Results 9,181-9,200 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Dublin Bay Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (8 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: That is another story, which I will not go into on the floor of the Dáil.

Dublin Bay Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (8 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Indeed. That is a matter of opinion. I have appointed a research team from University College Cork, UCC, to consider the findings of a recently conducted public survey to help gather the evidence base needed to identify bathers' behaviour and investigate the feasibility of real-time monitoring. That is what I would really like to get to. People could make up their own minds then. If...

Dublin Bay Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (8 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Gabhaim buíochas le Teachta Bacik as ucht an mBille seo. Ní bheidh an Rialtas ag cur i gcoinne an Bhille seo. Ba cheart go mbeadh an Teachta cinnte go mbeimid ag obair le chéile ar an gceist thábhachtach seo. I am grateful to the Deputy for introducing the Bill. I assure her we will not oppose it but work with her on it. I will constructively outline some of the areas...

Dublin Bay Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (8 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I welcome the representatives from SOS Dublin Bay and others from right across the bay. I have had the pleasure of engaging with them and that is why I wanted to take this Bill myself. I very much appreciate the work of Deputy Bacik and her commitment. We can work together. There are some aspects of the Bill that might be conflicting, and I will outline those. I am not in any way raising...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Provision (8 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: More than half of local authorities currently operate a Choice Based Letting system. While several offer paper-based systems, others offer both paper-based and online services. Currently, 14 local authorities use an online system including Clare, Cork City, Cork County, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, South Dublin, Galway City, Galway County, Kildare, Leitirm, Louth, Meath,...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Policy (8 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The policy intent of developing a new Cost Rental sector in Ireland is to assist those on moderate incomes who are facing affordability pressures in the private rental market and may not qualify for social housing supports. The social housing sector already caters for a significant cohort of people and it is not intended for Cost Rental to overlap with or replace traditional social...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Disability Services (8 Dec 2022)

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. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency and €5bn funding through the...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Schemes (8 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 234 and 235 together. My Department introduced an Energy Efficiency Programme that commenced in 2013, with the ambition to fund retrofit on all social homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. This programme has seen improved energy efficiency and comfort levels in over 75,000 Local Authority homes over the period 2013 to the end of 2021 at a total...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Vacant Properties (8 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched as part of the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund. The grant benefits those who wish to turn a formerly vacant house or building into their principal private residence. The grant was initially launched in respect of vacant properties in towns and villages and as, of the 15 November, the grant was expanded to include eligible vacant...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Water Services (8 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels in accordance with Section 7 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013. The day-to-day operation of the public water system, including the arrangements for dealing with unforeseen outages, and communicating with customers and...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (8 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The funding system that applies to local authorities in Ireland is a complex one, as those authorities derive their income from a variety of sources including commercial rates, charges for goods and services and funding from Central Government including my Department but also other government departments and state agencies. Most of the funding from Central Government to local authorities must...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Schemes (8 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched as part of the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund. The grant benefits those who wish to turn a formerly vacant house or building into their principal private residence. The grant was initially launched in respect of vacant properties in towns and villages and as of the 15 November, the grant was expanded to include eligible vacant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ukraine War (7 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is continuing to work closely with local authorities and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) to identify, refurbish, and bring into use, multi-unit vacant properties that may be suitable and available for accommodation purposes for beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine.  The building referred to in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government backed mortgage for those on modest or low incomes who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build. As...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (7 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is the body responsible for setting water connection charges as set out in Part V of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013, in particular it sets out the CRU's responsibility for the determination of the charges, including connection charges, and charging arrangements that apply to customers of Irish Water. Prior to the establishment of Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (7 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: As provided for in the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 (the Act), the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) was formally established on 1 February 2021. AHBRA is an independent body tasked with the regulation of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for the purposes of protecting housing assets provided or managed by such bodies.  The register of AHBs...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (7 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The City Edge Project is a joint initiative between South Dublin County Council (SDCC) and Dublin City Council (DCC). A non-statutory Strategic Framework has been published jointly by DCC and SDCC and is available online at www.cityedge.ie. Section 12.7 of the Framework addresses the proposed funding for delivery of this ambitious project.  My Department has funded studies and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (7 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government sets out a commitment to examine defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing’s report Safe as Houses?, and to assist owners of latent defect properties by identifying options for those impacted by defects, to access low-cost, long-term finance. In response, in February 2021, I established a...

Building Defects: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: That is not the waiting time. It is the scale of the programme.

Building Defects: Motion [Private Members] (6 Dec 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: First, I welcome the residents who are here this evening for this important debate and, indeed, the representatives of the Construction Defects Alliance and the Apartment Owners Network. I welcome the opportunity to debate this. It is important and I am not opposing the motion. There are elements within it that I do not agree with, specifically around the area of the pyrite resolution...