Results 8,281-8,300 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Island Communities (21 Mar 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. Many areas of cities, towns and villages as well as on our islands 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 Cónaithe Towns Fund is a key initiative which...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has made significant advances in the development of marine policy over the last number of years, including the launch of the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF) and the enactment of the Maritime Area Planning Act in 2021, elements of which have already been commenced. The NMPF creates an overarching framework for decision-making that is consistent, evidence-based and...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has, in past years, commemorated this individual with a grove of trees within Killarney National Park. There is also a sculpture, marking the 50thanniversary of his passing, at the entrance to Killarney House and Gardens. I am not aware of any proposals in relation to the 60thanniversary of his passing.

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

Darragh O'Brien: Decisions on eligibility for social housing support are a matter solely for local authorities with reference to eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations. That said, I understand local authorities have internal complaints and appeals systems which may be used to appeal...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 498 and 507 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 (21 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All sets out the range of actions necessary to increase the supply of housing to the required 33,000 homes, on average, per year over the next decade. 54,000 affordable home interventions will be delivered between now and 2030 to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: 2022 represented the commencement of a very ambitious programme of delivery of affordable housing. This momentum will continue with delivery increasing significantly this year. A pipeline of affordable housing delivery is in place and under continuous development by local authorities, by Approved Housing Bodies using the Cost Rental Equity Loan and by the Land Development Agency. Local...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing for All strategy sets out the range of actions necessary to increase the supply of housing to the required 33,000 homes, on average, per year over the next decade. 54,000 affordable home interventions will be delivered between now and 2030 to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Fifth Nitrates Action Programme for 2022 – 2025, published in March 2022, has strengthened the local authority agricultural inspection and enforcement programme to ensure that there is a significant increase in the number of inspections, follow-up actions such as enforcement notices issued, prosecutions taken and penalties applied on non-compliant farms. In 2022 the EPA...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from The Housing Agency. The provisions of the Act apply only to dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave consequent on the presence of reactive...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, or joint tenants, of local authority homes available for sale under the scheme. To be eligible, applicants must meet certain criteria, including a minimum annual reckonable income of €12,500. The minimum income requirement has a dual purpose. It ensures the scheme is sustainable and the tenant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (21 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 RAS tenancies from 2011 ? 2021 broken down by local authority area, and funding provided by the State for HAP tenancies in 2019?2021, broken...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (21 Mar 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. 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 Cónaithe Towns Fund is a key initiative which underpins...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that the role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist housing authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding. My Department ceased the practice of allocating specific budgets to individual local authorities...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 510 and 517 together. The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Since 2014, Exchequer funding has been...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (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 statutory role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of emergency accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 514 and 515 together. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) staff of my Department are working across all regions of the country to address wildlife crime. Staff in NPWS are designated as Authorised Persons under the Wildlife Acts and Authorised Officers under the EC (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 and in that context they have powers...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board, or RTB, was established as a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 to regulate the rental sector; provide information to tenants and landlords; maintain a national register of tenancies; resolve disputes between tenants and landlords; and conduct research and provide information to inform policy. The remit...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock. This will fluctuate over time, as tenancy surrender and re-letting of stock is an ongoing process. Therefore, ongoing data in relation to vacant local authority owned homes is not collated by my Department. However, statistics in relation to social housing stock, at a point in time, are published by the National...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy will be aware, a very ambitious programme of delivery of affordable housing - the first in at least 15 years - commenced in 2022. Under the schemes introduced via the Affordable Housing Act 2021, this saw significant delivery of cost-rental homes for the first time by approved housing bodies and also by one local authority that is expanding further. That was using the cost...