Results 14,501-14,520 of 25,979 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department received correspondence from Clare County Council in October 2020, requesting the extension of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant to County Clare. A comprehensive reply was subsequently issued to the Council in November 2020.   My Department informed the Council that before any extension of the scheme can be considered the same rigorous analysis as that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, commits to reducing and preventing homelessness and provides detail on how the Government is approaching this work as a priority. Homelessness is complex and causal factors and family circumstances vary considerably as do the responses needed....

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

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.  Notwithstanding the legal obligation on local authorities to manage and maintain...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Language (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 484 and 485 together. My Department is committed to its obligations under the Official Languages Act and associated legislation.  Section 11 of the Act provides for the preparation by a public body of a scheme, specifying the details of the services it proposes to provide through the official languages. My Department published its fifth Language Scheme in...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended by the Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011, provides the legislative basis for the NPPR charge.  The NPPR charge, which has since been discontinued, applied in the years 2009 to 2013 to any residential property in which the owner did not reside as their normal place of residence.  The self-assessed charge was set at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Residential Tenancies Board (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 487 and 488 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. On 1 July 2019, the changes to the Residential Tenancies Act 2004...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rent Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: 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.    Section 134 of the Acts requires a landlord to apply to the RTB to register a tenancy of a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Conservation (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 491 and 492 together. For reasons of operational security, the Department does not provide details of staffing in the manner requested.  Some 368 staff work in the area of natural heritage through the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.I am not aware of any District Conservation Officer ...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021 regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented 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 Acts to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Programme for Government (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The commitment in the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future to increase funding to political parties to support youth, gender and diversity programmes is part of an ambitious programme of work to be progressed by the relevant Government Departments. My Department, in recognition of the need to promote gender equality in local government, introduced a funding scheme in March...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (28 Apr 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 to increase the social housing stock nationally by more than 50,000, with a key emphasis on delivering new build homes. We are ambitious to ramp up the delivery at local authority level and we are committed to developing housing on public land. My Department...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 500 and 501 together. The information requested by the Deputy is currently being compiled and will be forwarded in accordance with Standing Orders.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 3) Regulations 2021 and Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2021: Discussion (27 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware that the Chairman is tied for time so I will keep my remarks brief. I wish to follow in the vein of Deputy Ó Broin. I spoke with Deputy Murphy this morning. Even though we crossed swords quite a great deal, members of the committee worked well together, particularly in respect of student rent. It is quite coincidental that tomorrow we will begin with student rents again in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 3) Regulations 2021 and Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2021: Discussion (27 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank all the members for their input. I will be as brief as possible and any items I do not get to I can return to. I thank members for their support for these measures. They are practical and they will help. There are other issues that have rightly been raised but I will deal with specific questions about the extension of the two regulations. The extension of the takeaway provision...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 3) Regulations 2021 and Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2021: Discussion (27 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I hope the other one will also be signed this week. I will sign all three together but the two will be moved tomorrow, the other being the change in the planning regulation. I will sign all three of them together. I intend that will be done in the coming days. Certainly, by the middle of next week, they will be in place. A circular will then go out to all local authorities. I encourage...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Charges (22 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning and delivery. Irish Water's charging policies, including in relation to connection charges, are subject to approval by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU), in its statutory role as the independent economic regulator of Irish Water. Part V of the Water Services...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Sector Staff (22 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I am informed by Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) that as part of its workforce planning, a succession planning initiative commenced in 2019 due to the senior age profile of the organisation, that is, 47 per cent of OSi's staff had reached minimum retirement age and had 40 years’ service.  To manage this challenge, staff in this cadre have been contacted to ascertain...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Protection Agency (22 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The EPA is an independent public body established under the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992.  I understand that the 2020 report is not yet available, when published it will be made available on the EPA website at www.epa.ie and will also be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The latest EPA Drinking Water Quality in Public Supplies report is for 2019 and this is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Standards (22 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supply. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations and responsibility for the enforcement...