Results 12,241-12,260 of 26,886 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The advancement of social housing on sites owned by Kildare County Council is a matter in the first place for the Council; it is a matter for the Council to determine what housing delivery is initiated, including the nature, scale and timing of the housing. At the request of Kildare County Council, my Department has recently confirmed funding approval for the Council to work with Cluid...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme will support eligible applicants to purchase new homes in the private market through an equity share model, similar to that used in the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme. The Scheme will be restricted to new homes within regional price ceilings, in order for resources to be generally targeted at supporting purchases in the lower region (sub-median) of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 343 of 22 March 2022. The position has not changed.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 208 and 209 together. Since 2013, Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) to support local authorities with the retrofit of local authority owned homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013 over 75,000 homes have been retrofitted with a total...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: There have been no secondments from my Department to the university third level sector in the past two years. My Department is guided by the advice issued to all Government Departments by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to secondments which is available at the following link - hr.per.gov.ie/en/corporate-pages/career/mobility/secondment/ . 

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (4 May 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. It commits to an examination of defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing’s report "Safe as Houses?". Housing for All, the Government’s national plan on housing to 2030,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: EU Directives (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: While my Department is not paying any fine for failing to transpose EU directives at the moment, I can provide details of fines paid for the Derrybrien case (C-261/18). It is important to note that these fines were not paid for ‘non-transposition’ of an EU Directive, as the Derrybrien judgment related to the specific non-compliance of the Derrybrien wind farm with the EIA...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: A key action of Housing for All is that local authorities will develop and submit Housing Delivery Action Plans to include details of social and affordable housing delivery. The Plans set out details of both social and affordable housing delivery as appropriate over the period 2022-2026, in line with targets set under Housing for All.  All local authorities submitted their Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (4 May 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at the local level. My Department publishes a detailed monthly report on homelessness, based on data provided by housing authorities. The Report outlines details of individuals utilising...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Transport (28 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: There is no allocation of ministerial vehicles in my Department. The vehicles used by myself and the Ministers of State in my Department are privately owned. 

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 84 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (27 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at the local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. ...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Part 2 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021, which I commenced on 3 September 2021, lays the foundation for the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme, which allows all Local Authorities to make available affordable homes for purchase. This is a key element in the Government's Housing For All strategy and will enable home ownership through an equity share model, in which eligible...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) 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 line with Programme for Government and Housing for All commitments in 2021, with amendments to these criteria subsequently approved by Government. The amendments came into effect on 1st...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 343 of 22 March 2022 which sets out the position in the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (27 Apr 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: In relation to the questions posed, I can inform the deputy that I am aware of allegations which have been made in relation to a Board member of An Bord Pleanála and understand that those allegations are denied by the Board member concerned. A Senior Counsel is being appointed to provide a report to inform my consideration of the matter. I also understand that the Office of the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 608 and 617 together. In November 2021, I announced €4m in funding for the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) 2022. The HSF is a competitive grant scheme for conservation works to heritage structures in both private and public ownership. Grants of between €15,000 and €50,000 are available under Stream 1, and of between €50,000 and...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Legislative reforms to regulate the short-term letting sector through the planning code, in areas designated as “rent pressure zones” (RPZs), were introduced under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 which came into effect on 1 July 2019. Notwithstanding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, significant work on...