Results 12,701-12,720 of 26,864 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Feb 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 alia the efficiency of the current banding model and income limits applicable to local authorities, was completed in Q4 2021. I am currently...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 341 and 342 together. My Department is currently developing proposals to support the provision of waste water treatment requirements for villages and similar settlements that do not have access to public waste water infrastructure. I propose to make a further announcement on this aspect of the Programme in the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Agency provides a central support service that assesses applications for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan on behalf of local authorities and makes recommendations to the authorities to approve or refuse applications. Each local authority must have in place a credit committee and it is a matter for the committee to make the decision on applications for loans, in accordance with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 344 and 345 together. My Department's Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2019-2021 included a measure to fund Community Waste Water Connections (previously called Public Group Sewerage Schemes), Measure 6(b). This measure aims to facilitate the continued expansion of central waste water collection systems by extension off the public (Irish Water) network...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: In 2019, my Department’s Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2019-2021 allocated €350,000 to the group water scheme referred to in the details supplied for water treatment improvements. I understand that the local authority have sought an increase of this funding. There has been ongoing correspondence between the local authority and my Department on the matter with further...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Energy Rating (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 347 to 349, inclusive, together. The Government is committed under Housing for All to developing a roadmap to implement minimum Building Energy Rating (BER) standards, or ‘Cost Optimal’ equivalent, for the private rental sector beginning in 2025. This will increase energy efficiency, help to alleviate fuel poverty, help to protect...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Project Tosaigh aims to bring 5,000 privately developed units of affordable housing on stream over the first half of Housing for All. This is in addition to the State lands the Land Development Agency (LDA) is already working on. The initial focus of the initiative is on projects which have been granted planning permission or for which a grant of planning is anticipated in the short term...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to develop a scheme between local authorities and Irish Water to provide drinking water fountains nationwide to reduce plastic bottle litter. In addition, EU Directive 2020/2184 (the Drinking Water Recast Directive) as adopted on 16 December 2020 updates the obligations on Member States in relation to the quality of water intended for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: House Sales (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 359 and 360 together. My Department does not collect data in relation to the ownership or construction of individual housing units purchased and sold in the housing market. The Government is cognisant of the potential impact of institutional investment on the housing market but recognises there is an important role for such investors in financing the much...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Advertising (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: As clarified by the Deputy, during the period 2013 to present, my Department has not placed any advertising in this magazine.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 363 and 382 together. Housing for All (published in September 2021) provides a new housing plan for Ireland to 2030 with the overall objective that every citizen in the State should have access to good quality homes through a steady supply of housing in the right locations, with economic, social and environmental sustainability built into the system. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 365 and 366 together. In 2018, a total of €3,719,011 was allocated to Kerry County Council under Call 1 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) in respect of the projects submited for Tralee and Killarney. To date, Kerry County Council have drawn down a total of €2,136,735 in respect of these projects. In 2021, I announced...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible. In this regard, the assignment of local authority staff to a particular function, such as the delivery of affordable housing, is a matter for the Chief...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Action No. TABLE OF VACANCY ACTIONS TIMELINE UPDATES @ SEPTEMBER 2021 1: ESTABLISH ROBUST, ACCURATE, CONSISTENT AND UP-TO-DATE DATA SETS ON VACANCY 1A Establishment of a Vacant Homes Unit within the Department and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Affordable Housing Act 2021, the first ever standalone affordable housing legislation, established a basis for four new affordable housing measures. These measures will deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to put affordability at the heart of the housing system and prioritise the increased supply of affordable homes through (1) delivering affordable homes on local authority...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Energy Efficiency Programme for 2021 was the first year of a newly revised ten year programme designed to help deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to retrofitting 500,000 homes by 2030 to a B2/cost optimal BER standard. It is expected that approximately 36,500 of those will be local authority owned homes. €65 million of Exchequer funding was made available to support...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) do not have guidelines specifically on this issue. The RTB Dispute Resolution process gives parties two options to resolve a tenancy dispute. The first option is Mediation which aims to resolve disputes with an independent Mediator in a mutually agreeable way or the second option is Adjudication where an independent decision is made based on the facts and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Services Provision (22 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has not won any award from this publication.