Results 14,661-14,680 of 26,971 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Grant Payments (30 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 105 together. My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, in respect of private houses. There are three separate grants available, including the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, with responsibility for the apportionment between them being a matter...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (30 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and associated services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. 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 local level. While...

Affordable Homes in the Poolbeg Strategic Development Zone: Motion (29 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I have been listening to the Member. She has made charges against me concerning things that I did not say, nor have I ever.

Affordable Homes in the Poolbeg Strategic Development Zone: Motion (29 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: She should withdraw them because they are just wrong and she knows it.

Affordable Homes in the Poolbeg Strategic Development Zone: Motion (29 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy will not be let away with her propaganda this evening.

Affordable Homes in the Poolbeg Strategic Development Zone: Motion (29 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Go away out of that. You referred to me. I never said that.

Affordable Homes in the Poolbeg Strategic Development Zone: Motion (29 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Ó Broin and his colleagues for tabling the motion. It is timely and useful. I will not oppose it. I will not engage in a political back-and-forth with the three previous speakers because this is a very serious issue. I agree with Deputy Ó Broin that this is a very important strategic site. It is not the only important strategic site in Dublin but is probably...

Affordable Homes in the Poolbeg Strategic Development Zone: Motion (29 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The intelligence unit is working very well. Impressive.

Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I appreciate Deputy Pringle raising those matters. It is not specifically referenced in this Bill but I have contacted Cork County Council over a number of months and been working with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, on the question of historical burial sites. Everybody wants to be able to help and do what we can in helping survivors,...

Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2021: Second Stage (29 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am grateful for the opportunity to introduce the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2021 and I thank all colleagues for facilitating the urgent passage of this important legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas. I am bringing forward the Bill as a matter of urgency in order to address the delays and disruption...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (29 Jun 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. The Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act 2020 set out new protections for tenants who fall into rent arrears, and as a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (29 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Cork boundary alteration is the most significant of its kind undertaken in the State and represents a major reorganisation of local government in Cork. The main aim of the boundary extension was to allow the potential for further development within a new City Council area, while also incentivising higher density development and reducing the risk of sprawl. The extended City area now...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (29 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 195 and 197 together. The income limits and maximum grant amounts payable under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme were reviewed in 2013. This review, co-ordinated by the Housing Agency with the involvement of local authorities and relevant stakeholder organisations, sought to spread the benefits as widely as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (29 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities are responsible for the detailed administration of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme for private houses, including the assessment, approval and payment of grants to applicants under the various measures. Guidance issued by my Department recommends that local authorities assemble a schedule of standard costs for each...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: This is a matter between the developer and his lending institution to resolve. It is not one in which my Department has any involvement.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (29 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Payment and Availability Agreements (P&As) are funded under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP), which funds the ongoing current costs of homes delivered by Approved Housing Bodies through build and acquisition, in addition to homes delivered through the various leasing programmes. The total SHCEP spend in 2020 was €197m, of which €142m related to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Jun 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. Securing value for money (VfM) is an overarching consideration throughout the PPP procurement process and the Central PPP Unit in the Department of Public Expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (29 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In relation to the concrete blocks, the relevant suite of harmonised standard facilitating specification of masonry units is the EN 771 (series). ‘I.S. EN 771-3:2011+A1:2015’deals with aggregate concrete masonry units. In this regard, the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), has published additional guidance in the form of ‘S.R. 325:2013+A2:2018/AC:2019...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (29 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand that such schemes are non-statutory and are therefore a matter for the individual local authorities and information in relation to them should be sought directly from each local authority.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (29 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 208 to 210, inclusive, together. 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 local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of emergency accommodation and related services for...