Results 13,101-13,120 of 26,864 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is available to all eligible households throughout the State. Under HAP, a tenant sources their own accommodation in the private rented market. The tenancy agreement is between the tenant and the landlord and is governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, as amended. HAP supported tenancies are afforded...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Statutory Instruments (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant Purchase Scheme was reviewed in line with Programme for Governmentand Housing for Allcommitments in 2021, with amendments to these criteria subsequently approved by Government. The new regulations were published on 11 January 2022 and will come into effect from 1 February 2022. The scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, or joint tenants, of local authority homes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Communications (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme was informed by the report of an Expert Panel which was published in 2017 which involved extensive research, investigations and analysis. Any consideration of extension to the Defective Concrete Blocks Grants Scheme would, in the first instance, require the relevant local authority to conduct the same rigorous analysis as that carried out in Donegal...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended, set down a standard procedure for assessing applicants for social housing support. Under this procedure, a household may apply for support to one housing authority only, which may be the authority for the area in which the household normally resides or with which it...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland was published in September 2021 and, as part of a broad suite of social housing reforms, committed to reviewing income eligibility for social housing. The review, which examined inter aliathe efficiency of the current banding model and income limits applicable to local authorities, was completed in Q4, 2021. I expect to make a decision...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 289 and 290 together. I brought a Memorandum to Government on an enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme on 30 November 2021 and 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Primary responsibility for the monitoring, management, protection and improvement of water quality is assigned to local authorities under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts and related legislation. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Office of Environmental Enforcement, exercises general supervision in relation to the performance of these functions by local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, each local authority was required to prepare a Housing Delivery Action Plan, setting out details of social and housing affordable delivery in the period 2022-2026. This includes information on the locations where housing will be delivered in addition to information on the planned the delivery streams. All local authorities submitted their Plan to me in December...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 508 of 19 January 2022 which sets out the current position on this matter for all local authorities including Galway City Council and Galway County Council.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 146 on today's Order Paper.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Health Service Executive (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I am very aware of these properties in Portrane and my Department is in on-going discussions with Fingal County Council regarding the redevelopment of these derelict units to social housing; significant refurbishment works are necessary to bring them up to the required standard. My Department is open to funding these works, however, as the properties are in the ownership of the HSE,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme introduced in 2012 is targeted at supporting households in mortgage arrears who have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP); agree to the voluntary surrender of their home and are deemed eligible for social housing support. The property in question must also meet certain...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 303 and 304 together. Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible. In this regard, the assignment of local authority staff to a particular function, such as the delivery...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The table below sets out the Gross allocation and expenditure for my Department (Vote 34) in 2021. €000 Original REV allocation 5,118,437 Supplementary 198,915 Total REV allocation 2021 5,317,352 Deferred Surrender Capital Carryover 2020 214,000 Total...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (25 Jan 2022)

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 the local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities, with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not have a budget line for schemes specifically focussed on matters around gender based violence, however, some funding is provided towards domestic violence shelters under the Homelessness programme. The primary purpose of homeless current funding is for local authorities to provide accommodation for those who are unable to provide accommodation from their own resources....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The full year exchequer expenditure for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and Leasing schemes for 2021 is set out in the following table:- Scheme 2021 Exchequer Expenditure (€m.) Leasing 106.7* HAP 541.7 RAS 122.0 * includes LA Direct, AHB Leasing,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Horticulture Sector (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Working Group on the Use of Peat Moss in the Horticultural Industry was established following a series of High Court decisions which determined that large-scale peat harvesting requires planning permission and licensing by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Working Group was tasked in particular with examining the potential of alternatives to peat for the horticultural industry....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 508 of 19 January 2022 which sets out the current position on this matter. In addition, the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Initiative will be delivered by local authorities for the provision of serviced sites for housing, to attract people to build their own homes and to support the refurbishment of vacant properties, enabling people to live in small...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (25 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Lough Hyne is protected as a designated Statutory Nature Reserve, and also as a designated Special Area of Conservation. The “within site” activities identified as having the potential to negatively impact on Lough Hyne are governed by the Lough Hyne Regulations (S.I. No. 207 of 1981) and include the regulation of activities such as limited traditional fishing, removal of...