Results 8,901-8,920 of 26,783 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy knows, we have discussed this here before. It will be a sizeable piece of work to be undertaken on the financial side of things to have a separate entity that would protect deposits that are paid for all of our renters. We have already made some changes and I expect to do more.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I have written to the Deputy on this as well. We have engaged directly with the Department of Justice, which will be the lead on this. I will seek an update for the Deputy and I will respond. I do not have an exact date at the moment. As it is a criminal act, I would expect the Department of Justice to be the lead on it. I will get details for the Deputy and submit them to the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: We are working on revisions to the cost-rental equity loan, CREL, model, which is what funds AHBs to deliver them. If we take Kildare for example, in Barnhall in Leixlip, the average monthly rental cost per unit there is about €1,250. In Newbridge in Kildare it is €1,197. As costs of development and financing have gone up, this has led to pressure on the upper limit of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I can and it gives me an opportunity to mention what Senator Boyhan mentioned as well. We are not in any way reaching into councils setting the schedules or the rates. This is a one-year measure. On a month-in-arrears basis, the councils will submit the waivers received and we will pay the full amount on a monthly basis. A slightly different process, but the same will happen with Uisce...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: It is a very fair point. That is why we introduced a fund managed by the Housing Agency to enable local authorities to buy land for social and affordable housing. That is open right now and we have received submissions from local authorities. It will help the process of the land purchasing arrangements. Kildare County Council might be used to it while others might not be. There is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I am glad the Deputy asked that question, because they can. There were trans-boundary issues with people on housing assistance payment, HAP, in one local authority but on a list elsewhere. Through the directors of services for housing, that has been worked through. If for example, someone is renting in Kildare, but is a HAP tenant in south Dublin, Kildare can purchase the house....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The changes take effect from 1 May. All local authorities will receive notification in advance of that and we have engaged with them before this. I wish to alert anyone who has not drawn down the grant that the grant is not drawn down until the very end.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Some people may play on that but that is the way it is. You do not pay for works until they are done and are invoiced.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes. The scheme has been opened up. The Act permits that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: That element was part of the debate and we went through the Land Development Agency Act. Cost-rental schemes on continental Europe allow ethical investment within that but cap creative return, and we can do that also. As a reference to tomorrow, the local authorities are now getting directly involved in cost-rental units, which is welcome, so that is local authorities, the LDA, approved...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I am seriously impressed by the St. Joseph's project in Waterford City and commend Waterford City and County Council on the work it is doing. First, we have targeted all local authorities with repair and lease targets. The targets have been issued to them. That has not been done before and I know that the Senator has strongly advocated for doing so. Second, I support the call for a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes, I have sent targets to all local authorities in that regard.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Some are low targets because none has been done so we want to get the scheme up and running.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Which scheme is this? I apologise for interrupting Deputy Gould.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Is Deputy Gould making the point about all three of them?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: That will be launched in-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Duffy for his work and support. Those two Acts were crucial. The Affordable Housing Act set down cost rental on a nationwide basis in primary legislation. The Land Development Agency Act, as the Deputy rightly says, is designated for Cork and Dublin in particular, with regard to 100% social and affordable homes. There are some who would wish to ignore the fact that we had...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing for All: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The uplift in the grant amounts will be applicable to them also. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, will comment on our engagement with local authorities.