Results 8,221-8,240 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. A number of people have raised the matter of phased zoning, where the zoning will take place after another development is done. We are looking at that specific issue. The residential zoned land tax, as the Deputy rightly said, is about activation and making sure people are not sitting on land that could be developed and ensuring it is developed....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Gorse Burning (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is currently conducting 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. I am keen...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Conservation (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 396 and 397 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Public Financial Procedures (PFP) set out the guidance and procedures for managing annual Voted provisions.  The Virement process i.e. the application of savings on one or more subheads to meet excess expenditure on another subhead in the same Vote is possible because the annual Appropriation Act specifies in the Schedule only the ambit (Part 1) of each Vote.  The Act does not give...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All commits to developing proposals for a standardised national differential rents scheme across the country. Following the publication of Housing for All Action Plan Update in November 2022, and having regard to the significant changes in the economic environment over the past year, this action is now scheduled for completion in Q3 2023. A decision to implement a revised national...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Properties (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 115 of 8 March 2023 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (21 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: www.gov.ie/en/publication/f6119-summary-of-social-housing-as sessments-2021-key-findings/ Details in relation to those...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Questions No. 159 and 166 of 9 March 2023 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 403 and 404 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Departments’ Rural Water Programme, through Exchequer funding, facilitates the development of water services for areas of rural Ireland where there are no public water services. Responsibility for the day-to-day implementation of the Programme is devolved to the local authorities. My Department funds the authorities to carry out their work under the Programme. Local authorities are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 406 and 407 together. Group Water Schemes (GWS) are community-owned and community-run enterprises which manage water distribution systems in rural areas. My Department provides funding support, including through the payment of an annual subsidy, for some of the day-to-day costs of GWS. The application and approval process for this funding is administered by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 408 and 409 together. The management of local authority housing stock and social housing waiting lists, including the allocation of tenancies, are matters solely for local authorities in accordance with the Housing Acts and associated Regulations. That said, local authorities always strive to maximise the use of housing stock and prevent under-occupancy...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Property Registration (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Established on 1 March 2023, Tailte Éireann is the State agency formed following the merger of the Property Registration Authority, the Valuation Office and Ordnance Survey Ireland. All the functions previously carried out by the Property Registration Authority, the Valuation Office, and Ordnance Survey Ireland will now be performed by Tailte Éireann. Any information required by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (21 Mar 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 homeless services rests with individual housing authorities. It is an operational matter for local authorities to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Museum Projects (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: On 15 November 2021, I officially opened The Custom House Visitor Centre, in conjunction with the Office of Public Works (OPW) and in partnership with Fáilte Ireland. The Custom House Visitor Centre is a visitor experience exploring the construction, burning and restoration of Dublin’s Custom House featuring new and interactive exhibits telling the rich history of the building...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Capital Expenditure Programme (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not have any projects on hold due to capital funding pressures. My Department funds a number of bodies who manage their own projects. These bodies may be contacted directly by e-mail by members of the Oireachtas, as set out in the attached table.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Following on from the Government decision of the 30 November 2021 in respect of the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme, the Government approved the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Bill 2022 on 21 June and the Bill passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas and was subsequently signed into law by the President on the 23 July, 2022....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. In order for a household to qualify for HAP, they must first be assessed as eligible for social housing support by their local authority. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. A key principle of the HAP scheme is that eligible...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In May 2022, Government approved a three-year Strategic Action Plan for renewal of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Building on the substantial investment under the Plan, which comes to an additional €55 million across three budgetary cycles, there are a range of funding initiatives managed by the NPWS to support individuals or groups to assist with the conservation of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (21 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 1st of March and the 31st of 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...