Results 12,761-12,780 of 25,880 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: The recently published Housing for All strategy is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. The annual targets include the delivery 88,400 new social homes and 53,800 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recent summary, conducted in November 2020, shows that 61,880 households were assessed as qualified for and being in need of social housing support. This represents a decrease of 6,813 households or...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Modern methods of construction contain many benefits in terms of delivery and affordability, and are supported by my Department's Housing for All policy. All new dwellings must comply with building regulations, the aim of which is to provide for the safety and welfare of people in and about buildings, and in addition achieve a 60-year durability for all key elements. The...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My statutory remit and responsibility as Minister does not include regulation of the harvesting or supply of horticultural peat. However, to assist in addressing the important issues around horticultural peat for domestic purposes, I set up an Independent Working Group under the Chair of Dr. Munoo Prasad. The potential of alternatives to the use of peat moss in the horticultural industry was...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s Multi-annual Rural Water Programme provides capital funding under a number of measures relevant to the Deputy's enquiry on Community Waste Water Connections (called Group Sewerage Schemes in previous multi-annual programmes). Information on the scope of capital grants and their amounts under the current multi-annual programme were provided to local authorities as part...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021, to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants.  My Department does not collect the data sought, however the Clerk of the Dáil requested that arrangements be put in...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 337 to 339, inclusive, together. The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. My Department supports fire...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Part 3 of the Building Control Act 2007 introduced a system of statutory registration for architects and restricted use of the title of "architect" to persons who are registered architects. Section 22 of the Act makes specific provision for registration based on technical assessment of persons who had been independently performing duties commensurate with those of an architect for a...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The newly revised ten year Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme launched in 2021 is designed around the Programme for Government commitment 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 relate...

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

Darragh O'Brien: In 2020 funding of €20 million was made available as part of the Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan for an energy efficiency retrofitting programme to fund upgrades to local authority houses in the midlands, under the 'Just Transition' programme. The Midland Retrofit Programme was established as a pilot programme to provide learnings on the move to 'deeper retrofit',...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I am considering the report, entitled 'A Review Into Certain Planning Matters in Respect of Donegal County Council', by Mr. Rory Mulcahy S.C., and will bring this matter to Government for consideration in due course. In this regard, the decisions of the Commissioner for Environmental Information (CEI/18/0019) of 13 February 2019 and the Information Commissioner (OIC-59426-Q8D7T8)...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Finance Agency (HFA) was established under the Housing Finance Agency Act 1981. The Act was amended in 2016 by Section 51 of the Planning and Development (Housing) Act Residential Tenancies Act 2016 to allow the HFA to lend to Universities for the purposes of student accommodation. Since that time almost €170 million of loans have been approved for over 1,400 units of...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The foreshore licence application for proposed dredging works and beach nourishment at Magheraroarty Pier in County Donegal is currently being considered by my Department. The assessment of the applications for a foreshore consent involves several steps; including public and prescribed bodies consultation, environmental assessment under the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive and the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 346 and 347 together. My Department is aware that Emo Court House hosts an important roost for Brown Long-Eared Bats, and is further aware that complex stabilization and restorations works are being undertaken by the OPW at the House over recent years, including the works undertaken in 2019 and since then.  My Department is in ongoing contact...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The advancement of housing and other works under the Limerick Regeneration programme is a matter in the first instance for Limerick City and County Council. The Limerick Regeneration Framework Implementation Plan provides a roadmap for the regeneration of Limerick and includes plans for a community centre in St Mary's Park at an estimated cost of €2.5m. Limerick City and...

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

Darragh O'Brien: As detailed in Housing for All, housing policy objectives 6 and 7 give a commitment to undertaking a review of the range of housing grants available to assist with meeting specific housing needs both for our ageing population and people with a disability. Officials from my Department have begun a review of the existing grant limits and income thresholds applicable to the grant schemes.

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

Darragh O'Brien: Both the Climate Action Plan 2019 and Interim Climate Action Plan included an objective for Local Authorities to identify and develop Decarbonising Zones. My Department issued a circular to local authorities on 10 February 2021 asking each local authority to identify a decarbonising zone and to provide a broad outline of the main projects that could be implementable in the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Both the Climate Action Plan 2019 and Interim Climate Action Plan included an objective for Local Authorities to identify and develop Decarbonising Zones. My Department issued a circular to local authorities on 10 February 2021 asking each local authority to identify a decarbonising zone and to provide a broad outline of the main projects that could be implementable in the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The recently published Housing for All strategy is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade, supported by an investment package of over €4b per annum. The Government plans to deliver more than 90,000 social homes to 2030, with a focus on the social housing build programme, with a target to reach delivery of...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support...