Results 12,841-12,860 of 25,880 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 443, 444 and 445 together. The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, responsive repairs and implementing planned maintenance programmes, is a matter for each individual local authority, in line with Section 28 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provision) Act 2009. Notwithstanding the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 446, 447 and 448 together. The Defective Concrete Blocks Working Group which I established, was tasked with a review of issues of concern which had been raised by homeowners in respect of the Scheme, which applies to Mayo and Donegal only. Under the agreed Terms of Reference, one of the areas in scope for review was the issue of "Eligible Homes". This...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 449 and 450 together. The regulations for the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme came in to operation on 31 January 2020. The Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the counties of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Coastal Erosion (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Coastal Change Management Strategy Steering Group is jointly chaired by my Department and the Office of Public Works (OPW). The Group is comprised of senior officials from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department builds its strategic water policy and infrastructure delivery programmes around the National Planning Framework 2018-2040 and the National Development Plan 2021-2030. Investment is primarily delivered through Irish Water while my Department operates the Rural Water Programme directly. As part of Budget 2022, I secured funding of over €1.57 billion to support water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (19 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent, quasi-judicial, 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. In order to ensure that the RTB is fully resourced to deliver on its ever increasing mandate, I secured...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: This Government is acutely aware of the housing accommodation and affordability challenges faced by many sectors of society including healthcare workers. The Programme for Government has committed to put affordability at the heart of the housing system and increase the supply of public, social and affordable homes. A multi-faceted approach is being implemented to achieve this.  ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Capital Expenditure Programme (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Finance Act 2004, section 91, provides for the carryover of up to 10% of the REV allocation (Capital) from one year to the next. As the Deputy is aware, 2020 and 2021 saw very significant disruption to the construction sector due to Covid-19 and there have been consequential impacts on drawdown of capital funds. For 2022, I have confirmed to the Minister for Public Expenditure and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Student Accommodation (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Finance Agency (HFA) was established by the Housing Finance Agency Act, 1981 and its function is to advance loan finance to local authorities, the voluntary housing sector and Higher Education Institutes (HEIs), to be used by them for any purpose authorised by the Housing Acts, 1966-2014, and to borrow or raise funds for this purpose.  The Housing Finance Act 1981 was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Projects (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has a wide and diverse business agenda, covering a broad range of functions that are delivered primarily by local authorities and bodies under the aegis of my Department. Details in relation to specific projects (which are being advanced primarily by local authorities and Irish Water) under my Department's range of capital programmes as part of Project...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. The 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Offices (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Offices (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: There are no offices currently being rented by, or in ownership of, my Department which are currently not in use. The following Met Éireann offices are in use (as weather stations) but unoccupied:   - Cork Airport, Liberty Stream - Rent paid to OPW for observatory - Roches Point Weather Station, Co Cork – OPW State owned - Mullingar Weather Station, Co Westmeath...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Affordable Housing Act 2021, cleared all stages in the Oireachtas on 12 July and was signed in to law by the President on 21 July. The provisions of the Act establish the basis for four 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 483 and 485 together. As outlined in the Budget 2022 Expenditure report, the Government is committed to delivering 11,820 social homes in 2022 with 9,000 of these homes to be new build homes. A commitment has also been given under the Government's new Housing Plan Housing for All to phase out long term leasing over the period of the plan with a 2022...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The 'CAS Green Book' is not currently undergoing a review within my Department but any Approved Housing Body (AHB) or individual that wishes to receive information on the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) or to raise a query, can of course contact my Department or their local authority on the matter.  My Department has ongoing contacts with the Irish Council for Social Housing –...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. State funding allocated to Irish Water since its inception in 2014, including the estimate for 2022, is set out in the table below: Amounts to nearest €m  2014 2015 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: A grant for the provision or improvement of individual water supplies came into operation on 30 April 1997.  The objective of the grant scheme was to assist households, dependant on private individual water supplies, who were incurring capital expenditure to: - provide a piped supply of water for domestic purposes for the first time, or - remedy serious deficiencies in an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of Q2 2021, 94,500 HAP tenancies had been set-up since the scheme commenced, of which there were more than 62,000 households actively in receipt of HAP support and over 33,000 separate landlords and agents providing accommodation to households supported by the scheme. A...