actions was published on 2 November 2022. A copy of Housing for All and the Housing for All Action Plan Update can be accessed at the following respective links: www.gov.ie/en/publication/ef5ec-housing-for-all-a-new-housin g-plan-for-ireland/ www.gov.ie/en/publication/da0d1-action-plan-update-and-q3-20...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing for All plan is linked to the National Planning Framework (NPF), which fully supports the sustainable development of rural areas and the need to ensure that they continue to be viable places to live, work and invest in. The NPF aims to support the overall rural pattern of development in Ireland and deliver strengthened and diversified rural communities consistent with Our Rural...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board, (RTB), was established as a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 to regulate the rental sector; provide information to tenants and landlords; maintain a national register of tenancies; resolve disputes between tenants and landlords; and conduct research and provide information to inform policy. Registered...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 an average of 10,000 new build social homes each year in the period to 2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (18 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 assist the achievement of the housing delivery targets set in Housing for All, while also addressing cost and viability issues faced by the construction sector. These measures included the introduction of temporary time-limited...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government commits to funding Uisce Éireann’s capital investment plan for water and wastewater infrastructure on a multi-annual basis. The National Development Plan 2021-2030 commits to almost €6 billion in capital investment by Uisce Éireann in the period 2021-2025, of which over €4.5 billion will be Voted Exchequer funding for domestic water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All, the Government’s housing plan, puts affordability at the heart of the housing system and commits to the delivery of 54,000 affordable homes by 2030. The plan can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/ef5ec-housing-for-all-a-new-housin g-plan-for-ireland/#view-the-plan. In terms of arrangements for the pre-purchase of affordable housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Construction costs have risen considerably over recent years. The CSO Wholesale Price Index shows a 12-month increase in price of construction materials of 13.5% to March 2023. The Building and Construction Index (i.e. Materials and Wages) fell by 0.1% in the month but rose by 8.5% in the 12 months to March 2023. My Department actively monitors the housing market at all times. The impact...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Act 2021 introduced measures in July 2021 to extend the operation of Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) until the end of 2024. The designation of all existing RPZs has also been extended until 31 December 2024. The Act provides that rent reviews outside of RPZs can, until 2025, occur no more frequently than bi-annually. This provides rent certainty for tenants...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government’s vision for water services – whether publicly supplied by Uisce Éireann or otherwise delivered under the Rural Water Programme - is set out in the Water Services Policy Statement 2018 to 2025 and is based on the delivery and development of water services in line with the needs and expectations of citizens and users; in compliance with legal obligations; in a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Since the receipt of Government approval in January to draft legislation to establish supports for the remediation of fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013, I have been working to progress the various programmes of work that are required to place the remediation scheme on a statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a a key priority for Government, as set out in Pathway 4 of Housing for All. To support local authorities in addressing vacancy, my Department increased funding made available since 2018 to support the work of a Vacant Homes Office including a Vacant Homes Officer (VHO), from €50,000 to €60,000 per annum,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Road Projects (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to my recent response in this matter. Staff of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department have been working with Galway County Council in relation to this project. It is a condition of the planning permission given by An Bord Pleanala that NPWS must agree to method statements relating to the Construction Stage prepared by Galway County Council. Two method...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (18 May 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (RTA) regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector and set out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Acts to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of tenancy disputes between...