Results 10,541-10,560 of 25,799 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The continuing increase in the numbers accessing emergency accommodation throughout the country is a serious concern. The Government, local authorities and others are making every effort to reduce homelessness. Key to this is the delivery of new social housing and boosting overall supply. The Government is investing significantly in social and affordable housing, with record funding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Appointments (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department received a staffing sanction request for the post of Harbour Master from Fingal County Council on 8 June 2022.  A sanction approval letter in respect of the post issued to the Chief Executive of Fingal County Council on 20 June 2022.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 207, 230 and 232 together. Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations. The regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is leading implementation of the process to expand Ireland's network of marine protected areas (MPAs) and the associated commitments in the Programme for Government, namely: 1. to develop comprehensive legislation that will enable MPA designation and management, and 2. to realise Ireland's outstanding target of 10% MPA coverage of our waters as soon as is practical,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government is committed to ensuring that the local government sector remains vibrant and sustainable and is well equipped and properly resourced to deliver the key functions within its remit and adequate staffing of local authorities is key in this regard.  The recruitment and filling of posts in the local authority sector is undertaken both by individual local authorities and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 212 and 213 together. The EU Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy) establishes a common framework for the protection of inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater. The overall aim of the Directive is to maintain high and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Louth County Council sought formal sanction from my Department for two additional staff at Senior Executive Officer (SEO) grade level in early 2020, the posts to be filled by internal competition.  Formal sanction was communicated by my Department to the Council on 31 January 2020 on a three year specific purpose contract basis with recruitment confined to the local government...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing for All Strategy 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 over the next decade for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing. 54,000 affordable home interventions will be delivered between now and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing for All strategy 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 over the next decade for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing. It will see 54,000 affordable home interventions which includes 36,000...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I am working with Government colleagues and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to provide for an increase in the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) discretion rate to 35% and for new tenancies, to expand the couple’s rate to single persons where required. This will secure more tenancies and prevent new entries to homelessness.  Further details will be available when...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 219, 223 and 224 together. 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....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Departments Multi-annual Rural Water Programme provides capital funding under a number of measures to enable group water schemes to resolve infrastructural deficiencies including their taking in charge by Irish Water. Under the Rural Water Programme an annual subsidy is also payable by local authorities to group water schemes towards their operational and management costs of supplying...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The allocation of social housing support to qualified households is a matter for the local authority concerned as per its allocation scheme made in accordance with Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Social Housing Allocation Regulations. This legislation requires all local authorities, as a reserved function, to make an allocation scheme which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible. This is a matter for the Chief Executive of Mayo County Council.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding on an annual basis under the Disabled Persons Grants scheme (DPGs) to local authorities for adaptations and extensions to the existing social housing stock to meet the needs of local authority tenants.  The scheme applies primarily to works that are necessary to address the needs of older people or people with a disability. This...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.  Notwithstanding this, my Department provides annual funding support to local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The introduction of the Local Authority Home Loan was announced as part of Housing For All.  This is the successor to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Scheme. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022 for people on modest or low incomes who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. The loan can be used both for new...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 233 to 243, inclusive, together. My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity by all local authorities, including Kildare. This data provides details on local authority, approved housing body and Part V delivery and is available to the end of 2021. This is published on the statistics...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (23 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 I intend to progress the legislation before the end of term in order to ensure that we can have the scheme ready for...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (22 Jun 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Kerrane for raising this matter. One of the reasons we have seen the reduction in these payments being made over the past number of years is because there are more people working. More than 2.5 million people are working in the State, which is the highest we have ever had. That said, there are people who still need to access support by the State and the supports are there....