Results 13,921-13,940 of 26,864 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Senator Blaney for raising this important issue. First, I commend the residents and their representatives on the input they had into the working group. I inherited the original scheme. The scheme was agreed and launched in 2020. One of the first visits I made when I was appointed Minister in summer 2020 was to Donegal, where I visited homeowners. I met residents in Buncrana,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: On the timeline, I do not want to delay the process at all. We have a great deal of work to do on foot of receiving the working group report. I have sought submissions and views from the Opposition parties, which I believe is important. I did that with the Housing for All plan, and many other parties sent in submissions. It is important to know that we have a consensus on this and how we...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The regeneration of Poolbeg West is the next important step in transforming the Docklands area, given its strategic location east of Grand Canal Dock, with close proximity to important bridge connections to Dublin Port and North Lotts. The residential potential within the available lands is for a maximum of 3,500 additional residential units. The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA)...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (6 Oct 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: Departmental Data (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 SSHA has been conducted on an annual basis since 2016, prior to which it was carried out once every three years, with the last Summary under this approach having taken place in 2013. The most...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 42 together. I am considering the report, entitled 'A Review Into Certain Planning Matters in Respect of Donegal County Council', by Mr. Rory Mulcahy S.C., and will bring this matter to Government for consideration in due course. In this regard, the decisions of the Commissioner for Environmental Information (CEI/18/0019) of 13 February 2019 and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme introduced in 2012 is targeted at those households in mortgage arrears who have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process. In order for a borrower to qualify for the MTR scheme, the mortgage, property and household must meet detailed eligibility criteria. In addition, the MTR process has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (6 Oct 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 Act, 1981. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy and national standards, providing a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (6 Oct 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 a local level. My Department does not provide homeless service directly but contributes to overall expenditure incurred by housing authorities in the provision of homeless accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 and 48 together. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021, to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants. My Department does not collect the data sought, however the Clerk of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (6 Oct 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 facilitate the resolution of disputes between...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board's (RTB’s) funding is derived primarily from a proportion of the fee income accruing from tenancy registrations, as set down by Ministerial Order. This allowed the RTB to move to an entirely self-financing position in 2010. However, due to a deterioration in the RTB’s finances as a result of reduced registrations, a growing demand for RTB services...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (6 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52, 53 and 54 together. 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 Act, 1981. My Department supports fire authorities through...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fishing Industry (5 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: As I have previously outlined to the House, I am aware of the potential disruption to the livelihood of the Fisheries sector as a result of Off-Shore Renewal Energy (ORE) developments and the designation of Marine Protected Areas. Specifically in relation to ORE, the issue of diverse levels and standards of communications between the fisheries and ORE industries was first raised by members of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (5 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. Housing for All details how the Government is approaching this challenge, and includes a commitment to develop a Youth Homelessness Strategy within Quarter 1 of 2022. Preparing this strategy will involve co-operation and co-ordination between myself and my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Private Partnerships (5 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Social Housing Public Private Partnership (PPP) Programme consists of 3 Bundles of sites that will deliver in the region of 1,500 social homes and there are robust governance arrangements in place to oversee implementation. Building on the successful model of social housing PPPs, Housing for All - a New Housing Plan for Ireland commits to increasing their use to deliver social housing....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (5 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: As part of Housing for All, I announced a reformed successor to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Scheme, the 'Local Authority Home Loan'. The Local Authority Home Loan will include an increase in the income ceiling for single applicants. For counties where the scheme’s house price limit is €320,000 (Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow), the income...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (5 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: As part of Housing for All, I announced a reformed successor to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Scheme (RIHL), the 'Local Authority Home Loan'. I also announced an interest rate reduction of 0.25% on local authority mortgage lending. As of 10 September 2021, the reduction of the mortgage interest rate for new borrowers by 0.25% has already been implemented. It currently applies to new...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (5 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 285 and 322 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 net...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (5 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Increased rent limits for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and the Rent Supplement Scheme were introduced in 2016. These limits were agreed in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection (DSP). In reviewing the rent limits, my Department worked closely with DSP and monitored data gathered from the Residential Tenancies Board and the HAP Shared Services Centre. The HAP rent...