Results 13,761-13,780 of 25,880 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2021: Second Stage (18 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: There has not been a blanket use of a guillotine.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2021: Second Stage (18 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Yesterday we concluded 20 hours of Committee Stage of the Land Development Agency Bill 2021. We have done ten hours on the Affordable Housing Bill 2021. We will be doing Committee Stage on this Bill as well. I am open to any suggestions or interventions in between Stages. It is always open for people to come to me. The Senator has made suggestions with regard to the vacant site levy....

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2021: Second Stage (18 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I do not think it is a Q&A.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (18 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: All the amendments in this grouping relate to the situation where an affordable dwelling has been acquired under agreement under Part V of the 2000 Act. I do not think the Senator is going to move amendment No. 1 but I will respond to all four amendments in detail because it is an important point and people should be very clear about where we are. As previously confirmed, Part V provisions...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (18 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Senators for their contributions. Senator Warfield's amendment, which was accepted, was mentioned and this discussion has been useful. Amendment No. 2 adds public-public partnerships and not-for-profit arrangements to the existing arrangements, but Senator Higgins noted that I accepted a Committee Stage amendment to section 6 to include "arrangements with co-operatives,...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (18 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: That is what we are doing with the LDA in respect of State lands. Senator Craughwell spoke about the Defence Forces. Nothing precludes the military from partnering with another body.Why I mentioned that expertise is required is because when we look at approved housing bodies we have a regulator. We do not want a proliferation of different bodies involved who do not have expertise in the...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (18 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Senators for their contributions, particularly Senators Boyhan and Higgins. I have discussed this at length with my colleague, Senator Fitzpatrick. It is purely a matter of timing. It genuinely is, and perhaps I can explain that. This is detailed legislation. It is the most comprehensive item of affordable housing legislation ever brought forward. What Senators Fitzpatrick,...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (18 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I fully understand the sentiment from my colleagues and I will not repeat what has been said. We do not want this Bill to become a planning Bill. Our local authorities, An Bord Pleanála and so on are there to ensure that the appropriate location of dwellings is respected. I am confident that it will be. If we were to include this, we would run the risk that all other areas within the...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (18 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: We all want to get to the same place.I am concerned there could be a distinction drawn between affordable housing versus other housing. Affordable housing is housing for families and there should be no distinction between affordable, social, or other types of tenures, such as cost-rental. It is housing for people. If we include specific defined additional measures in an affordable housing...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (18 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Senators Higgins, Ruane and Black for the amendment they tabled. It gives us an opportunity to talk this matter through. I will deal very quickly with some of the questions that have been asked. I will deal with the proposer of the amendment first, however. I genuinely do not believe it is appropriate to set an arbitrary limit, whether it be 15%, 20% or 25%. Senator Cummins put...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (18 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It has not been accepted.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (18 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Senator can attend a committee meeting any time he likes and ask questions there

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (18 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I am listening.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (18 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: That is fine.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (18 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Senators for the amendments. I believe amendment No. 8 is still live and has not been withdrawn. I have a couple of things to say about amendments Nos. 8 and 9. It is good that these matters are being teased out and I know they formed a significant part of the Committee Stage debate. I am going to give a more detailed response for the record of the House. Senator Cummins made...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (17 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The regulations for the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme came in to 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 out the necessary...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (17 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system. Delivery on this commitment is evidenced in the new measures contained in the Affordable Housing Bill 2021, currently before the Oireachtas, which provides for three schemes that will increase the supply of affordable homes through (1) affordable homes on local authority lands, (2) the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (17 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency. The provisions of the Act apply only to dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave consequent on the presence of reactive pyrite...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (17 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 281, 282 and 283 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 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (17 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency. The provisions of the Act apply only to dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave consequent on the presence of reactive...