Results 13,341-13,360 of 25,880 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 741 and 742 together. 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 oversight and management of the lists of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 743, 744, 745, 746, 747, 748, 749, 750 and 786 together. 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). The most recent summary, conducted in November 2020, shows that 61,880 households were assessed as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Mayo County Council has responsibility for the detailed administration of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme in Mayo. This includes the assessment of applications for eligibility and payment of grants to successful applicants under the specific remediation option approved. Homeowners may apply to the local authority seeking confirmation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Details of the funding provided by my Department to each local authority in respect of the Disabled Persons Grants Scheme/Improvement Works in Lieu (DPG/IWIL) for local authority tenants up to 2020 is available at the following link. www.housing.gov.ie/housing/grantsfinancial-assistance/disabl ed-persons-grants-and-improvement-works-lieu-schemes The 2021 DPG...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Representations from Oireachtas members to local autorities are subject to the provisions of the Local Government Act, 2001 (Section 237A) Regulations, 2003 (S.I. No. 274 of 2003). The Regulations include provisions in relation to correspondence with Oireachtas members by local authorities, arrangements to facilitate access to information, and communication generally by local authorities with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (27 Jul 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. Irish Water takes a strategic, nationwide approach to asset planning and investment, and meeting customer requirements. The prioritisation and progression of individual projects and programmes is a matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (27 Jul 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: Local Authorities (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding on an annual basis under the Disabled Persons Grants (DPGs) scheme to local authorities for adaptations and extensions to the existing social housing stock to meet the needs of local authority tenants. The scheme applies to works that are necessary to address the needs of older people or people with a disability.  This may involve...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Funding of €75 million is available nationally in 2021 for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme. This funding has increased year on year since 2014. As part of the annual budgetary process, consideration will be given to this funding in future years in line with the Programme for Government commitments and the Policy Statement on Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 761 and 762 together. I have no specific function in relation to the local authority owned land banks and the associated local authority local authority debts. Section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions. Accordingly, the day-to-day running of each local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 763 and 764 together. My Department supports local authorities with annual funding towards the management and maintenance of their social housing stock under a number of funding programmes including the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme (EERP) and the Voids programme. Record funding was provided to local authorities by my Department under the 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: This Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society and this is reflected in the Programme for Government "Our Shared Future".   This commitment was underpinned by the investment of €3.3bn towards housing programmes in Budget 2021. Subject to the impact of COVID-19, this investment will fund...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (27 Jul 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: Housing Schemes (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 768 and 769 together. Cost Rental housing, in which the rent is set to cover the cost of provision of homes, is an entirely new housing sector in Ireland. It is not intended to overlap with or replace existing social housing supports for low-income households, which remain a parallel priority for the Government. Cost Rental is rather intended...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Contained within the Programme for Government was a commitment to extend the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF). In line with this commitment, a review of the SSF progress and projects to date was undertaken and, having regard to feedback from local authorities, a number of significant improvements to the funding scheme, now named the Affordable Housing Funding scheme, have been agreed and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 771 and 772 together. The Affordable Housing Act 2021 was enacted by the President on 21 July 2021. This Act is the first ever standalone affordable housing legislation, establishing a basis for four new affordable housing measures. These measures will deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to put affordability at the heart of the housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Affordable Housing Act 2021, which cleared all stages in the Oireachtas on the 12thJuly and which was signed in to law by the President on the 21stof July, is the State's first ever standalone affordable housing legislation. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Energy Efficiency programme for Local Authority Housing requires the retrofit of homes to achieve a B2/Cost Optimal BER rating as set out in the Climate Action Plan and Building Regulation Requirements for Major Renovations. The level and cost of deep retrofit to be undertaken in local authority housing stock to achieve this standard depends on the initial condition and type of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) supports the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities for the long term leasing of houses and apartments from private owners, developers and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Details on SHCEP expenditure for the years 2015-2020, broken down by local authority, and the number of SHCEP agreements...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (27 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 requires all housing authorities, as a reserved function, to make an allocation scheme determining the order of priority to be accorded in the allocation of dwellings to households qualified for social housing support and to households approved for a transfer, the allocation of which would, in the opinion of the authority, meet the...