Results 14,701-14,720 of 26,886 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: I will deal with a number of issues that have been raised. On amendment No. 10, I understand from Deputy Ó Broin's contribution that he will withdraw this amendment. I thank him for his understanding in that regard. We are actively working on that and I intend to come back on that within a short period of time. I think the Deputy understands why I cannot expand too much on that at...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputies Duncan Smith and Cian O'Callaghan for their amendments. They have outlined the purpose of their amendments, which is to extend the deadlines concerning protections and eligibility. In framing all the legislation we produced since the lifting of the blanket eviction ban, the concern I had and that was raised with me legally related to how legally sound the measure was....

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

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware of it.

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

Darragh O'Brien: I do not want to get into a political back-and-forth with Deputy Cian O'Callaghan; he knows exactly what I said. I said the trend has been absolutely in the right direction. The number is still far too high; there is no question about that. Monthly figures on families, children and individuals who are homeless will be published on Friday and I expect to see a further reduction. The figure...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I have very little else to say, other than I have outlined why I am not accepting the amendments. We have been doing very detailed work in respect of the rent increase issue, which I expect to be able to bring to a conclusion shortly. I have said that. If some Members do not want to accept that, it is fine. The whole issue is not about pretending that it is a serious situation. I know...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputies for tabling these amendments. I cannot accept them and I will explain why presently. First, I want to inform the House that no one is pretending to do anything. We brought in effective measures last July and we have extended them since. In addition, we brought forward some permanent changes, relating to rent arrears, deposit restrictions and minimum notice periods,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy O'Callaghan for tabling the amendment. Deputy Duncan Smith has a related amendment which has not yet been moved. Am I correct in saying that I am only addressing amendment No. 1 at the moment?

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

Darragh O'Brien: I can speak to both. I thank the Deputies for tabling the amendments although I cannot accept either of them. To define "deposit" as is proposed in these amendments, which are well-meaning, is unnecessary. Section 4 amends section 16 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, inserting a new section 16(a)(iii) which provides a new reference to a deposit a tenant might be obliged to pay....

Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: Second Stage (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will talk to the Deputy afterwards.

Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: Second Stage (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: It is not the case.

Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: Second Stage (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am grateful to the Ceann Comhairle and all Deputies for facilitating the debate on this urgent legislation in the Dáil before the summer recess. I thank the Chief Whip, the Minister of State, Deputy Jack Chambers, the members of the Business Committee and, in particular, the members of the Joint Committee on Housing, Local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Budgets (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The expenditure provisions for my Department in 2021 as set out in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2021 published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) are available at www.per.gov.ie/en/rev/ Details of the allocations provided to Programme F Heritage in 2021 are set out in the table below: Subhead Current €000 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 121 together. My Department’s Rural Water Programme provides capital and operational funding to group water schemes. The day-to-day administration of the Programme is devolved to local authorities. The Multi-annual Rural Water Programme provides capital funding under a number of measures to enable group water schemes to resolve...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s Rural Water Programme provides capital and operational funding to group water schemes. The day-to-day administration of the Programme is devolved to local authorities. The Multi-annual Rural Water Programme provides capital funding under a number of measures to enable group water schemes to resolve infrastructural deficiencies in particular those that are causing or...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Litter Pollution (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The estimated annual pay bill cost of hiring ten additional litter wardens is €321,090 not including employer's PRSI contributions etc.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 to 130, inclusive, together. Details of the 2021 housing output targets, including the targets under the programmes requested by the Deputy, are set out in the 2021 Revised Estimates (REV) which is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/e20037-revised-estimates/#2021. In respect of the Capital Advance Leasing Facility the 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: There have been a number of deaths, in recent months, of people who had been sleeping rough or accessing homeless services. Each of these deaths is a tragedy and I extend my sympathies to the families concerned. The deaths of people availing of homeless services are a concern and are being taken very seriously. It is important that we establish the facts concerning the circumstances...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Energy Efficiency Programme for 2021 is a newly revised programme designed around the Programme for Government commitment to retrofit 500,000 homes to a B2/Cost Optimal BER standard by 2030. Approximately 36,500 of those homes are expected to be local authority homes. A target of 2,400 social homes for upgrade works has been set for 2021, 750 of which relate to the Midlands Retrofit...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy, which was published by my Department in 2018, provides a targeted, effective and coordinated approach to identifying and tackling vacancy across Ireland. The range of objectives, and actions it specifies, have been pursued in partnership with stakeholders and agencies across the housing sector to address vacancy in our housing stock. In that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 136 together. The table below shows the number of social housing projects being progressed by local authorities under the Single Stage review process. When first introduced in 2018, this arrangement applied to social housing projects up to the value of €2m but I increased the value of eligible projects to €6m in September 2020, to give...