Results 11,341-11,360 of 26,799 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 446 to 453, inclusive, together. Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recent summary for all counties, conducted in November 2021, is available at:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 454 and 455 together. The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of Q4 2021, over 100,000 HAP tenancies had been set-up since the scheme commenced, of which there were nearly 62,000 households actively in receipt of HAP support. At the end of Q1 2022, over 102,500 HAP tenancies had...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 456 to 458, inclusive, together. My Department introduced an Energy Efficiency Programme that commenced in 2013, with the ambition to fund retrofit on all social homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. This programme has seen improved energy efficiency and comfort levels in over 75,000 Local Authority homes over the period 2013 to the end of 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The recent identification of a Framework for the future of Water Services under the aegis of the Workplace Relations Commission will enable Irish Water to work in conjunction with local authorities and current water services staff to complete the integration of public water services into its own organisational structure, as envisaged in the Government’s Policy Paper on Water Sector...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Grant Payments (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Under my Department’s renewal or repair of thatched roof grant scheme, in general a grant of up to €3,810, or two thirds of the approved cost, whichever is the lesser, may be payable in respect of necessary works to renew or repair the thatched roofs of houses. In the case of medical card holders however, a grant of up to €6,350, or up to 80% of the approved cost, may be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ukraine War (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is responsible for providing accommodation for persons arriving in Ireland from the conflict in Ukraine. My Department is supporting this work, establishing and chairing a cross-government Housing Taskforce to scope longer-term delivery accommodation options. Three streams have emerged from this work and are being...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (12 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Previously, the normal retirement age of retained firefighters was 55 years, with provision for an annual extension up to the age of 58 years, subject to a formal application process, including a compulsory assessment under the Occupational Health Scheme. In early 2020, the Workplace Relations Commission recommended that the existing provisions for the retirement age of retained...

Seanad: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Second Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Gabhaim míle buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach and leis the Senators who are here as well. As I said in the Dáil, the defective concrete block disaster has haunted the lives of people in Donegal, Mayo and beyond for far too long. People who built and bought family homes have had to watch those same homes crumble before their eyes while others potentially face...

Seanad: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Second Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank all Senators for their contributions. I have taken a detailed note of all contributions. I will, during the course of Committee Stage, get an opportunity to respond to many of them. This legislation, as Senator Blaney rightly said, has not just come about in the past two months. It follows more than two years of direct engagement with homeowners through the various fora we have...

Seanad: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Second Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I did.

Seanad: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Second Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I am just trying to be helpful to the Senator. Amendments Nos. 71, 72, 81, 94, 106, 111 and 150 were accepted. Perhaps not all of them were Deputy Pringle's, however, a number of them were and his name was on a number of them. I welcomed his engagement on it, in fairness. It is not a criticism. It just shows that we accepted amendments in the Dáil and I would expect that if there...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (7 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of addressing building defects. These include 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Flood Risk Management (7 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My officials in the Department are currently reviewing the correspondence received from the OPW regarding flood relief measures at Lough Funshinagh, County Roscommon and will issue a response to the OPW in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (7 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (7 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022. The Housing Agency provides a central support service that assesses applications for the Local Authority Home Loan on behalf of local authorities and makes recommendations to the authorities to approve or refuse applications. Each local authority must have in place a credit committee and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (7 Jul 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The "Framework for future delivery of water services" which was developed through an engagement process facilitated by the Workplace Relations Commission, will enable the delivery of the Government's ambition for a world class public water system as set out in the Government's Policy Paper on Water Sector Transformation (February, 2021). The Framework restates the Government's vision for...

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 make a couple of points and respond to Deputy McHugh. I thank him for all his engagement right the way through. I also thank Deputies Calleary, Carey, Cathal Crowe and many others who have engaged very positively and constructively, in what is a difficult situation, to improve this scheme and work it through. I have no doubt that, through the regulations, there will be other areas...

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: Deputies will be aware that the €420,000 overall cap is set by the Government. It is a significant change from the existing scheme, at 90% maximum grant, to 100% maximum grant under the new scheme for different house types. There is a cost per square foot of between €161 and €145 per square foot.

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: They are very significant changes. Under the Bill, every 12 months those rates can be varied by a Minister by regulation without changing the Bill. The SCSI set the rates, and I commend it on the work it did. It was an important piece of work. I committed to homeowners at the time with regard to the previous rates, and homeowners had understandably been very critical of those rates, that...

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 am allowed to respond, Deputy Ó Broin. People can get their homes back on track and get their lives back on track. That is what we want. We want engagement from the Housing Agency as well, which will be there, and resourcing of the agency on the ground. There are independent appeals and independent assessments. This is a vast improvement on the previous scheme, and I thank the...