Results 8,121-8,140 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government backed mortgage for those who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build. The Loan is available for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Reviews (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 2 of the Housing Act 1988 outlines how local authorities can form an opinion on whether or not an individual/household shall be regarded as homeless, while section 10 outlines the actions that a local authority may take regarding the accommodation of those regarded as homeless. My Department undertook review of sections 2 and 10 of the Housing Act 1988 in recognition of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 286, 308 and 321 together. Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. Many areas of cities, towns and villages of all sizes face the blight of vacant properties, which, if brought back into use, could add real vibrancy and provide new accommodation in those areas. The Croí...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: As part of the conditions associated with the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, there is a requirement that the applicant(s) will live in the qualifying property for a period of at least five years from the date of payment of the Grant. If at any time they sell the property or it ceases to be their principal private residence within ten years, they must reimburse the local authority an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Animal Welfare (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware of the recent report by an animal welfare organisation in relation to badger baiting in Northern Ireland. I strongly condemn the unlawful killing or injuring of any badgers which are a protected species in Ireland under the Wildlife Acts. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) staff of my Department are working across all regions of the country to address wildlife crime....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: When a site is designated as part of the Natura 2000 Network under the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, it becomes a European Site in legal terms. The site is publicly notified and transmitted to the European Commission for inclusion on the Commission’s list of Sites of Community Importance (SCI). Sites accepted by the Commission as SCIs are published...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Applications for social housing support are assessed by local authorities in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations. Decisions on the qualification of households for support, the awarding of medical priority, the most appropriate form of support and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 298, 299, 300 and 301 together. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for housing support through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme. Once a household has been deemed eligible for social housing support, it is a matter for the local authority to examine the suite of social housing supports available, including...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 302, 303, 304 and 305 together. I can confirm that the planned cost rental homes at Archers Woods, Delgany will be delivered, managed and maintained by the Land Development Agency (LDA). LDA has indicated it plans to deliver 142 cost rental homes in Delgany and I can confirm that to date, 48 of these homes have been formally Designated as Cost Rental under...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 306, 307, 310, 323, 324, 325 and 327 together. 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, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Rent Supplement is a short-term housing payment, for eligible people living in private rented accommodation, which would be discontinued where an applicant receives long-term social housing support. Therefore, local authorities may disregard rent supplement when assessing a social housing application.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: An Bord Pleanála (the Board) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (the Act), as amended, and certain other Acts. Section 126 of the Act provides that it shall be the duty and objective of the Board to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Sites (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: All funding allocated and spent to date on the acquisition of and works at the national monument at 14-17 Moore Street has come from the Exchequer and the Vote of the relevant Department at the time. All and any involvement by NAMA ended when the buildings were acquired from the Agency in 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Sites (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The project for the national monument at numbers 14-17 Moore Street was awarded €12.17 million in funding under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund in 2021. The current focus is on phase 1 conservation works as a priority and the OPW will move to consider phase 2 interpretation works in the near future.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The recruitment and filling of posts in the local authority sector is undertaken both by individual local authorities and the Public Appointments Service. Following the approval of a staffing sanction request by my Department where such is required it is then a matter for the Chief Executive, who is responsible under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001 for the staffing and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Government increased the baseline social housing income thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities with effect from 1 January 2023. The thresholds increased to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Applications assessed and decided upon prior to 1 January 2023 but which were deemed to exceed the thresholds in place prior to 1...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing First recognises that a stable home provides the basis for recovery in other areas. With Housing First, the priority is to support a person who has experienced homelessness into permanent housing as quickly as possible, without any preconditions around addiction or mental health treatment. Then, intensive work continues on these issues once they are housed. Housing First has been a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on social housing delivery activity in all local authority areas on the statistics page of its website. The data requested in the Question in relation to funding provided by the State for HAP tenancies in 2019?2021, broken down by local authority area, can be found on my Department’s website at this link:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) supports the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities for the leasing of houses and apartments. Leasing delivery figures include social homes secured under local authority long term leasing, enhanced leasing, approved housing body long term leasing, short term rent availability agreements, mortgage...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (28 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I can confirm that my Department are at the final stages of drafting the Framework for the upcoming Multi-annual Rural Water Programme. I expect to receive a submission on the Framework in the coming weeks for my consideration with, subject to my approval, the bids process for the programme to take place in the coming months. The purpose of the Programme is to continue to fund delivery of...