Results 12,881-12,900 of 25,880 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (12 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (12 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 190 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 the fire...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Further detail would be required in relation to the specific scheme under which the home referred to was purchased from a local authority and in this regard it is suggested that contact be made with Laois County Council. In relation to the sale of affordable homes under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2002, the provisions relating to the control of resale of affordable homes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (12 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Construction Products Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 (CPR) sets out rules for the marketing of construction products in the EU. Where a construction product covered by a harmonised standard is being placed on the EU market, the CPR requires the manufacturer to draw up a ‘declaration of performance’ and affix a ‘CE’ marking to the product. In order to do so,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 Donegal and Mayo only, to carry out the necessary remediation works to dwellings that have been damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (12 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All sets out a number of objectives with the aim of improving the functioning of the planning system including the comprehensive review and consolidation of planning legislation to be conducted in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General. It intended that this review will be completed by December 2022. This review forms one of the actions in Housing for All and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 196 and 197 together. Budget 2021 allocated €35m for a new Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) scheme, under which the Government is making loans to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) on favourable terms, for up to 30% of the capital cost of new homes for Cost Rental. Following a Call for Proposals from AHBs in December 2020, a rigorous assessment process was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Following two broad-based Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) calls for proposals to local authorities, funding of almost €200 million was approved in principle in support of 40 infrastructure projects in 14 local authority areas across 9 counties to assist in the delivery of almost 4,200 affordable homes for purchase or for rent. Since then and arising from the Programme for Government...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (12 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area are provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). In line with the 2020 exercise, I have directed the local authorities to carry out the Summary of Social Housing Assessments 2021 in November. The process is currently ongoing and once the data...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (12 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of emergency accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. My...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (7 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ‘Housing for All’ delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply, and put affordability at the heart of the housing system. €4 billion in funding annually, representing the highest ever level of Government investment in building social and affordable housing, will, inter alia, support 54,000 new affordable homes between now and 2030, to be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (7 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authority mortgage protection insurance (MPI) scheme has applied to all house purchase loans approved by local authorities after 1 July 1986, including the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan introduced on 1 February 2018. Local authority MPI will also apply to the Local Authority Home Loan when it is intoduced. One of the conditions of the MPI scheme, which is a group policy, is that it...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Investigations (7 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to reply to Questions No. 389 and 390 of 9 September 2021. The position remains the same.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Nitrates Usage (7 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme is a key instrument in achieving good water quality. It is designed to prevent pollution of surface waters and groundwater from agricultural sources and to protect and improve water quality. It is given effect by the Good Agricultural Practice Regulations (SI 605/2017), as amended. The current regulations run to the end of 2021 and a new Nitrates...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The comments made by the Deputy are on the record of the House. We will certainly make sure the Department of the Taoiseach receives a copy of them.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy has raised a fair point. Some people are of the view that we should ban data centres from the country and not allow any more to be built. However, we have to work with them to ensure that we improve our energy security. The Government continues to make major strides in that area in order to ensure our energy supply is secure and, indeed, diverse. Measures such as the Maritime...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Bruton for his support, for his contribution on matters relating to housing and for his commitment in his constituency to delivering affordable homes for people in his area, across Dublin, and the country. Croí Cónaithe is an important fund that will help unlock and deal with the viability issue. We are working through the specific mechanisms around how subsidies...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I am not familiar with this specific case; I genuinely am not. The Deputy knows of the Government's response to the recent, and continuing, crisis in Afghanistan and other countries. We have been open, and rightly so, to giving people safe harbour here. On the repatriation and reunification of families, this is something that Ireland does pretty well. In regard to this specific case, I do...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will raise the matter with the Minister for Education.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Colm Burke for his question. It is a timely one as we are coming into budget week. Post budget, we will have a social welfare Bill. I suggest that we could then raise these matters directly with the Minister for Social Protection to see whether any changes can be made to deal with them.