Results 14,901-14,920 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (3 Mar 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested by the Deputy is not available in my Department. However, Action 97 of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 states – “We will prepare policy advice on ways of achieving universal design solutions for new housing so that new homes can be accessed and used by all persons, irrespective of size, age, ability or disability. We will advise on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Mar 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In general building defects in private housing, including those bought through the affordable housing scheme, are matters for resolution between the contracting parties involved, the homeowner, the builder, the developer and/or their respective insurers, structural guarantee or warranty scheme. In this regard, it is incumbent on the parties responsible for poor workmanship and/or the supply...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Procurement Contracts (3 Mar 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In accordance with Circular 40/2002, issued by the Department of Finance, my Department completes an annual return in respect of contracts above a €25,000 threshold which have been awarded without a competitive process. These returns are submitted annually to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General as part of the Appropriation Account process. It is that Office which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Mar 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: An examination of records indicates that neither my officials nor I have had meetings or engagements with or correspondence from the group in question.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Guidelines (3 Mar 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Under planning legislation, all development requires planning permission unless it is specifically exempted development. In this regard, section 4 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act) and Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended (the Regulations), set out various exemptions from the requirement to obtain planning permission. Any such...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Mar 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes a detailed monthly report on homelessness, based on data provided by housing authorities. The Report outlines details of individuals utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. Data relating to homeless families and their dependants are presented at a regional level. The Reports are available to access on my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (3 Mar 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Call 2 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, which was launched last year, Kildare County Council submitted an application seeking support for the project in question. There were a large number of proposals received under Call 2, with every local authority submitting at least one application. Because of the nature of the URDF programme the proposals are very complex,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Flood Relief Schemes (3 Mar 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities are designated as a principal response agency as well as being 'lead agency' for coordinating the local response to flooding emergencies as per the Government decision relating to the “Framework for Major Emergency Management” (2006). The arrangements for emergency management have evolved and, when called upon, are seen as having worked well, in particular...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Schemes (3 Mar 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides capital funding to Local Authorities with regard to Disabled Persons Grants (DPG) on an annual basis. These grants allow local authorities to undertake adaptations and extensions to their existing social housing stock. In line with previous years, all local authorities, including Roscommon and Galway, will be notified shortly in relation to their DPG funding allocation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (3 Mar 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: Local Authority Housing (3 Mar 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 12 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 deals with District Court proceedings for possession by a local authority where there has been a breach of a tenancy agreement or rent-related obligation. The tenancy agreement includes a term relating to anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour is defined in section 1 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1997, as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Residential Tenancies Board (3 Mar 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2020 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. In...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waste Management (3 Mar 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992. These regulations focus on tenant safety and include measures covering heating appliances, carbon monoxide and window safety. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (3 Mar 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 with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (3 Mar 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: During 2020, funding of €56.4 million was paid to Local Authorities from my Department for the remediation of 3,607 vacant units under the Voids Programme. The table below provides a breakdown of the units remediated by each local authority for 2020. The numbers provided are based on total units returned under the Normal, Covid and July Stimulus Voids programme. Local ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Mar 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government announced that additional public health restrictions would apply under Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19 on 6 January 2021. The additional restrictions required all construction activity to cease from 6pm on Friday 8 January, with a number of exceptions. These measures are set out in The Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (Covid-19) (No. 10)...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Procurement Contracts (25 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Further details of the contracts referenced in Parliamentary Question No. 76 of 25 November 2020 are set out in the attached table. My Department endeavours to comply with Section 27 of the Disability Act, 2005, with reference to the National Disability Authority (NDA) guidelines on the subject. These include the NDA’s 2012 publication, ‘Access and Procurement’, which can...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (25 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 122 together. The Government announced that additional public health restrictions would apply under Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19 on 6 January 2021. The additional restrictions required all construction activity to cease from 6pm on Friday 8 January, with a number of exceptions. These measures are set out in The Health Act 1947...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Efficiency (25 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 124 and 125 together. The Energy Efficiency Programme for 2021 will be the first year of a newly revised ten year programme designed to help deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to retrofitting 500,000 homes by 2030 to a B2/cost optimal BER standard. It is expected that approximately 36,500 of those will be local authority owned homes. The 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (25 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: There are a range of funding and delivery mechanisms available to local authorities to deliver social housing supports in partnership with Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). The funding is provided by my Department directly to local authorities, who in turn, advance the funding to the AHBs, as appropriate. The organisation detailed by the Deputy is an Approved Housing Body and details of the...