Results 11,641-11,660 of 25,858 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pension Provisions (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the scheme. Among other things, eligible tenants must meet a minimum income requirement to qualify under the scheme. This requirement has a dual purpose. It ensures the scheme is sustainable, and the tenant purchasing the house has the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Gender Equality (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department prides itself on being an equal opportunity employer. At the end of January 2022 50.83% of the workforce was male while 49.17% were female. Action 8.5 of the Civil Service Renewal Plan makes a commitment “to improve gender balance at each level by reviewing supports and policies to ensure these are impactful and measurable”. My Department fully supports this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Adaptation Grant for Older People and People with a Disability scheme household income is calculated based on the combined annual gross income in the previous tax year of both the owner of any property, together with that of his or her spouse and each member of the household in full-time occupation of the house where such a member is aged 18 years or more, or, where he or she is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: It is my intention to bring forward a piece of legislation provisionally titled the Fire, Emergency Management and Public Safety Bill, whose primary purpose will be to update the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. Part of the impetus for this work arises from the review of fire safety in Ireland carried out in the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy in the UK. It is also my intention that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 353 and 354 together. Funding of €68.5 million under the National Development Plan has been allocated for the period 2021-2025 for water legacy issues in relation to lead pipe remediation and the Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme. In September 2020, I announced the first tranche of funding under my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these Regulations. Responsibility for enforcement of the Regulations rests with the relevant local authority.  The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate form of social housing support for people with a long-term housing need. Any household assessed by their local authority as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. Under HAP, a tenant sources their own accommodation in the private rented market. The tenancy agreement is between the tenant and the landlord...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: There have been a number of deaths of people who had been sleeping rough or accessing homeless services over the last number of years. Each of these deaths is a tragedy and I extend my sympathies to the families concerned. The deaths of people availing of homeless services are a concern and are being taken very seriously. It is important that we establish the facts concerning the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the scheme.  The scheme was reviewed in 2021 in line with Programme for Government and Housing for All commitments. The Government approved a number of amendments to the scheme on foot of the review and these came...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 362, 363, 364, 365 and 369 together. My Department received a submission from Clare County Council, dated 23 July 2021, requesting the extension of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme to County Clare. A response issued to the Council on 3 August 2021 indicating that my Department would review the submission and it also sought a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Defective Concrete Blocks Working Group which I established, was tasked with a review of issues of concern which had been raised by homeowners in respect of the Scheme, which applies to Mayo and Donegal only. Under the agreed Terms of Reference, one of the areas in scope for review was the issue of "Eligible Homes". This included, homes in the counties of Donegal and Mayo and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes a detailed monthly report on homelessness, based on data provided by housing authorities. The Report outlines details of individuals utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. The Reports are available on my Department's website at the following...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is not available in my Department. 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 2011 (as amended).  The legislation allows for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 372 and 373 together. The Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) was designed to activate housing supply by putting in place the enabling public infrastructure necessary to ensure that large scale development could take place on key sites in urban areas of high housing demand. Funding of €200 million was originally made available under...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Service Acts, 1981 and 2003.   Furthermore, under the Local Government Act 2001, arrangements in relation to staffing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides capital funding to Local Authorities for Improvement Works in Lieu of local authority housing (IWIL) to enable them to repair, improve or extend privately owned houses that are occupied or will be occupied by approved housing applicants as an alternative to the provision of local authority housing. It is aimed at owner-occupiers whose homes are overcrowded or...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on all social housing delivery activity. This data is available to the end of Quarter 3 2021 and 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/. Data on local authority build, local authority...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: €476,000was allocated to Louth County Council in respect of the Westgate Vision Project under Call 1 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF). This project will provide technical assistance including project management, concept development, feasibility and detailed design and planning associated with “Westgate Vision”. While my Department works closely...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides that, as the Minister, I may set a minimum income required to purchase under the scheme. The minimum income requirement has a dual purpose - it ensures the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Mar 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government backed mortgage for those on modest or low incomes who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build. It is...