Results 7,881-7,900 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: No question. The planning exemptions are pretty clear. The process is relatively simple. We have published the Part B draft fire regulations. That took a significant amount of work with stakeholders. A lot of this will allow us to unlock the space above shops in particular and older homes. That is out for public consultation now. I do not know whether the committee has looked at it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: It is a 12-week consultation and we are coming towards the end of it. We had considerable engagement with stakeholders. I do not expect any surprises to come back in from the public consultation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy mentioned that last point to me earlier in the week. We will look at that. We have had models of funding, for example, with the refuges that we have worked on. We have changed our funding model to make sure we are funding the whole scheme, including ancillary rooms etc., which would not have been funded previously through the capital assistance scheme, CAS, but the HSE then...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Ms Stapleton dealt with this last week, but I want to seek the single-stage process used more. I was saying it when I was sitting in committee. It is being used more than it was, but not enough.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: We have given an assurance we will pay the tender price and the message needs to be strengthened.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: We will. I have no issue with doing that and we will do it. The other thing is if one uses the design manual the four-stage process is basically a three-stage one. Within the Department and with our partners we work to get people in the room together and picking up the phone instead of writing to each other. Some of the issues that arise between a local authority and the Department, or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: We have 1,000 units identified between this year and next. As the Senator knows, we still have leasing targets with Housing for All. We want to build more that we own. The 1,000 units we got approval for are targeted at our homeless cohort and preventing people from becoming homeless in ones and twos. About 500 to 600 of those have been delivered and the remainder will be delivered next...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: We have had many discussions in the Dáil on leasing and value for money. I agree with the Senator that what we want is people in a safe and secure home rather than a hotel. Fortunately, the build numbers are coming up substantially. Leasing plays a role.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes, and we gave one.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy has raised a number of-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I will ask the Deputy about the person who has missed the three-day look-back. I have not seen that correspondence and I ask the Deputy to get it to me directly. The Deputy asked for a look-back and I brought one in, which was fair. Nobody had done that before, by the way. The purchase for tenants in situhas ramped up. The reason we were phasing out leasing, and I answered Senator Cummins...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: We wish to keep the scheme simple.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The other option is to tag it to house values or purchase prices and there are various different clawbacks. The reason it has been successful so far is because it is simple. Does the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, wish to add to that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: With regard to compact urban growth in particular, if one looks at cost rental, for argument's sake, one thing Deputy Gould never mentions is the cost-rental scheme right in the middle of Cork city at Lancaster Gate, which is a fantastic development. Unfortunately, it is the only city-centre cost rental that is tenanted at present. We have many good developments around Delgany, in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I will stay until midnight, if the Senator wishes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Is féidir leis an Aire Stáit leanúint ar aghaidh.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: It is a very good point. We wish to encourage local authorities and AHBs to do so. There are affordable purchase schemes approved in 15 local authorities. Deputy Flaherty mentioned earlier that we have expressions of interest going out for a scheme in Longford. We have schemes in Mayo and other areas. It is increasing. This is a new ask of a local authorities. I want, as best as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Let us just stick with local authorities on the cost-rental side of things. We need more local authorities doing cost rental directly. They can borrow at lower rates through the Housing Finance Agency, HFA, and it makes the schemes more viable.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: They need to be encouraged. We have changed the affordable housing fund to allow increased subvention from our Department within that. Tomorrow, for argument's sake, South Dublin County Council will be turning the sod on 134 cost-rental units. That is the first time South Dublin County Council has done that directly. Fingal County Council and Dublin City Council will be doing direct...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Some have been quicker out of the blocks than others. They are our colleagues and we need to encourage them. They are mandated through the Housing for All plan to deliver. One thing we have done is we have made and published our housing plan for each local authority. The housing need and demand assessments, HNDAs, are there. People can see the plan. It covers local authorities and AHBs...