Results 13,681-13,700 of 25,880 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 224 and 225 together. My Department publishes a Social Housing Construction Status Report each quarter, which contains details of all social housing developments completed, under construction or in planning/design in each local authority area, including in Donegal. The most recent publication covers the period up to the end of Q1 2021 and is available at the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme applies to private dwellings in Donegal and Mayo that have been damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks. An Expert Panel was established in 2016 to investigate the cracking of external walls of dwellings in Donegal and Mayo, due to the crumbling of concrete blockwork, which came to light in 2013. The report of the expert panel...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding to local authorities so as to enable them adminsiter the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme. These schemes assist eligible applicants living in privately owned homes to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs.  The grants available operate on a sliding scale with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The delivery of housing supports is a key priority of Government and this is reflected in the Programme for Government commitment for the delivery of 50,000 new social homes nationally, with a key emphasis on delivering new build homes. The Government investment for the delivery of all housing programmes this year alone, is €3.3 billion and given the major focus on new build social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 235, 237 to 239, inclusive, 246 and 251 together. This Government is absolutely focused on 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". The Programme commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on social housing delivery activity on a quarterly basis including Build and Acquisitions. This data includes details on the number of social housing units provided by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies from 2015 to Quarter 1 2021.  This data is published on the statistics page of my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Agency provides a central support service which assesses applications for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan on behalf of local authorities and makes recommendations to the authorities to approve or refuse applications. Each local authority must have in place a credit committee and it is a matter for the committee to make the decision on applications for loans, in accordance...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage which is designed to enable suitable first time buyers who cannot access sufficient mortgage finance from commercial lenders, to access sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new or second-hand properties in a suitable price range or to self-build.  The Programme for Government "Our Shared Future"...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Strategy for the Rental Sector identifies high and rapidly rising rents as the key driver of accommodation insecurity for tenants and a factor in the termination of tenancies. To address this situation, a Rent Predictability Measure was introduced to moderate rent increases in those parts of the country where the imbalance between demand and supply of rental accommodation was driving rent...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In terms of the evaluation of housing needs, National Policy Objective 37 of the National Planning Framework (NPF) provides for a Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) to be undertaken in each local authority area. The objective is to ensure long-term strategic housing needs are met. The purpose of the HNDA is to: (1) assist local authorities to develop long-term strategic views of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 247, 250 and 253 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 qualified for and being in need of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Land Development Agency (LDA) is currently developing a register of all relevant public lands, which is lands owned by public bodies in population areas greater than 10,000. An initial prototype mapping tool has already been completed and is available on the LDA website. The Land Development Agency Bill 2021 will put the register on a statutory basis. When completed, it will contain...

Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will check out that point. It is a good point. I understand if they had paid in advance above the two months and availed of the 28-day notice period, any rent paid past that date should be refundable. I will double-check that with officials this evening and respond to Deputies. We need to further clarify but that is my understanding of how it is read right now. The notice period is...

Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will deal with a number of issues that have been raised. On amendment No. 10, I understand from Deputy Ó Broin's contribution that he will withdraw this amendment. I thank him for his understanding in that regard. We are actively working on that and I intend to come back on that within a short period of time. I think the Deputy understands why I cannot expand too much on that at...

Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputies Duncan Smith and Cian O'Callaghan for their amendments. They have outlined the purpose of their amendments, which is to extend the deadlines concerning protections and eligibility. In framing all the legislation we produced since the lifting of the blanket eviction ban, the concern I had and that was raised with me legally related to how legally sound the measure was....

Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware of it.

Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I do not want to get into a political back-and-forth with Deputy Cian O'Callaghan; he knows exactly what I said. I said the trend has been absolutely in the right direction. The number is still far too high; there is no question about that. Monthly figures on families, children and individuals who are homeless will be published on Friday and I expect to see a further reduction. The figure...

Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I have very little else to say, other than I have outlined why I am not accepting the amendments. We have been doing very detailed work in respect of the rent increase issue, which I expect to be able to bring to a conclusion shortly. I have said that. If some Members do not want to accept that, it is fine. The whole issue is not about pretending that it is a serious situation. I know...

Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputies for tabling these amendments. I cannot accept them and I will explain why presently. First, I want to inform the House that no one is pretending to do anything. We brought in effective measures last July and we have extended them since. In addition, we brought forward some permanent changes, relating to rent arrears, deposit restrictions and minimum notice periods,...