Results 13,141-13,160 of 26,864 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Second Stage (20 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to have this opportunity to present the Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022 to the House. Many examples of building failure as a result of non-compliance with building regulations have come to light in recent years and more may continue to emerge in the coming months and years. The Government's plan for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Communications (20 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government's priority under Housing for All is to deliver 47,600 new build social homes over the next five years. Substantial funding is available to local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to deliver on this objective as the primary means through which they will increasingly meet the needs of those on their waiting lists. I am also keen that local authorities and AHBs...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regulatory Bodies (20 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Part 4 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 provides the basis for the establishment of the First Home Affordable Purchase Shared Equity scheme. The scheme will support first-time buyers on moderate incomes to buy a new-build home. The banking sector has confirmed it is committed to working with the State to develop and deliver this scheme. Budget 2022 allocated €44m to my Department for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pension Provisions (20 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Agency assumed the role of dealing with pension matters for the NBA pensioners in October 2018. The Deputy will understand that it would not be appropriate for me as Minister to comment on the circumstances of any individual. However, my understanding is that a query has been raised by the Housing Agency with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (20 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 28 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provision) Act 2009. Since 2014, Exchequer funding has also been provided through...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (20 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 alia the efficiency of the current banding model and income limits applicable to local authorities, was completed in Q4,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (20 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 229 and 230 together. The Housing for All Strategy delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system, with an ambitious target of 300,000 homes over the next decade for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing. Measures to deliver...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (19 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: A detailed Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR) is published each quarter by my Department, which provides scheme level detail on new build social housing activity. The CSR provides details of the individual social housing new build projects, that make up the new build programme for each local authority, including Mayo. The most recent publication covers the period up to the end of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Hare Coursing (19 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Irish hare is protected under the Irish Wildlife Acts and can only be captured under licence; hunting of hares is limited to the Open Season. The Irish hare is also listed on Annex V of EU Directive 92/43/EEC (the Habitats Directive) and this listing requires member states to manage the species’ sustainably. The Habitats Directive also requires Ireland to make a detailed report...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Issues (19 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is currently holding a public consultation exercise in a relation to Ireland's draft 3rd River Basin Management Plan which includes objectives in relation to improving the environmental condition of Ireland's rivers. The National Barrier Programme (NBP)  is an important element of the plan and is a matter for Inland Fisheries Ireland in the first instance. Since its...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (19 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand that the scheme in question was included in the Water Services Investment Programme 2007-2009. The Programme at that time was directly funded by my Department. In 2009, a request was sent to local authorities, including Clare County Council, to review and prioritise their proposals for new capital works in their areas. I understand that the scheme in question was not among...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (19 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: “Housing for All - a New Housing Plan for Ireland” recognises reducing and preventing homelessness as a priority for the Government with a particular focus on reducing the number of families and individuals experiencing homelessness. Housing for All also recognises the criticality of interagency supports which are required to address the complex combination of social, health and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (19 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 467 and 582 together. The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. Section 30 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides that the Minister may set out a minimum income required to purchase under the scheme. The minimum...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (19 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability currently provides up to 95% grant funding under the Scheme. The Scheme facilitates older people and people with a disability to remain living independently in their own homes. Funding of €81.25 million is available nationally in 2022 and has been increasing year on year...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (19 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 63 of the Housing Act 1966 deals with overcrowding and inter aliaestablishes effective limits on the numbers of people that can occupy the same bedroom. Accordingly, a property will be considered overcrowded when the number of people normally sleeping there and the number of bedrooms are such that any two people, if they are older than 10 years old and of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (19 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 471, 549, 581 and 610 together. The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. The scheme is governed by the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015. These regulations provide for specified classes of houses to be excluded...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Climate Action Plan (19 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: A budget of €65 million was allocated to local authorities in 2021, with €20 million allocated under the Midlands Retrofit Pilot as part of the 'Just Transition' programme, and the balance of €45 million under the 2021 Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme for the retrofit of homes to a B2/Cost Optimal BER standard under these Programmes. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (19 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: To be eligible for Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), a household must qualify in the first instance for social housing support and be placed on a local authority housing list. Applications for support are assessed the relevant local authority according to eligibility and need criteria set down in Section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Conservation (19 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department launched the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme in 2013 with the aim of funding retrofit of local authority homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013 over 73,500 units of social housing stock have been retrofitted with a total exchequer spend of €161 million under the scheme. The Energy Efficiency...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Hare Coursing (19 Jan 2022)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department issues licences to the Irish Coursing Club to facilitate the capture (under Section 34) and tagging of hares (under Section 32) for closed park meetings under the Wildlife Acts. The Irish Coursing Club decides the location of hare coursing meetings.