Results 12,741-12,760 of 25,880 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (10 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 118 together. I welcome the report on Urban Waste Water from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showing that, while many challenges remain, Irish Water is continuing to make progress and is improving our waste water systems.  Irish Water has reduced the number of priority waste water sites listed by the EPA, and has increased...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (10 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: As set out in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 112 of 28 September 2021, the meetings I held in May/June (online) and in September last (in person) were with the Chief Executives of all the local authorities, which included both Galway City and County Councils and the other 29 local authorities. At these meetings, a range of issues relating to the Housing for...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Sinn Féin supported the affordable housing legislation.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: This is the sound bite nonsense.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It supports it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: That is not true. Deputy McDonald should withdraw that remark.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy takes everything from the Daily Mail.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Agriculture Industry (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Closed periods for spreading manure are designed to protect water from nutrients leaching from land. These closed periods cover those times when there is usually low levels of grass growth to use the nutrients from the manure. Farms are required to have storage capacity available for manure to cover these closed periods. Ireland's Nitrates Action Programme aims to reduce water pollution...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: European Court of Justice (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The European Court of Justice ruling in this case (Case C-215/06) results from a case was taken against Ireland for failure to ensure full implementation of Directive 85/337/EEC (the EIA Directive). The judgment in this case had two grounds; - first ground: that Ireland failed to ensure that projects likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue of their nature, size...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: European Court of Justice (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: On 12 November 2019, the Court of Justice of the EU published its judgment in case C-261/18 Commission v Ireland (the Derrybrien Windfarm case). The Court ruled against Ireland and imposed a lump sum fine of €5 million and a daily fine of €15,000 against Ireland until compliance with the judgment is achieved, plus legal costs, payable to the European Commission. The court...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The EU Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy) establishes a common framework for the protection of inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater. The overall aim of the Directive is to maintain high and good status waters where they exist and to restore waters...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electric Vehicles (9 Nov 2021)

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: Hare Coursing (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 317 and 318 together. Officials from my Department were present at the meeting of 15 October 2021 arranged by the club referred to by the Deputy. 3 hares died during the course of the first day of the meeting. A post mortem was carried on the three hares by Athlone Regional Veterinary laboratory on Monday 18 October 2021. The netting licence for this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: On 23 June 2021, my Department received an application from Mayo County Council seeking funding under the Serviced Sites Fund, to assist in the delivery of 25 affordable purchase homes in Westport. Following an initial examination of this application, my Department wrote to Mayo County Council seeking a number of clarifications. The delivery of affordable housing, in accordance with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 320 and 321 together. The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP and those households must source their own accommodation in the private rental sector. Under HAP, households at risk of homelessness...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not receive any details of inspections, numbers approved for grants etc., and the Deputy may wish to contact the local authority mentioned in the details supplied for further information in relation to his request. The table below sets out details of recoupment for 2020 and 2021 by my Department under the Domestic Waste Water Treatment System Grant Schemes (also known as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 provided for, among other things, the establishment of a tenancy deposit protection scheme to be operated by the Residential Tenancies Board. However, there have been significant changes in the rental market since the 2015 scheme was first envisaged and designed. For example, the 2015 scheme was intended to be financed by the interest payable on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I received the final report of the Working Group on Defective Concrete Blocks in early October and since then have engaged in extensive consultation with Government colleagues on the matter. Following completion of this consultative process I intend bringing a memorandum to Government, in the immediate term, setting out proposals for improvements to the existing scheme, it’s future...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The newly revised ten year Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme was launched in 2021 in response to a commitment made under the Programme for Government to retrofit 500,000 homes to a B2/Cost Optimal BER standard by 2030, of which approximately 36,500 of those homes are expected to be local authority homes. A target of 2,400 social homes for upgrade works has been set for 2021, 750 of which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (9 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: There is no legislative impediment to the taking in charge of residential estates reliant on developer provided infrastructure (DPI), for water services purposes, where it is appropriate to do so. Circular Letter PL 5/2014 updated the arrangements in place to address matters related to the taking-in-charge of residential developments following the establishment of Irish Water. The...