Results 12,741-12,760 of 26,864 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (16 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: As part of the measures to support institutional capacity, Housing for All commits to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to initiate, design, plan, develop and manage housing projects and recognises that this requires the resourcing of the housing services of local authorities.  Last year, my Department worked closely with local authorities, through the County and City...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (16 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department issued a circular in February 2021 asking each local authority to identify a decarbonising zone and to provide a broad outline of the main projects that could be implemented in the decarbonising zone plus an indication as to the potential outcomes deliverable in terms of reductions in carbon emissions. Galway City Council identified the Westside area of the city as its...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (16 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: To date, 29 of 31 local authorities have submitted plans  for decarbonising zones. The projects proposed fall into a range of climate change areas including green mobility, renewable energy, and adaptation. A list of the proposed decarbonising zones is set out in the table below.  Two local authorities, Dun Laoghaire, Rathdown County Council and Fingal County Council,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (16 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is a scheme which funds the building of public infrastructure by local authorities. Its objective is to provide public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages to housing delivery. This enables the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in Dublin and in urban areas of high demand. LIHAF...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Road Projects (16 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: In order to support the costs associated with its intended construction of a Naas Inner Relief Road, in October 2017 Kildare County Council was approved for exchequer grant funding of up to €4,500,000 under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF). LIHAF funding supports the provision of infrastructure to facilitate residential land banks and allow for the delivery of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ministerial Staff (16 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department currently employs six civilian drivers. At this time there are no Garda Ministerial drivers assigned to my Department. The total salary cost for the civilian drivers in 2021 was €260,924.

Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022: Motion (15 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 11th February, 2022.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: That is not the case. We have a target of 4,100 affordable units this year. We intend to meet that target. We brought forward the most comprehensive piece of affordable housing legislation in the Affordable Housing Act 2021. In large part, delivery of affordable homes this year and in the next two or three years will be by way of the shared equity scheme, which will work to deliver homes...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy should not believe everything he reads in the paper.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (15 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2021 provide that where a landlord terminates a tenancy because he/she needs vacant possession to substantially refurbish/renovate the rented property, that property must be offered back to the former tenant upon completion of such works, where the tenant provides their contact details for such an offer to be made. Such a notice of termination...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: All social housing support recipients can submit an application for a transfer, including from one form of support to another, for example from RAS to social housing, or from one local authority dwelling to another. Requests for housing transfers are considered solely by the relevant local authority concerned in accordance with that authority’s allocation scheme, which is made by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Construction Industry (15 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI), was established in 2018 to address a shortfall of finance available for the construction of residential housing, including by medium-size builders. HBFI, which comes under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Finance, was designed to increase access to residential development finance generally and, in particular, for projects that hadn't been...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Repair and Leasing Scheme is targeted at owners of vacant properties who cannot afford or access the funding required to bring them up to the standard for rental property. The Local Authority, or approved housing body, pays for the repairs upfront and the home is taken into social housing stock by way of lease for between 5 and 25 years. The cost of repairs is offset against reduced...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of an average of 10,000 new social homes each year and 6,000 affordable homes. Under Housing for All, each local authority, including Dublin City Council were required to prepare a Housing Delivery Action Plan, setting out details...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (15 Feb 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 (15 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes a detailed Social Housing Construction Status Report each quarter, which provides scheme level detail on social housing new build activity in each local authority, including those delivered by Approved Housing Bodies. The most recent publication covers the period up to the end of Quarter 3 2021 and can be accessed at the following weblink:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Grant Payments (15 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Housing (Private Water Supply Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020, I approved the revised grant scheme to support improvement works for a private water supply. This grant is administered by local authorities on behalf of my Department. The purpose of the grant is to assist householders dependent on a private water supply (individual well) for their household use, by financially...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mortality Rates (15 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 349 and 350 together. There have been a number of deaths of people who had been sleeping rough or accessing homeless services over the last number of years. Each of these deaths is a tragedy and I extend my sympathies to the families concerned. The deaths of people availing of homeless services are a concern and are being taken very seriously. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Programme (15 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 353 to 355, inclusive, together. 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 a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Functions (15 Feb 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has a wide remit including responsibility for policy in relation to housing, planning, water, local government, heritage and Met Éireann.Further details of these functions and responsibilities are available on my Department's website at the following link - www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-housing-local-gover nment-and-heritage/ Certain functions have been...