Results 9,621-9,640 of 26,787 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Further Revised)
Vote 23 - Electoral Commission (Further Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (23 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes, they do. We have some AHB purchases as well. It depends on the ground. There have been some complications with people who are on HAP tenancies in different local authorities residing somewhere else. That has come up and we are trying to work that through, particularly in the Dublin region but I do not want a property not to be purchased with a HAP tenant just because that tenant...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Further Revised)
Vote 23 - Electoral Commission (Further Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (23 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: We have a mechanism to help in that case. Not many sites have closed. Some stalled for a while, particularly in the second quarter, after the outbreak of the Ukraine war. We saw what happened there but we will reassess any reasonable request for a price increase. We receive requests every week where there has been an increase for the contractor. We do not want to see any projects stalled...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Further Revised)
Vote 23 - Electoral Commission (Further Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (23 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Exactly. The Deputy also asked about output and delivery. He is correct. The overall target for social housing for last year was approximately 10,500 units. It will be very close to that overall. I still expect our new builds to be between 7,500 to 8000. I do not have the final figures yet but it will be in that range. When taking into account other delivery mechanisms, it will be more...

Eviction Ban Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (22 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I am always here.

Eviction Ban Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (22 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I am always here. The Deputy only catches the tail end of debates.

Eviction Ban Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (22 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy has left out one element of the scheme.

Eviction Ban Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (22 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: He left out the infrastructure piece.

Eviction Ban Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (22 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In contrast to the proposed Bill, the issuing of notices to quit is allowed to continue under the current winter eviction ban. This allows for a flow of tenancy terminations to continue after the relevant deferred termination date. There is no obstacle to tenants choosing to leave their tenancy during the winter months if they are in a position to re-accommodate their households. I will...

Eviction Ban Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (22 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy opposed the LDA legislation. He voted against it. He voted against its capitalisation-----

Eviction Ban Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (22 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: -----and he voted against the standing up of the agency. We have a national cost rental scheme now in place, which was underpinned by the Affordable Housing Act. The Deputy voted against the Affordable Housing Act that does not just give cost rental housing and a national cost rental scheme, which we wish to scale up even further, and we will do. We will have more cost rental tenancies...

Eviction Ban Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (22 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett and his colleagues for bringing forward the Bill. I do not question their motives or bona fidesin this matter. We have debated and discussed it. I will go through the matters in the Bill. It was clear yesterday that we are considering the legal and policy issues right now. We have not just started doing that. Any extension of the eviction ban period is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (22 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 135 together. I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 302 and 303 of 21 February 2023 which set out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (22 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: There were 1,247 (1,205.74 FTE) staff serving in my department at the end of 2020. By the end of December 2021 the headcount had increased to 1,409 (1,365.50 FTE). That growth increased during 2022, finishing the year at 1,605 (1,560.94 FTE). The year on year headcount changes at grade level within their respective grade streams are set out in the table below. Grade ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (22 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 137 together. I can confirm that funding of €68.5 million has been allocated, under the National Development Plan, for the period 2021-2025, to address legacy water services issues including the Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme (DPI) which is run by my Department. The DPI programme is focused on housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (22 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government, as set out in Pathway 4 of Housing for All.In January 2022, my Department communicated with local authorities outlining that funding, made available since 2018 to support the work of a Vacant Homes Office including a Vacant Homes Officer (VHO), would be increased from €50,000 to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (22 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The design and construction of buildings is regulated under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2020. The Act provides for the making of Building Regulations and Building Control Regulations. The Building Regulations set out the minimum legal performance requirements for the construction of new buildings and certain works to existing buildings. The purpose of the Building Regulations is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (22 Feb 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 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, €3.5bn in funding through the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Appointments to State Boards (22 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: In making appointments to State boards under my remit, my Department operates in accordance with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform guidelines on appointments to State Boards, published in November 2014. The Public Appointments Service has responsibility for managing an open, accessible and transparent system to support Ministers in making state board appointments and it is open...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Lobbying Reform (22 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not collect information on board membership of senior Departmental staff. Section 6(4) of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 requires each public body to publish a list of designated public officials of the body, and the list for my Department can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/953ec3-regulation-of- lobbying/ The information requested in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (22 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 144 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...