Results 10,741-10,760 of 26,787 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (26 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department currently publishes data on a monthly basis on the number of homeless persons accommodated in emergency accommodation funded and overseen by housing authorities. These reports are based on data provided by housing authorities, produced through the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS). The reports are collated on a regional basis and are available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (26 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not have any function in relation to the Blue Green City project. The initiative is a matter for the Southern Regional Assembly who is the Irish partner on this InterReg Europe project. Further information in relation to the initiative is available at: www.southernassembly.ie/eu-projects/blue-green-city.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (26 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The main sources of funding provided by my Department to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for the provision of social housing, including community housing projects, are made through the Capital Advance Leasing Facility Scheme or the Capital Assistance Scheme. Applications by AHBs for funding under these programmes should, in the first instance, be made through the relevant Local Authority...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (26 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 levels. Irish Water’s primary function is to provide clean safe drinking water to customers and to treat and return waste water safely to the environment. In turn, the EPA, as environmental regulator, is responsible for...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. The week after next we will have a full debate on Irish Water. I wish to inform the Deputy, as he might not be aware, that we have given a commitment as part of the framework agreement that there is no compulsory transfer of any council staff in any local authority to Irish Water. We are creating a single, publicly owned utility. We have had very good engagement with...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Bacik for raising this issue. Uisce Éireann, or Irish Water, now has an unprecedented capital budget that is on a multi-annual basis. That will include some very important infrastructural upgrades that pertain directly to the Deputy's area and the quality of water in Dublin Bay, such as the second wastewater treatment plant at Ringsend, which will be fully commissioned...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Deputy Ó Broin should have a word with his colleagues.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities set and collect rents on their dwellings in accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. The making or amending of such rent schemes is generally a matter for local authorities within broad principles set out by my Department, including that rent levels should be based on income and reflect tenants’ ability to pay. Local discretion and flexibility are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (25 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has made significant advances in the development of marine policy over the last number of years, culminating in the launch of the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF) in June of last year, and the enactment of the Maritime Area Planning Act in December 2021, elements of which have already been commenced. The NMPF creates an overarching framework for decision-making that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (25 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: There are 12 staff in my Department’s Communications Team who have a wide range of responsibilities including dealing with media queries and other standard press office duties related to the broad range of responsibilities within my Department. Their duties also include working with social media as well as other communications functions such as public and stakeholder engagement and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (25 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 54,000 affordable homes between now and 2030, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks. 2022 represents the first year of a very ambitious programme of delivery of affordable housing. Significant funding has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (25 Oct 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. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (25 Oct 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. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (25 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on social housing delivery in all local authorities on a quarterly basis, including information on social housing acquisitions. This is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provis ion/.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (25 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 301, 311, 319, 322, 323 and 324 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (25 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I do not currently have plans or funding available to fund a role of the nature outlined; policy responsibility for disability issues lies with my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth. Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (25 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 end Q4 2022. Pending completion of this work, I have approved changes to the social housing income...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (25 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Along with my colleague, Ms. Anne Rabbitte, T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for Disability and relevant officials, I met with a delegation from the association referred to in the question on 12 October 2022 in relation to the Building Regulations and I intend to meet with them again in due course. This followed a meeting with the same association on 8 March 2022 by my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (25 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 308 and 309 together. Since 1 January 2014 Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of the planning, delivery and operation of water and wastewater services at national, regional and local levels. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Oct 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 Working...