Results 11,961-11,980 of 25,858 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Property Registration (1 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Property Registration Authority (PRA) provides essential services to support the property market. Although the National Land Register and its mapping base are fully digitised, and legal and spatial searches may be carried out through the landdirect.ie portal, the registration process itself remains paper-based because of legislative provisions prohibiting the use of digital signatures...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 422 and 423 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (1 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The domestic violence refuge proposals that are at early stages of advancement, further to Parliamentary Question Number 307 of 25 January 2022, are as follows: Local Authority Approved Housing Body/Service Provider Location   Project Status  Wexford Co Council  Wexford Women's Refuge  Wexford Town ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (1 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Bathing Water Task Force, chaired by Dublin City Council, has informed my officials that the initial report is complete and is available from Dublin City Council (waterpollution@dublincity.ie). I will arrange for a copy to be sent to the Deputy directly. I understand that the report outlines in detail the areas of the catchment to be subject of further investigation for sources of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electric Vehicles (1 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requires the installation of appropriate infrastructure, to enable the installation at a later stage of recharging points for Electric Vehicles, for new residential buildings and non-residential buildings and those undergoing major renovation, with more than ten parking spaces. In addition, non-residential buildings with more than ten parking...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Policy Paper on Water Sector Transformation (February, 2021) sets out clearly the approach planned by Government to proceed with the integration of public water services within Irish Water's organisation structure and thereby deliver a publicly owned, stand-alone, regulated, national water utility tasked with modernising and transforming the delivery of water services in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are making an important contribution to social housing delivery, as envisaged under the Housing for All Plan. The Government is committed to increasing social housing delivery and plans to deliver more than 90,000 social homes to 2030. My Department operates a number of funding programmes that assist local authorities to work in partnership with AHBs to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: In July 2020 approval was granted by Cabinet to allow the Land Development Agency (LDA) and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLR) to proceed to tender for the construction of 597 units at Shanganagh Castle. This flagship LDA project will deliver 597 homes on public land, combining social, cost rental and affordable homes in the first such development in the State. This important...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (27 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has not commissioned any polling since 1 January 2021. An online survey in relation to defects in housing on behalf of the working group established by me to examine defects in housing is being prepared by my Department with the support of the Housing Agency. It is intended to go live at the end of the month. The survey audience is homeowners and landlords of apartments...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Detail 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 SSHA captures the total number of households qualified for social housing support across the country whose social housing need has not yet been met and helps better inform policy and planning...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: 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). In line with the Regulations, applicant households are assessed for eligibility in the first...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (27 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Donegal and Mayo County Council have responsibility for the administration of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme. This includes the assessment of applications for eligibility and payment of grants to successful applicants under the specific remediation option approved. Budget 2021 provided funding of €20 million to fund the operation of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (27 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 and 206 together. The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government backed mortgage scheme 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (27 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I am supportive of a recommendation of the working group on Defective Concrete Blocks which would allow for enhancements, as announced as part of the Governments decision on the 30th November 2021, to be made available retrospectively to current eligible scheme applicants if applicable. I aim to bring the required primary legislation to give effect to the enhanced scheme before the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Construction Industry (27 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The main objective of the Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2021, is to develop and promote a culture of competence, good practice and compliance with the Building Regulations in the construction sector, which will benefit consumers and the general public. The legislation will require providers of building services to register with the appointed statutory body. This will apply to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (26 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing for All Strategy delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system, with an ambitious target of 300,000 homes over the next decade for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing. Measures to deliver this housing are supported by over €4 billion in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (26 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Tenants in the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme are required to sign a rent contribution agreement to pay a weekly rental contribution to the relevant local authority, in line with the local authority’s differential rent scheme. As set out in the rent contribution agreement, this weekly rental contribution must be paid by them so that they remain eligible for the HAP scheme. HAP...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (26 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: While the Department does not hold information on the number of Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) tenancies that moved directly into a social housing property, data is available in relation to the number of tenancies that moved from HAP to other forms of social housing support. The majority of these transfers would have been to local authority or approved housing body social housing. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (26 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 75 together. The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme supports the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities for the leasing of houses and apartments. Dwellings under the scheme come from a number of different sources including private owners, Part V and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Long term lease...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (26 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: In April 2018, a Working Group was established to conduct a review of the wider investment needs relating to rural water services. The Group's aim is to recommend measures to ensure an equality of outcome between those who receive water services from Irish Water and non-Irish Water customers. The terms of reference of the review provide for a two-strand approach. Strand 1 is considering...