Results 11,001-11,020 of 25,844 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: That is something we were careful in doing. With some areas of architectural conservation, protected structures and so on planning permission will be required. It is an important point and I am glad to have the opportunity to further clarify that here. The point about the use of the partitions being mainly used by drinks firms is interesting. I have seen it right across the place. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy and Senator for their comments. Deputy Higgins is correct when she refers to places being used that one would never have thought would be and referenced two bars in Lucan. It helps them and also improves the experience for people. It makes them more accessible in many instances and uses space that was not used before. The Department with responsibility for enterprise...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: If we are serious about compact urban growth, getting brownfield built again, tackling a viability issue, people being able to own apartments and families being able to live in cities, then we need to take radical measures. This will be targeted and timebound. It will be on an open call and open book basis. We are working through this with the Commission. We have opened for expressions of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: -----that we will get an opportunity to debate this. I want people to own their own homes and to be able to live in their cities. They need-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: -----to be helped to do that. This will be managed through the Housing Agency. Each expression of interest that comes through will be on a open book basis and assessed on its individual merits. That comes with lots of strings-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Senator for her comments and her support for these additional measures. As I mentioned to Deputy McAuliffe earlier, the operation of licence arrangements, even prior to Covid, is a devolved power to local authorities. They decide whether to grant or refuse a licence, what type of licence they give and what is included in that licence. This means the scope of it, for example,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I have two other committee meetings today but it is fine. I take the point made but the Deputy can trust me when I say we are not trying to micromanage anything at a local authority level. The devolved power on decisions is for them. Taking the Axis theatre and the plaza in Ballymun, which I know well, if that centre makes an application, it will need to give some view or picture through...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his support for these measures. As regards the first issue he raised, some local authorities have taken a very good and planned approach, with uniform barriers and awnings and that type of thing. We want to encourage that because it improves aesthetics. Other local authorities need support to make sure that is improved and we will do that. There is a need to...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I can confirm for the Deputy that Wexford is not being excluded. No county is excluded from the affordable housing fund. It is open to every local authority to apply and bring schemes forward. We have the most comprehensive affordable housing policy in the history of the State. The fund is open and I have encouraged all local authorities to access it. We will have the first home shared...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: They have a certain discretion, which we ask them to operate. The work will be done in this session.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Derrybrien does not have a distinguished history in regard to planning, installation, and its impact on the topography of the site and on residents in the area. It has been the subject of a very recent decision. As a country, we have been in infringement of EU directives in this space. It goes without saying that my Department and every other Department will play their part in ensuring we...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware of the issue with Drogheda wastewater treatment plant and I thank the Deputy for raising it. Odour neutralising treatment will be implemented at the main pumping station this year. I assure him that I will make further contact with the chief executive of Irish Water to make sure any works that can be done are expedited. As the Deputy knows, the Government is putting €6...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Following the Deputy's intervention today, I assure him that I will make contact at a senior level with Irish Water and revert back to him.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question. The review of the social housing income limits is nearing completion. I received a submission. We are working through some changes in that regard. To be fair to the Deputy, he has raised this matter on a number of occasions, as have others on both sides of the House. The income limits have not been reviewed for years. There will be changes made. We...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: International Agreements (11 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: In line with Programme for Government commitments, Government established a Commission on Housing to examine issues such as tenure, standards, sustainability, and quality-of-life issues in the provision of housing. The Commission has also been tasked with bringing forward proposals on a Referendum on Housing. While not a commitment to a referendum on a 'right to housing', this is not...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 131 together. Housing for All set out four pathways to achieve its vision of a sustainable housing system, ensuring that everyone in the State has access to a home to purchase or rent at an affordable price, built to a high standard and in the right place, offering a good quality of life. Addressing the current housing shortage requires short, medium...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commissions of Investigation (11 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: There are no Commissions of Investigation currently underway concerning my Department.

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

Darragh O'Brien: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area and the length of time on waiting lists are provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). Below is the link to the summary report for 2021: www.gov.ie/en/publication/f6119-summary-of-social-housing-as sessments-2021-key-findings/ The SSHA...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan has only been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022. Prior to that, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan was the mortgage available from local authorities. As of 4 January 2022, no new Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan applications will be accepted, although applications/approvals already in process will be honoured. Therefore, information on...

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

Darragh O'Brien: While my Department has a role in strategic workforce planning with the local government sector, Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that 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. Accordingly, the staffing resources of Kildare...