Results 8,941-8,960 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (25 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual projects is a matter for Uisce Éireann and is approved through its own internal governance structures. The Programme for Government commits to funding Uisce Éireann's...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (25 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I assume that the Question refers to waste water treatment plants in housing estates that are not in the charge of local authorities, and are dependent on developer provided water services infrastructure for the provision of their waste water services. I can confirm that all local authorities have, under legislation, the appropriate powers of inspection and investigation, and where issues...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for the question. On overdue decisions within the board, I met with the new board of An Bord Pleanála last week and have asked it to come forward with a plan for the backlog, particularly but not exclusively in areas of residential development. We have provided over the past 12 months sanction for an additional 59 staff so far. This Thursday I will publish the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question. The issue of outages in Galway has been raised by the Deputy and by some of his Dáil colleagues. I will contact Niall Gleeson, the chief executive of Irish Water. I am in regular contact with him. It is important Deputies are aware that Irish Water now has a €6 billion capital programme to deal with legacy issues we have had for decades....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is a flexible and immediate housing support that is available to all eligible households throughout the State. At end Q3 2022, over 106,700 HAP tenancies have been set-up since the scheme commenced, with almost 59,700 active tenancies being supported under the HAP Scheme. Over 31,890 landlords or agents were providing accommodation to households...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (24 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: An Bord Pleanála is a quasi-judicial body which carries out its statutory functions independently of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective system to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: International Protection (24 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Contracting of hotel accommodation for both refugees and beneficiaries of temporary protection is a matter for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. My Department has no function in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan was launched in January 2022. It is a Government backed mortgage for those who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It is available to first-time buyers and fresh start applicants to purchase a new or second-hand property, or to self-build. The Local Authority Home Loan has a maximum annual gross income limit for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Social Housing Assessment Regulations require local authorities, subject to certain conditions, to process applications within 12 weeks of receipt. However, different timeframes can apply where a local authority requires additional information from an applicant, with a potential extension to the 12-week deadline for completing the application and assessment process in such cases. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (24 Jan 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 and those households must source their own accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Tenants in the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme are required to sign a rent contribution agreement to pay a weekly rental contribution to the relevant local authority, in line with the local authority’s differential rent scheme. As set out in the rent contribution agreement, this weekly rental contribution must be paid by them so that they remain eligible for the HAP scheme. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (24 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 587 of 18 January 2023, which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority homes available for sale under the scheme. Local authorities may, within the provisions of the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015, exclude certain houses which the authority considers should not be sold for reasons such as proper stock or estate...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (24 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 299 and 300 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: Appointments to State Boards (24 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Land Development Agency (LDA) was established under the Land Development Agency (Establishment) Order 2018 as amended by the Land Development Agency (Amendment) Order 2018. In December 2018, the Government gave a derogation to the Guidelines on the Appointment to State Boards, to allow for the appointment of an interim LDA Board outside of the Stateboards.ie process until the LDA’s...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Jan 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. The scheme was amended in February 2022 to include a reduction in the minimum reckonable income required to be eligible under the scheme from €15,000 to €12,500. This ensured older tenants, whose only income...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (24 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 303 to 305, inclusive, together. The purpose of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 is to implement and give legislative underpinning to a series of measures to improve and enhance the current grant scheme, as agreed by Government on 30 November 2021. The administrative areas of the following counties have been...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Meetings (24 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The regeneration of Poolbeg West is an important step in the transformation of the Dublin Docklands area, with the potential to provide for 3,500 homes. In June 2021 following a comprehensive international open market campaign, a consortium of Ronan Group Real Estate, Oaktree Capital Management, and Lioncor Developments (“the Consortium”) acquired a controlling 80% shareholding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (24 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Updated Rural Housing Planning Guidelines are currently being prepared by my Department. The updated guidelines will expand on the high level spatial planning policy of the National Planning Framework (NPF), in particular on National Policy Objective (NPO) 19 which relates to rural housing. This objective makes a clear policy distinction between rural areas under urban influence (i.e. areas...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (24 Jan 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is in the process of developing Section 28 guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable and Compact Settlement Guidance (SCSG). When finalised, the SCSG’s will supersede current Section 28 ministerial guidelines for planning authorities on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (the ‘Sustainable Residential Development Guidelines’) last...