Results 10,881-10,900 of 26,787 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (5 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: Housing Provision (5 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing First recognises that a stable home provides the basis for recovery in other areas. With Housing First, the priority is to support a person who has experienced homelessness into permanent housing as quickly as possible, without any preconditions around addiction or mental health treatment. Then, intensive work continues on these issues once they are housed. Housing First has been a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (5 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Office of Public Works engaged Top Security to provide security services for the Custom House, Dublin during the renovation of the Visitors Centre in 2015. My Department assumed responsibility for payment of this service in 2016, and the contract was extended twice. A new Office of Government Procurement managed procurement process began in 2018 for the provision of security services to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (5 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 153 to 164, inclusive, together. Total expenditure in 2022, to end September, under the various Housing capital programmes is set out in the table below. Overall expenditure on the housing programme, including at individual programme level, will not be determined until the end of the year. Typically, Quarter 4 sees the highest level of capital expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (5 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. In order for a household to qualify for HAP, they must first be assessed as eligible for social housing support by their local authority. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP and those households must source their own...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Recycling Policy (5 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is committed improving its Environmental Management systems. This is evidenced by my Department achieving ISO 14001 accreditation for our Energy Management Systems. My Department takes pride in continuing to minimise waste in Departmental sites through the implementation of programmes for waste prevention and reduction, and for the collection, segregation, re-use, recycling,...

Housing for All Update: Statements (4 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: It is delivering for our people and is taking hold in challenging times. We will continue to drive that forward because we have provided the most substantial housing plan. It is not only a plan, but a plan that is being implemented. It is a plan that is taking hold and will work.

Housing for All Update: Statements (4 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I wish to share time with Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan. Nothing is more important to this country than tackling the housing crisis head-on. As I have said on a number of occasions, following a decade of undersupply rents are still too high, homebuilding is still too low and too many people cannot afford to buy their own home. Too many parents and grandparents are worried about where...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (4 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the exercise of his functions under the Valuation Act 2001, as amended, and the making of valuations for rating purposes is his sole responsibility. I, as Minister, have no function in decisions in this regard. The Valuation Office is currently engaged in a national revaluation programme, which is to ensure that the first revaluation of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (4 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Following the publication of Housing for All last year, I asked local authorities to prepare Housing Delivery Action Plans. In preparing these plans, local authorities were asked to assess the level of housing demand with affordability constraint projected for their area based on the Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) tool and plan their provision accordingly. Both Offaly and Laois...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Transport (4 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: No domestic flights for work purposes were taken by me, my Junior Ministers and Department staff for each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (4 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 307 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (4 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Dáil Question No. 169 of 29 September 2022 which sets out the position on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (4 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 274 and 281 together. My Department cannot give advice on the specific individual situations outlined in the details supplied. However, I can advise that my Department’s Rural Water Programme, through Exchequer funding, delivers improvements to water services in areas of rural Ireland where there are no public (Irish Water) services. Grant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (4 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 275, 278 and 322 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (4 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme was reviewed in 2021 in line with Programme for Government and Housing for All commitments, with a number of changes subsequently coming into effect from 1 February 2022. The minimum reckonable income required to be eligible under the scheme changed from €15,000 to €12,500. The time tenants are required to be in receipt of social housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (4 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) has overall responsibility for the provision of accommodation for Ukrainian nationals seeking temporary protection in Ireland and a sourced a variety of accommodation types for this purpose. My Department is focusing on the longer-term accommodation challenges where upgrading investment is required and is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (4 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is supporting the local authority which is advancing the refurbishment of the housing development at the location raised by the Deputy. This work includes an element of additional, new build social housing. The local authority has advised that Phase 1 of the works was completed in October 2019, involving the refurbishment of 34 homes, and that plans for the next phases have...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (4 Oct 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government supports two affordability schemes which operate using a shared equity model, namely, the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme and the First Home Scheme. Both schemes are open to older persons whose available mortgage financing will not meet the open market value of a new home, provided they meet the usual eligibility requirements. While applicants to both schemes must...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (4 Oct 2022)

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