Results 14,681-14,700 of 26,886 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (24 Jun 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: Defective Building Materials (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency. The provisions of the Act apply only to dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave consequent on the presence of reactive pyrite...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 216 together. The Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme is underpinned by regulations made under Sections 2 and 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1979, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not have information on the number of local authority construction projects that have included a social clause as such contracts are negotiated and signed directly by the local authorities; such information may be available from the local authorities. 

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Increasing the supply of public, social and affordable homes is priority for this Government and the Programme for Government includes a commitment to deliver 50,000 new social homes with a specific focus on new build. The Government’s commitment to increase the supply of public housing is further underpinned by the 2021 Budget which provides €3.3 billion to deliver...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 provided that arent increase was not permitted to take effect during the relevant emergency period from 27 March 2020 to 1 August 2020. From 1 August 2020, the blanket ban on rent increases inside or outside of a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) was lifted. The standardised average rent rose by 2.5% to €1,256 from Q2 2020 to Q3...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 224 and 225 together. My Department publishes a Social Housing Construction Status Report each quarter, which contains details of all social housing developments completed, under construction or in planning/design in each local authority area, including in Donegal. The most recent publication covers the period up to the end of Q1 2021 and is available at the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme applies to private dwellings in Donegal and Mayo that have been damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks. An Expert Panel was established in 2016 to investigate the cracking of external walls of dwellings in Donegal and Mayo, due to the crumbling of concrete blockwork, which came to light in 2013. The report of the expert panel...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding to local authorities so as to enable them adminsiter the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme. These schemes assist eligible applicants living in privately owned homes to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs.  The grants available operate on a sliding scale with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 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 for the delivery of 50,000 new social homes nationally, with a key emphasis on delivering new build homes. The Government investment for the delivery of all housing programmes this year alone, is €3.3 billion and given the major focus on new build social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 235, 237 to 239, inclusive, 246 and 251 together. This Government is absolutely focused on ensuring that affordable, quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society and this is reflected in the Programme for Government, "Our Shared Future". The Programme commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on social housing delivery activity on a quarterly basis including Build and Acquisitions. This data includes details on the number of social housing units provided by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies from 2015 to Quarter 1 2021.  This data is published on the statistics page of my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Agency provides a central support service which assesses applications for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan on behalf of local authorities and makes recommendations to the authorities to approve or refuse applications. Each local authority must have in place a credit committee and it is a matter for the committee to make the decision on applications for loans, in accordance...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage which is designed to enable suitable first time buyers who cannot access sufficient mortgage finance from commercial lenders, to access sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new or second-hand properties in a suitable price range or to self-build.  The Programme for Government "Our Shared Future"...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Jun 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: Housing Policy (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Strategy for the Rental Sector identifies high and rapidly rising rents as the key driver of accommodation insecurity for tenants and a factor in the termination of tenancies. To address this situation, a Rent Predictability Measure was introduced to moderate rent increases in those parts of the country where the imbalance between demand and supply of rental accommodation was driving rent...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In terms of the evaluation of housing needs, National Policy Objective 37 of the National Planning Framework (NPF) provides for a Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) to be undertaken in each local authority area. The objective is to ensure long-term strategic housing needs are met. The purpose of the HNDA is to: (1) assist local authorities to develop long-term strategic views of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 247, 250 and 253 together. 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 most recent summary, conducted in November 2020, shows that 61,880 households were assessed as qualified for and being in need of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Land Development Agency (LDA) is currently developing a register of all relevant public lands, which is lands owned by public bodies in population areas greater than 10,000. An initial prototype mapping tool has already been completed and is available on the LDA website. The Land Development Agency Bill 2021 will put the register on a statutory basis. When completed, it will contain...

Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will check out that point. It is a good point. I understand if they had paid in advance above the two months and availed of the 28-day notice period, any rent paid past that date should be refundable. I will double-check that with officials this evening and respond to Deputies. We need to further clarify but that is my understanding of how it is read right now. The notice period is...