Results 7,981-8,000 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (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 and 54,000 affordable 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,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are independent, not-for-profit organisations. They provide affordable rented housing for people who cannot afford to pay private sector rents or buy their own homes; or for particular groups, such as older people or homeless people. Local authorities are the statutory housing authorities for their respective areas and, as such, are responsible for...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The draft Planning and Development Bill 2022 was published in January and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage has undertaken a significant pre-legislative scrutiny process on it, over the past three months.  I expect to receive their report shortly and will fully consider its recommendations, along with submissions on the Bill received from...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) can access a range of funding streams to assist with the delivery of social housing, made available by my Department, through local authorities, for example the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) with a Payment and Availability Agreement (P&A) or the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS). The terms and conditions, including nomination rights and rent...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 754 to 756, inclusive, together. Ireland has identified and protected more than 600 Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives. These are known as European sites and, taken together, form Ireland's Natura 2000 network. In addition to these European sites, there are 148 Natural Heritage Areas in...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s Vote 34 REV provision and total gross expenditure by subhead are provided in tabular form in the attached PDF. In each of the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, the provisions provided in the tables reflect the final REV for the Department in that year i.e. post any Supplementary Estimates and the totals include the relevant capital carryover amounts.

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

Darragh O'Brien: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department is responsible for the implementation of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, both of which prohibit the spreading of invasive species. There is a legislative framework in place for dealing with invasive alien species, including Japanese Knotweed. Public bodies,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector, and set out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 apply to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy, subject to a limited number of exceptions. The dwellings to which the Act does not apply are set out in section 3(2)...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan was launched in January 2022. It is a Government backed mortgage for those who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It is available to first-time buyers and "fresh start" applicants to purchase a new or second-hand property, or to self-build. In accordance with scheme's rules, the Local Authority Home Loan has an upper...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 768 and 776 together. I have no function in relation to the matters raised in the Question. My Department does not provide specific funding to local authorities for implementing measures proposed in Noise Action Plans. Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities, having full responsibility under law for the performance of their...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing the legislative...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual projects is a matter for Uisce Éireann and is approved through its own internal governance structures. However, in this instance Uisce Éireann as part of the Ministerial...

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

Darragh O'Brien: 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 housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. ...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 772 and 774 together. €425,000 of my Department's 2023 marine environment budget has been set aside for specifically marine protected areas development. Of this, €327,000 has been allocated to undertake sensitivity analyses of the Irish Sea to expedite early identification and designation of Marine Protected Areas in that region at the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: As a matter of priority, my Department is currently engaged with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to draw up a Bill to provide for the designation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to protect, conserve and, where appropriate, restore threatened species, habitats and ecosystems. These will complement our existing network of de facto MPAs consisting of marine Special Areas of...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Homeless HAP is an adjunct to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme rather than a separate scheme in itself. It comprises additional financial supports and access to the Place Finder service. As a demand-led scheme, HAP does not allocate specific funding to local authorities. Instead, costs accrued in the operation of the scheme are paid via a shared services centre administered by...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 777 to 780, inclusive, and 826 together. 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...

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

Darragh O'Brien: There are no substantive changes to provisions in the draft Planning and Development Bill 2022 (the Bill) pertaining to public rights of way compared to the provisions in the current Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) (the Act of 2000). Section 242 of the Bill restates section 206 of the Act of 2000 without substantive modification, which allows for public rights of way to be...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The ongoing management and maintenance of Approved Housing Body (AHB) properties is a matter for the each AHB in conjunction with the relevant local authority. It is critical that local authorities take an active oversight role on the condition and tenanting of all AHB properties in their area, as it is they who manage the allocations for such properties with the AHBs, including responding to...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 785 and 791 together. I received Government approval on 18 January 2023 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. This legislation will provide a statutory basis for the establishment of...