Results 8,161-8,180 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area is provided in the annual Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2021, is available at: gov.ie/en/publication/f6119-summary-of-social-housing-assess ments-2021-key-findings/ The 2022 SSHA will be published...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 to 118, inclusive, together. Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Framework for future delivery of Water Services (June 2022) was identified following a comprehensive process of engagement with unions under the aegis of the Workplace Relations Commission and enables the integration of public water services into Uisce Éireann's organisational structure, as envisaged in the Government’s Policy Paper on Water Sector Transformation (February,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (22 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: Wildlife Protection (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In September 2022 the Heritage Council and County and City Management Association (CCMA), with the support of my Department, announced funding to ten local authorities to appoint a biodiversity officer. Funding for a biodiversity officer in a further 11 local authorities was announced in February this year. These positions are in addition to the four biodiversity officers already appointed in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Restrictions on cutting hedgerows are set out in Section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976, as amended. This Act stipulates that it is an offence to destroy vegetation on uncultivated land between the 1 March and the 31 August each year. It is a significant legal protection for our hedgerows and recognises the importance of this habitat for many bird and other species and as wildlife corridors. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has commenced a review of wildlife legislation. This is an extensive review and is a multi-year project, taking in every facet of our wildlife laws. It will entail extensive public consultation. It will examine closely the effectiveness of our legislation in protecting wildlife and regulating activities that adversely impact on wildlife and biodiversity.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) working group for the review of birds on the Open Seasons Order has met six times, the result of which is the commencement of a public consultation on the Review which opened for submissions today 22 March 2023 and will conclude on 3 May 2023. The responses to the public consultation will be analysed and will inform recommendations to me. This...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The precautionary principle is enshrined in EU and international environmental law. It is an approach to risk management, whereby, if it is possible that a given policy or action might cause harm to the public or the environment, the policy or action in question should not be carried out. My Department applies this principle in all relevant decision making processes.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Following initial concerns about the potential impact of RHD2 on the Irish Hare after the disease was first reported in the wild in Ireland, the number of records declined significantly. Only two positive records were recorded in 2021 - one hare and one rabbit - with one further record in a wild rabbit notified to the Department since then. Nonetheless, the National Parks and Wildlife...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Irish hare is protected under the Irish Wildlife Acts and can only be captured under licence; hunting of hares is limited to the Open Season. The Irish hare is listed on Annex V of EU Directive 92/43/EEC (the Habitats Directive) and this listing requires member states to manage the species’ sustainably. The Habitats Directive also requires Ireland to make a detailed report...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 activities which introduce or spread invasive species. In addition to national legislation, EU Regulation 1143/2014 on Invasive Alien Species also provides for a range of concerted EU wide measures to be taken with respect...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 activities to introduce or spread invasive species. Regulation 49(2) of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (SI 477/2011) makes it an offence to disperse, allow or cause to disperse,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Irish White-tailed Sea Eagle Reintroduction Programme is a long-term initiative to re-establish a population of this once extinct species in Ireland. Phase 1 of this programme saw 100 young eagles released over five years (2007-2011) in Killarney National Park, Co. Kerry. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department has been the lead organiser and manager of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Strategic Action Plan for the renewal of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has its origin in the Programme for Government commitment to review the remit, status and funding of the NPWS. The review was completed in February 2022 and it made fifteen recommendations to renew the NPWS to make it a more resilient, more effective organisation fit to meet the challenges of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is the Executive Agency within my Department with primary responsibility for nature conservation, wildlife protection and the presentation and preservation of our National Parks and Nature Reserves. Our six National Parks, Killarney, Connemara, Wild Nephin, Wicklow Mountains, Glenveagh and The Burren are all managed as Category II National Parks...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The two new maritime sites, the Southerns Canyon cSAC 2278 and the Porcupine Shelf cSAC 2267, were publicly notified as candidate Special Areas of Conservation in November 2022 and are legally protected as European sites from that date, in accordance with the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011. These important designations greatly increase the percentage of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Ireland designates Special Protection Areas (SPAs) in accordance with the EU Birds Directive (2009/147/EC) for the protection of listed rare and vulnerable bird species. Our marine SPAs include productive intertidal zones in bays and estuaries that provide vital food resources for wader species; marine waters adjacent to breeding seabird colonies and other important areas for our bird...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding to local authorities in respect of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist eligible people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. Housing for All commits to reviewing the full suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. A report on the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (22 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 144 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 €4bn per annum,...