Results 13,221-13,240 of 25,880 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Flexible Work Practices (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 324, 373 and 375 together. Departments and Offices are currently working in line with Government COVID-19 guidance, which provides for home working to continue where possible. Arrangements will be put in place in the coming weeks to allow for a gradual, staggered and physically distant return to the workplace for staff, as provided for in recently updated...

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

Darragh O'Brien: In order to be eligible for HAP support, a household must first qualify for social housing support and be placed on a housing list. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (9 Sep 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...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Details of the applications received and granted by local authority under the Mortgage Allowance scheme are available on my Department's website at the following link:   www.gov.ie/en/collection/fd048-affordable-housing-and-part-v -statistics/.

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Review of Demand for Water Services (2017), undertaken by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities reported that the average amount of water supplied by Irish Water to a dwelling was 125,000 litres per year. Based on this report, the Water Services Act 2007 (Threshold Amount and Allowance Amount) Order 2017 specifies that the threshold amount of water services for domestic...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Affordable Housing Act 2021 was signed into law by the President on 21 July 2021. On 18 August, I signed the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (Commencement) (Parts 1 and 3) Order 2021, which commenced Parts 1 and 3 of the Act from 19 August. This brought into operation the Cost Rental element of the Act. The text of the Order is available at:...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2020 allows a local authority to purchase a percentage of land (currently up to 10%) at existing use value and to use this land for the provision of social housing support. Existing use value is the value of the land without the benefit of planning permission and is generally less than the market value, particularly for greenfield sites....

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

Darragh O'Brien: Persons who have a disablity and are eligible for a Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan may apply for a Loan. The final decision on loan approval is a matter for the relevant local authority and its credit committee on a case-by-case basis. Decisions on all housing loan applications must be made in accordance with the statutory credit policy that underpins the scheme, in order to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The regulations for the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme came into 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 Donegal and Mayo only, to carry...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs.  The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People, which are...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (9 Sep 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 homeless services rests with individual housing authorities. The functioning of homeless accommodation is...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The quality of local authority contracted construction is a matter for the contracting parties in the first place, which includes the Builder, Employers Representative, Design and Assigned Certifiers, among others, in addition to the relevant local authority or Client. Under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2020, primary responsibility for compliance of works with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 356 and 357 together. The role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist housing authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding. Following a review of the arrangements for the disbursement of funding for the provision...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s Rural Water Programme provides a grant for the improvement of a private water supply to a house (private well). My Department understands from the local authority that the householder, mentioned in the material supplied, and the adjacent properties are supplied by the public water mains and the issues that arise are matters for Irish Water to resolve. The local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I have convened a time-bound working group which includes representatives from my Department, local authorities and homeowner representative groups. These working group members are tasked with reviewing the operation of the current scheme. Included within the terms of reference and one of the issues under review is the role of responsible parties and financial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department received correspondence from Clare County Council in October 2020, requesting the extension of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme to County Clare. A comprehensive reply was subsequently issued to the Council in November 2020.   My Department informed the Council that before any extension of the scheme could be considered, the same...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme introduced in 2012 is targeted at supporting households in mortgage arrears who are eligible for social housing support, whose mortgage has been deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP) and who have very limited options, if any, to meet their long-term housing needs themselve.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s Rural Water Programme makes provision for grant assistance to householders in carrying out remediation, repair or upgrading works to, or replacement of, a domestic waste water treatment systems where these are located in areas specifically prioritised for environmental protection for the purposes of the grant scheme or where identified as requiring action...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (9 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Through the Capital Assistance Scheme, my Department supports local authorities to advance loans to approved housing bodies to deliver housing for priority categories of housing need, including older people, persons/families who are homeless and persons with a disability. The loans between the local authorities and the approved housing bodies are, in the main, for a 30-year term and the...