Results 10,361-10,380 of 25,799 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: All I will say to the Deputy is that nobody is throwing around figures of €2.7 billion. That is not the purpose. The State needs to intervene in a market failure on behalf of its citizens, to help people to get their homes and their lives back together. I am not throwing around figures of €2.7 billion. That is the cost initially. That only takes in a certain amount of...

Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: -----greatly improve the situation and provide 100% redress for people. I will not go over the other points raised. I have already put on the record many of the different changes. Voting against the legislation means there is no new scheme in place and it is further delaying the remediation and replacement of people's homes and enabling them to be able to see a future and some light at the...

Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: We would have no legislation, because that scheme was set up under regulations only.

Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: It will not be grounded in primary legislation as it needs to be. We will not have the Housing Agency involvement in it or the independent appeals. We will not have all the infrastructure that is set up to make this scheme work. It will all fall. That is what happens if this is voted down.

Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: At the committee hearings, one of the most eminent and respected experts on pyrite and deleterious materials, Mr. Paul Forde, presented to the committee and did a really good job as chair of the expert group. He was very clearly of the view that an independent review and a scientific study of the material needed to be done. By the way, he had another view on foundations that was contrary to...

Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I read the amendment. When an amendment includes the words "as far as is possible", it leaves it open to interpretation. What is as far as possible? I am explaining where we are at. This review is important. It will be based on scientific research done independently. I reiterate that should problems or issues be found within it, we will amend the scheme accordingly. Everyone would say...

Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I will respond to the amendment the Deputy has tabled. It proposes to add a new definition in section 2 in respect of a “standards assessment and compliance report” and insert the requirements in respect of the said report in section 41. The report would require the Minister to publish a report confirming the amendment of various standards in full compliance with others. It...

Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I will respond specifically on amendment No. 9. I want to make sure that people are aware that the Housing Agency will look at foundations and particularly the foundations of homes that have been proven to have pyrrhotite in the block. That work is under way and will be under way by the NSAI, to test scientifically should there be an issue with the foundations. I said this clearly on...

Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank colleagues for their contributions. I will deal with a couple of items regarding where we were in June 2020 and where we are now. All Deputies will recognise that there have been major changes to the previous defective blocks scheme. It is important for the House that we set some of those changes out. I thank all the homeowners from all the affected counties for their constructive...

Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I did not interrupt any Deputy.

Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Tuigim é sin. I am saying that a number of matters were raised by this amendment and I would like the opportunity to address some of the points that have been raised, particularly relating to foundations and guarantees of works. I will be brief. I do not want to detain people for longer than they need to be. The grant options have been drastically changed and rightly so. The...

Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I assure Deputies that I will be brief. A number of points were raised and I will conclude quickly. We have substantially changed the grants, with 100% options all the way through. We have also provided a guaranteed second grant option for non-rebuild remediation if required, with a 40-year guarantee, which is something that residents rightly looked for. It was not there before. It has...

Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I do not rule on amendments.

Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Second Stage (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am grateful for the opportunity to introduce this Bill and thank Members for facilitating the passage of this important substitute consent legislation through the Houses in advance of the summer recess. The purpose of the Bill is to amend the Planning and Development Act 2000, as relating to substitute consent procedures. Substitute...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Sector Staff (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: There are no former county managers Chief Executives of local authorities currently working within my Department either on a full time basis or in a contract or advisory capacity. My Department does not hold the requested information in respect of the State Bodies under its aegis. Arrangements have been made that these State Bodies may be contacted directly by e-mail by members of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 commits Ireland to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030, relative to 2018 levels, and achieving net zero emissions by no later than 2050. The Act also significantly strengthens the statutory framework for governance of the climate challenge, including the establishment of a system of carbon budgeting, with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Having regard to the manifest and grave risk to human life and public health posed by the spread of Covid-19 and in order to mitigate, where practicable, the effect of the spread of that disease, the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 provided for a temporary moratorium on tenancy terminations, other than in exceptional and limited cases during the emergency period...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme was introduced in 2012 for borrowers of commercial lending institutions and is targeted at those households in mortgage arrears who have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP), who agree to the voluntary surrender of their home and who have very limited options, if any, to meet...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Building Regulations 1997 to 2021 provide for the safety and welfare of people in and about buildings and apply to the design and construction of a new building (including a dwelling) or an extension to an existing building. The minimum performance requirements that a building must achieve are set out in the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations. They are subject to ongoing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (6 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All (published in September 2021) provides a new housing plan for Ireland to 2030 with the overall objective that every citizen in the State should have access to good quality homes through a steady supply of housing in the right locations, with economic, social and environmental sustainability built into the system. The strategy sets out, over four pathways, a broad suite of...