Results 14,541-14,560 of 26,886 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will comment on the four Government amendments. Amendment No. 13 inserts a new section 6 into the Bill to amend section 20 of the 2004 Act which provides for frequency of rent reviews. Currently, section 20 of the 2004 Act provides that, generally, rent reviews are allowed to occur no more frequently than annually in an RPZ or biannually outside an RPZ. However, a rent review is allowed...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Senator Warfield and his colleagues for tabling this amendment. We discussed this issue at some length on Second Stage, when I outlined the position in this regard. Included in this important legislation is, as the Senator rightly said, the extension of protections for those worst affected by the impact of Covid-19. Those protections include a ban on evictions and a ban on rent...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It is magnificent to be in the House on a day when unanimity has broken out across the board. This is great. Gabhaim fíor-bhuíochas le gach Seanadóir a ghlac páirt sa díospóireacht thábhachtach úsáideach agus phráinneach seo. Táim fíor-bhuíoch as a gcabhair agus an obair atá déanta acu an tseachtain agus an mhí...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rights of Way (1 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: There appears to be a misapprehension regarding the dates for registering rights of ways acquired by prescription on foot of amendments made by Parts 12 and 13 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011 to the provisions relating to acquisition of easements and profits by prescription contained in Part 8 of the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009. I understand from the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (1 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Nitrates Usage (1 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 220 together. A review of Ireland's Nitrates Action Programme is currently under way. A first round of public consultation was held last year and I anticipate that the second public consultation will commence in the coming weeks. My Department, working with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, are currently finalising...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (1 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 221 and 222 together. The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural condition, sanitary facilities, food preparation, storage and laundry, the availability of adequate heating, lighting and ventilation, the safety of oil, electricity and gas installations, fire safety...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (1 Jul 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 Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribe maximum net income limits for each local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (1 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding to local authorities in respect of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist eligible people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability (max grant €30,000), the Mobility Aids Grant (max grant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Animal Diseases (1 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Since the initial discovery of RHD2 in wild rabbits and hares in August 2019, the National Parks and Wildlife Service staff of my Department have continued to monitor for the disease with the assistance of colleagues in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). Reports of suspected cases have been followed up and carcasses submitted to DAFM’s Regional Veterinary...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (1 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: For 2021, total funding of €75 million has been provided for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme for private houses. Details of the funding provided for the grants from 2008 up to 2020 are available on my Department's website at the following link: www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/social-and-affordble/o...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (1 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 229 and 230 together. My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants in respect of private houses. There are three separate grants available, including the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and Housing Aid for Older People grant, with responsibility for the apportionment between them...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (1 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Information on the funding provision under the Capital Assistance Scheme for the years 2018-20 is set out below. Under the Capital Assistance Scheme, funding of up to 100% of project costs may be advanced by local authorities to Approved Housing Bodies to provide accommodation for priority categories on the waiting list including elderly, people/families who are homeless and people with a...

Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I request that the Ceann Comhairle direct the Clerk, in accordance with Standing Order 196, to make the following minor corrections to the text of the Bill. On page 36, line 9, to replace the words "section 55(2)" with "section 55(3)". On page 40, line 3, to replace the words "section 52" with "section 53". On page 40, line 4, to replace the words "section 53(3)" with "section 54(3)".

Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 13: In page 7, lines 18 and 19, to delete “at a price below market price” and substitute the following: “on a cost rental basis, transferred to a planning authority or transferred directly in accordance with Part 2 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021”.

Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: That is not true.

Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Are we not letting Deputy Boyd Barrett in again?

Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will respond after Deputy Boyd Barrett. I will give way.

Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I know what Deputy Boyd Barrett is going to say.

Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In fairness to Deputy Boyd Barrett and his colleagues, at least they tabled amendments.