Results 9,821-9,840 of 25,799 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (13 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I recently approved changes to the social housing income eligibility bands. From 1 October, five local authorities - Carlow, Clare, Galway County, Laois and Westmeath - moved from Band 3 to Band 2. Accordingly, the baseline income eligibility threshold for these areas increased from €25,000 to €30,000. A table setting out the details of the three bands and the limits currently...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (13 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: In response to the difficulties that homeowners are facing due to the presence of deleterious material in their houses, my Department has put a number of measures in place to support homeowners including providing considerable financial assistance to remediate their homes. These include the Pyrite Remediation Scheme and the Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme, both of which are underpinned by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (13 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support available for people who have a long-term housing need. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. Eligible households can source their own accommodation in the private rental sector which should be within the HAP rent limits provided to them by the local authority. The HAP...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (13 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (RTA) regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector and set out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Acts to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (13 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is a scheme which funds the building of public infrastructure by local authorities. Its objective is to provide public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages to housing delivery. This enables the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in Dublin and in urban areas of high demand. LIHAF was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (12 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 72 together. I have recently approved proposals to scope and develop options for a revised or new social housing income eligibility model. This work will commence shortly under the aegis of the Housing Agency who have been tasked with commissioning it and I expect that the work will complete by the end of 2022. Pending completion of this work, I have...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (12 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth continues to lead the initial humanitarian response, including the provision of accommodation and related supports, for persons arriving in Ireland from the conflict in Ukraine. My Department is supporting the wider, cross-Government response in a number of ways, which involves the Housing, Local Government, Planning and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (12 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: References to “red”, “amber” and “green” as originally referred to in the Report of the Pyrite Panel (June 2012) and I.S. 398-1:2013 have been removed in I.S. 398-1:2017, which was introduced in August, 2017 and replaced its predecessor. I.S. 398-1:2017 - Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material – Part 1: Testing and Categorisation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (12 Oct 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. 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: Water Pollution (12 Oct 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 level, including investment in wastewater treatment plants and returning wastewater safely to the environment in an efficient and sustainable manner. My Department has no operational function in this matter. It may be helpful to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (12 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 67 together. Local authorities are legally responsible for the management and maintenance of their housing stock under section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations, 2019....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (12 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 Cónaithe (Towns) Fund is a key initiative which underpins...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (12 Oct 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. 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: Housing Provision (12 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 73, 74 and 75 together. The annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA) outlines details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area. The purpose of the SSHA is to capture the total number of households qualified for social housing support across the country whose social housing need has not...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (12 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded in accordance with Standing Orders. The information requested in relation to bodies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for the individual bodies concerned. Arrangements have been put in place by each Agency to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. The contact email address for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (12 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, fire safety and the safety of gas, oil and electrical installations. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations. Responsibility for...

Tailte Éireann Bill 2022: Financial Resolution (11 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: THAT provision be made in the Act giving effect to this Resolution for the charging of, in accordance with an order made by the Minister under section 25 of the Act, the fees payable to Tailte Éireann in relation to the performance by it of its functions.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (11 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 304 and 339 together. Following on from the Government decision of the 30 November 2021 in respect of the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme, the Government approved the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022 on 21 June and the Bill passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas and was subsequently signed...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Culture Policy (11 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: On 29 September, the Taoiseach and I announced 25 awards totalling more than €4.3 million under the Shared Island Local Authority Development Funding scheme at an event in Cavan. Funding was awarded to 25 projects which brought together 23 different local authorities from across the island. Galway City Council, as the lead local authority, was awarded €147,000 in funding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (11 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I am not currently considering changes to the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme vis-à-vis inclusion of Part V properties provided for social housing support. The Part V provisions seek to promote social integration and secure mixed tenure, sustainable communities. Accordingly, Part V properties secured for social housing are excluded from the scheme to ensure the original policy...