Results 8,341-8,360 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112, 122 and 154 together. The Programme for Government supports the uptake of Uisce Éireann's Small Towns and Villages Growth Programme 2020-2024, to provide water and waste water growth capacity in smaller settlements that would otherwise not be provided for in Uisce Éireann's capital investment plan. I understand that funding of almost...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I previously announced funding for individual projects across ten local authorities including for estates in Cork. This was a first tranche of funding under the Multi-Annual Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme. Details can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/98ed6-developer-provided-water-ser...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115, 144 and 150 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: On 30 January, I announced details regarding a third round of funding under the URDF programme. Supporting key objectives of Housing for All, Town Centre First and the Vacant Homes Action Plan, this round of URDF support has been specifically designed to addresses long term vacancy and dereliction across URDF eligible cities and town. A revolving fund of up to €150m of URDF...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mortgage Resolution Processes (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme was introduced in 2012 for borrowers of commercial lending institutions and is targeted at those households in mortgage arrears who have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP), who agree to the voluntary surrender of their home and who have very limited options, if any, to meet...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I have not yet received the report referred to in my reply to Question No. 85 of the 26 of January last. I understand that the report is currently being prepared by the Chair of the task force but in order to finalise this, the Chair is awaiting finalisation of the 2022 social housing delivery data which is currently being validated and should be available in the coming weeks. I will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Process (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government – Our Shared Futurecontains a commitment to examine the replacement of by-elections with an alternate list system. The Programme for Government also committed to the establishment of a statutory, independent Electoral Commission. This was established on the 9 February this year and is known as An Coimisiún Toghcháin. Article 16.7 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Mar 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, 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, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The documentation required as proof of income is set out in the social housing application form. There is no distinction made in this regard vis-à-vis applicants employed in Ireland or Northern Ireland. Local authorities have discretion as to the extent of documentation it deems necessary as proof of income for the preceding 12 months. In certain situations, for example, where a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (9 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: Departmental Funding (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Across all schemes and funding sources, my Department provided €82.9 million in 2020, €85.9 million in 2021 and €83.3 million in 2022 to Galway County Council. Included in this is the unprecedented level of support provided by central Government to local authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Allocations to Galway also included additional one-off allocations to assist...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland is Ireland’s housing plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year to 2030. Over 300,000 new homes will be built by the end of 2030, including a projected 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. The Plan is backed by investment with in excess of €20bn...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland is Ireland’s housing plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year to 2030. Over 300,000 new homes will be built by the end of 2030, including a projected 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. The Plan is backed by investment with in excess of €20bn...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (RTA) 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: Housing Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government recognises that more needs to be done to support home buyers and, as detailed in the Housing for All strategy, has introduced a multi-faceted approach to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system. This includes the provision of 36,000 affordable purchase and 18,000 cost rental homes in the period to 2030. For those with incomes too high...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Oversight of financial institutions is outside the scope and remit of my Department but I confirm that I have engaged with my colleague, the Minister for Finance on these matters. The Minister for Finance advised that neither he nor his Department have any role in relation to the commercial decisions of individual regulated entities, such as decisions they may make on applications for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The draft Planning and Development Bill 2022 was approved by Government in December 2022 and is the culmination of the comprehensive review and consolidation of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) undertaken by the Office of the Attorney General. The key aim of the review was to put plan-making at the centre of the planning system by bringing increased clarity and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 a remediation scheme aimed at protecting the safety and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 230 together. Housing for All was published 2 September 2021. The first annual update of the plan's actions was published on 2 November 2022. Under Housing for All, the supply of new homes is increasing: - In 2022, nearly 30,000 homes were completed. That is an increase of 45% from 2021 and 41% from 2019, pre-pandemic. The 2022 total exceeds the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Mar 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes commencement notice data, broken down by local authority area, on a monthly basis which can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/a5cb1-construction-activity-starts / Similarly, the Central Statistics Office publishes quarterly data on dwelling completions, which is available on a Local Electoral Area Basis, at the following link:...