Results 12,081-12,100 of 25,858 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing First enables homeless individuals with high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation with the provision of intensive housing and health supports to help them maintain their tenancies. The first National Implementation Plan for Housing First, published in September 2018, which put the programme on a national footing, was designed to provide this response, by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (25 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. Regulation 12 of the 2011 Regulations prescribes the timescales for the processing of applications by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I recognise the challenges identified in the report entitled 'A Hidden Crisis: Traveller homelessness in the South West' which was commissioned by the Cork Kerry Regional Traveller Accommodation Working Group and which investigates both the causes and impact of Traveller homelessness and hidden homelessness in the Region which is a valuable contribution on the issue. The Traveller...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Construction Industry (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All makes the following commitments in relation to Skills & Capacity in housing policy objective 17: - up-to-date forecast of labour demand and supply for the construction sector implementing the policies necessary to fast-track sufficient numbers into the residential construction workforce. Such policies may include, but are not limited to: - an integrated education,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Conservation (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department launched the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme in 2013 with the aim of funding retrofit of social homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013, over 75,000 units of local authority stock have been retrofitted with a total exchequer spend of over €183 million. The Energy Efficiency Programme was revised in 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Issues (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is currently preparing the third River Basin Management Plan for Ireland, to cover the period 2022 – 2027. A key commitment in the new Programme for Government, a new revised and strengthened River Basin Management Plan will advance Ireland’s commitment to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive . Building on the work of the second-cycle, this plan...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I brought a Memorandum to Government on an enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme on the 30 November 2021. It included an unprecedented suite of improvements to the current scheme. Government approved the enhanced scheme which it is estimated will cost approximately €2.2Bn. The comprehensive changes include: - The current 90% maximum grant will be increased to a 100% grant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 148 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department builds its strategic water policy and infrastructure delivery programmes around the National Planning Framework 2018-2040 and the National Development Plan 2018-2027. Investment is primarily delivered through Irish Water while my Department operates the Rural Water Programme directly. The Programme for Government supports the uptake of Irish Water's Small Towns and Villages...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 detailed breakdown of costs associated with the Report. A breakdown of costs associated with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Part 4 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 provides the basis for the establishment of the First Homeaffordable purchase shared equity scheme. The scheme will support first-time buyers on moderate incomes to buy a new-build home, subject to price ceilings reflective of median prices. Budget 2022 allocated €44 million to my Department for First Home. The banking sector has confirmed it...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on social housing delivery for each local authority on a quarterly basis. The statistics are available to the end of Quarter 3 2021 and show that in the first nine months of 2021, 11 new build social homes were delivered in Mayo in 2021. A detailed Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR) is published each quarter by my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I brought a Memorandum to Government on an enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme on the 30 November 2021. It included an unprecedented suite of improvements to the current scheme. Government approved the enhanced scheme which it is estimated will cost approximately €2.2Bn. Included as part of this enhanced scheme is a revised application process which will be introduced and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: All social housing support recipients can apply for a transfer, including from one form of support to another, for example from HAP to social housing, or from one local authority dwelling to another. The oversight and practical management of housing lists is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is available to all eligible households throughout the State. Under HAP, a tenant sources their own accommodation in the private rented market. The tenancy agreement is between the tenant and the landlord and is governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, as amended. HAP supported tenancies are afforded...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Statutory Instruments (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant Purchase Scheme was reviewed in line with Programme for Governmentand Housing for Allcommitments in 2021, with amendments to these criteria subsequently approved by Government. The new regulations were published on 11 January 2022 and will come into effect from 1 February 2022. The scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, or joint tenants, of local authority homes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Communications (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme was informed by the report of an Expert Panel which was published in 2017 which involved extensive research, investigations and analysis. Any consideration of extension to the Defective Concrete Blocks Grants Scheme would, in the first instance, require the relevant local authority to conduct the same rigorous analysis as that carried out in Donegal...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended, set down a standard procedure for assessing applicants for social housing support. Under this procedure, a household may apply for support to one housing authority only, which may be the authority for the area in which the household normally resides or with which it...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland was published in September 2021 and, as part of a broad suite of social housing reforms, committed to reviewing income eligibility for social housing. The review, which examined inter aliathe efficiency of the current banding model and income limits applicable to local authorities, was completed in Q4, 2021. I expect to make a decision...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 289 and 290 together. I brought a Memorandum to Government on an enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme on 30 November 2021 and it included an unprecedented suite of improvements to the current scheme. Government approved the enhanced scheme which it is estimated will cost approximately €2.2Bn. The comprehensive changes include: - The...