Results 7,961-7,980 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme 2016 provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, or joint tenants, of local authority homes available for sale under the scheme. Applicants must meet certain criteria to qualify under the scheme, including a minimum 10 years in receipt of social housing supports. Such supports include social dwellings provided local authorities as well as...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Maximum rent limits for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) were set for each housing authority area in 2016, in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection (DSP). In reviewing rent limits, my Department worked closely with DSP and monitored data gathered from the Residential Tenancies Board and the HAP Shared Services Centre. In prescribing these limits, household size and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Judicial Reviews (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The draft Planning and Development Bill was approved by Government in December 2022 and is the culmination of a year and half long review of the Planning and Development Act 2000 by the Office of the Attorney General. The draft Bill aims to ensure that the major debate is focused on the plan-making rather than the application stage, to facilitate greater clarity and long-term visibility in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: At present my Department has one member of staff seconded to the Department of Foreign Affairs as an Attaché in the Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels. This official has responsibility for liaison with the European Commission and European Parliament and other EU Institutions in respect of the broad range of topics within my Department's remit. There are no vacancies...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Meetings (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: St. Patrick's Day offers a unique opportunity to promote Ireland’s economic and political interests overseas, with levels of publicity and media attention unmatched by the national day of any other country. This year I travelled to the United States of America for the St. Patrick's Day period, where I undertook a comprehensive programme of political, economic and civic engagements in...

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

Darragh O'Brien: With regard to individuals with a disability who wish to stand for election to local government, my Department is not aware that there are financial, personal assistant, administrative or other supports available before or during an election campaign. Such supports would tend to be a matter for the political parties on whose behalf individuals are standing as candidates or the individuals...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. The Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund is a key initiative which underpins the policy objectives set out in Pathway Four of Housing for All. In July 2022, the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched as part of the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund. The...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme was introduced in 2012 for borrowers of commercial lending institutions and is targeted at those households in mortgage arrears who have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP), who agree to the voluntary surrender of their home and who have very limited options, if any, to meet...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Data on the repair and leasing scheme in respect of all local authorities to end Q4 2022 is published on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-hou sing-provision/#repair-and-leasing-scheme-rls

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Grant Payments (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 732 and 735 together. My Department provides funding to local authorities under the Disabled Persons Grants scheme to carry out works on social housing stock to address the needs of older people, people with a disability or overcrowded situations. Extensions to provide for ground floor bathrooms and bedrooms can also be supported. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Grant Payments (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 733, 734, 831 and 832 together. My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability (max grant...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding to local authorities under the Disabled Persons Grants scheme to carry out works on social housing stock to address the needs of older people, people with a disability or overcrowded situations. Typical works include adaptations such as stair-lifts, level deck showers, ramps and grab rails, widening door opening widths and improving circulation...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department launched the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme (EERP) in 2013 with the aim of funding retrofit of social homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013 to the end of 2022, over 77,500 local authority social housing dwellings have been retrofitted with a total exchequer spend of over €251 million. In 2021 a new...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system, with an ambitious target of 300,000 homes by 2030 for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing. As part of this plan, 18,000 Cost Rental homes will be delivered between now and 2030, to be...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 739, 793 and 794 together. 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 water ownership. 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...

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

Darragh O'Brien: A Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) is a dwelling where the nearly zero or very low amount of energy required is covered to a very significant extent by energy from renewable sources, including energy from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby. Where social housing commenced construction after 31 October 2019 and where substantial work was completed after 31 October 2020 it is...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 741, 747, 762, 806 and 816 together. 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,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 743 and 758 together. The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. The scheme is governed by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015. The regulations provide for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Citizens' Assembly (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I strongly welcome the publication of the report of this Assembly and am grateful to members of the Assembly for their dedication and commitment to the process. The Assembly agreed 159 recommendations, including 73 high level and 86 sectoral specific recommendations, reflecting the depth and breadth of the topics discussed. The recommendations of the assembly will now be deliberated by...