Results 14,781-14,800 of 26,971 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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...

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.