Results 11,801-11,820 of 25,858 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Chairman for the opportunity to discuss with the committee the Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022. There are certain specific items to address within the regulations. The proposed regulations amend provisions in the principal planning and development regulations 2001-21 relating to development that is exempt from the requirement to obtain...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: There is one matter I should have mentioned. The draft statutory instrument that was circulated to the committee contains the 250 sq. m restriction, and acknowledging that we will not proceed with that, we can proceed on the basis of a revised statutory instrument, with the permission of the committee, rather than coming back and delaying this further by submitting another revised statutory...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I remind members that some limitations remain which, I believe, are sensible. They include a requirement that the property must be vacant for at least two years prior to the commencement of the work. We do not want people closing premises and then saying they will convert them. There are requirements for adherence to the minimum requirements of floor area, as well as storage space...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy made a couple of good points. To address one of them, first, let us remember what we are focusing on. We are focusing on commercial units that have been vacant for two or more years, and we are adding public houses to those. Many of these will be on our main streets in towns and urban areas, but they will be in rural areas too. The exemption applies across the board. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Flaherty for his support of these measures. He has made a very good point. On the vacant homes officer positions, which we are expanding through the country to make sure they are individual roles, I see the councils having a real role in this and a focus on it. We want dedicated resources across the 31 local authorities looking at the issue of vacancy. When these changes...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Senator Cummins. I visited one of the converted pubs in Waterford with the Senator on a wet day. I noted the difference between converting other premises and this. The people doing it informed me of the hoops they had to jump through and it did not seem to make sense. Many other examples were given to me. I commend the Senator for that and for his ongoing engagement on setting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Senator for his support and note the points he has raised. These units will be vacant for two years or more so rates should not be an issue. We do not want people moving out of commercial into residential because they will get a planning exemption and move on with nine units. Criteria will be set under that. Notification will go to the local authority. I want to keep this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. On the last point, if something is left open-ended, people may long-finger making those changes. We have seen an increase year on year. Once the regulations were due to expire, many people asked if we could extend it further. It is important to do it in reasonable medium-sized timeframes. If I was to leave it openended, it may not have the focus to suggest we are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I might let Mr. Sheridan or Mr. Ryan in here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: We will not. I will add that we undertook a survey around size in this context and we have not, as far as I am aware, found any downsides. We keep this issue under continual review, but we looked at average size, the number of units and all those aspects, and I have not seen any downsides in the information presented to me. Any analysis we have undertaken - we can share this information...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Chair and members. I submitted a longer and more detailed written statement, which the members have already, so I will keep my remarks relatively short and present an overview. I also appreciate the Chair's kind remarks regarding the briefing provided by departmental officials to members. I welcome the opportunity to discuss my Department’s Estimate for 2022, as well as...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: We have underpinned the programme on a multi-annual basis to ensure that the LDA, now that it has been established on a statutory footing with the help of the committee and most Members, can be capitalised. The Minister of State mentioned that it would be capitalised imminently. It received its first capitalisation through the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, ISIF. The HFA is a source of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: We have received housing delivery plans from every local authority in the country. In the Custom House, our housing delivery team, which deals with affordable and social housing, is working through those plans with each local authority. Next week and the week after, I will have housing summits with all 31 chief executives and their directors of services for housing and planning. The...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (10 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I expect all local authorities to be ambitious, and they are. We are asking them to take a lead role in the delivery of affordable homes. I visited many of the sites in Ballymun with the Deputy. There is a real opportunity there. I am asking our local authorities - and we are working with them - to bring forward sites and deliver affordable, cost-rental and social homes, but we also need...