Results 14,061-14,080 of 26,864 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: While my Department is focused on ensuring that existing housing stock is utilised to its fullest extent, the management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, responsive repairs and implementing planned maintenance programmes, is a matter for each individual local authority, in line with Section 28 of the Housing (Miscellaneous...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government has set out a clear commitment to ensure that everybody should have access to sustainable good quality housing to purchase or to rent at an affordable price and built to a high standard. The recently published Housing for All strategy is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Local Authorities have a range of legislative powers available to them to deal with under-utilised and derelict properties in their functional areas, for example, through the compulsory purchase powers and under Derelict Sites and Housing legislation. I encourage Local Authorities to adopt a proactive approach in utilising their available legislative powers for compulsory purchase, where...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Nitrates Usage (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Clean and well-protected water is important for the continuing success of Ireland’s society and economy. Protecting and restoring water quality in Ireland requires, among other actions, robust measures to address the loss of agricultural nutrients into our rivers, lakes and groundwater. My Department works closely with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Student Accommodation (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Finance Agency (HFA) was established by the Housing Finance Agency Act, 1981 and its function is to advance loan finance to local authorities, the voluntary housing sector and Higher Education Institutes, to be used by them for any purpose authorised by the Housing Acts, 1966-2014, and to borrow or raise funds for this purpose. The Housing Finance Act 1981 was amended in 2016 by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Funding provided by my Department to Clare County Council under the Social Housing Investment Programme for the acquisition of properties for social housing use for the period 2016 to 2020, is as follows - 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 €3,398,301 €10,780,103 €14,899,484 €9,031,733 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Sep 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 came in to operation on 31 January 2020 and the resulting Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme has been open for applications since the end of June 2020. The Scheme was informed by the work of an Expert Panel and the current maximum grant amounts payable...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 came in to operation on 31 January 2020 and the resulting Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme has been open for applications since the end of June 2020. The Scheme was informed by the work of an Expert Panel and the current maximum grant amounts payable...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Pollution (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 122 of 2014) requires that where a water supplier discovers a failure to meet the quality standards that person shall notify the relevant supervisory authority for that supply in accordance with such guidelines as the Agency may issue for that purpose. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified two serious...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All is the most ambitious housing plan in the history of our State, backed up by an unprecedented financial commitment of in excess of €4bn per annum. In general, affordable purchase schemes under the plan will be targeted at first time buyers. However, it is intended that a ‘Fresh Start’ principle will apply for applications to both affordable purchase...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (28 Sep 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, including the Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands. Irish Water takes a strategic, nationwide approach to asset planning and investment, and meeting customer requirements. The prioritisation and progression of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Census of Population (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In September 2020, the Government, on the advice of the Central Statistics Office (CSO), decided to postpone the 2021 Census due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The next census is now due to take place on 3 April 2022. Reviews of Dáil and European Parliament constituencies are linked to the publication of Census of Population data. In practical terms, the publication of preliminary census...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tax Exemptions (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The issue of Unfinished Housing Developments related to a particular time period covering the economic downturn, which had given rise to circumstances whereby many developers were unable or unwilling to complete housing developments (estates and apartments). This led to undesirable situations where, for example, some residents were living in partially completed housing developments. Local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reviews (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Coastal Change Management Strategy Steering Group is jointly chaired by my Department and the Office of Public Works (OPW). The Group is comprised of senior officials from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Responsibility for the management and maintenance of the local authority housing stock is the responsibility of the local authority under section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. My Department supports local authorities with annual funding to support management and maintenance of their social housing stock under a number of funding programmes. The programmes include the newly revised 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In response to concerns being raised by homeowners in relation to the Defective Concrete Block grant scheme, I established a time-bound working group, with representatives from my Department, the local authorities and homeowner representative groups who are tasked with reviewing the operation of the scheme and providing a report with recommendations originally by 31st July. At the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All commits the Government to continue to provide capital funding for the further development of housing for the specific vulnerable cohorts supported under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS), in alignment with support services provided through State agencies and NGOs. The latter has included coordination on the ground with the HSE, Tusla and others. Under Housing for All,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 342 and 348 together. The Government published a Policy Paper entitled Irish Water - Towards a national, publicly-owned, regulated water services utility in February 2021 setting out our views and expectations on the next phase of transformation in the water sector, to involve the integration of water services operations within Irish Water's organisation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (28 Sep 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Having regard to the provisions of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act 1993, Irish Water’s governing legislation, including the Water Services Acts and its Constitution, and Irish Water’s current position as a subsidiary within the Ervia Group, the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) does not currently have a role with respect to Irish Water. ...