Results 9,021-9,040 of 26,783 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Data on the repair and leasing scheme in respect of all local authorities to end Q4 2022 is published on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-hou sing-provision/#repair-and-leasing-scheme-rls

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Grant Payments (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 732 and 735 together. My Department provides funding to local authorities under the Disabled Persons Grants scheme to carry out works on social housing stock to address the needs of older people, people with a disability or overcrowded situations. Extensions to provide for ground floor bathrooms and bedrooms can also be supported. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Grant Payments (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 733, 734, 831 and 832 together. My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability (max grant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding to local authorities under the Disabled Persons Grants scheme to carry out works on social housing stock to address the needs of older people, people with a disability or overcrowded situations. Typical works include adaptations such as stair-lifts, level deck showers, ramps and grab rails, widening door opening widths and improving circulation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 spend of over €251 million. In 2021 a new...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system, with an ambitious target of 300,000 homes by 2030 for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing. As part of this plan, 18,000 Cost Rental homes will be delivered between now and 2030, to be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 739, 793 and 794 together. Public ownership is a core principle governing the development of water services and the Government has given its full commitment to holding a referendum on water ownership. It is important to note that the establishment of Uisce Éireann in public ownership is already firmly secured under the Water Services Acts 2007 to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Policy (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: A Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) is a dwelling where the nearly zero or very low amount of energy required is covered to a very significant extent by energy from renewable sources, including energy from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby. Where social housing commenced construction after 31 October 2019 and where substantial work was completed after 31 October 2020 it is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 741, 747, 762, 806 and 816 together. Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). For 2023,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 743 and 758 together. The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. The scheme is governed by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015. The regulations provide for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Citizens' Assembly (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I strongly welcome the publication of the report of this Assembly and am grateful to members of the Assembly for their dedication and commitment to the process. The Assembly agreed 159 recommendations, including 73 high level and 86 sectoral specific recommendations, reflecting the depth and breadth of the topics discussed. The recommendations of the assembly will now be deliberated by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (18 Apr 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 and 54,000 affordable homes by 2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are independent, not-for-profit organisations. They provide affordable rented housing for people who cannot afford to pay private sector rents or buy their own homes; or for particular groups, such as older people or homeless people. Local authorities are the statutory housing authorities for their respective areas and, as such, are responsible for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Communications (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The draft Planning and Development Bill 2022 was published in January and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage has undertaken a significant pre-legislative scrutiny process on it, over the past three months.  I expect to receive their report shortly and will fully consider its recommendations, along with submissions on the Bill received from...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) can access a range of funding streams to assist with the delivery of social housing, made available by my Department, through local authorities, for example the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) with a Payment and Availability Agreement (P&A) or the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS). The terms and conditions, including nomination rights and rent...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Issues (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 754 to 756, inclusive, together. Ireland has identified and protected more than 600 Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives. These are known as European sites and, taken together, form Ireland's Natura 2000 network. In addition to these European sites, there are 148 Natural Heritage Areas in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s Vote 34 REV provision and total gross expenditure by subhead are provided in tabular form in the attached PDF. In each of the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, the provisions provided in the tables reflect the final REV for the Department in that year i.e. post any Supplementary Estimates and the totals include the relevant capital carryover amounts.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department is responsible for the implementation of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, both of which prohibit the spreading of invasive species. There is a legislative framework in place for dealing with invasive alien species, including Japanese Knotweed. Public bodies,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (18 Apr 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector, and set out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 apply to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy, subject to a limited number of exceptions. The dwellings to which the Act does not apply are set out in section 3(2)...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Apr 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. In accordance with scheme's rules, the Local Authority Home Loan has an upper...