Results 15,021-15,040 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (17 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides staff with the necessary and relevant training required to carry out their duties. In response to Covid-19, it has rolled out the Lead Worker Representative training, updated First Aid Response, PPE and Infection Prevention Control training, all within a COVID-19 context. In light of the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, my Department adapted its work...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (17 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has not entered into any contracts for public relations advice and consultancy with a cost of €10,000 or more since January 2021.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ministerial Communications (17 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I have had no direct contact yet with my counterpart in the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. However my Department, through the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), has entered into an agreement with the US National Park Service whereby Killarney National Park and Glacier National Park, Montana, are becoming 'sister parks'. This will establish close links...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (17 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. Increased rent limits for the HAP and the Rent Supplement Scheme were introduced in 2016....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (17 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department issued guidance to all local authorities regarding the treatment of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) when assessing and/or reviewing income eligibility for social housing support to all local authorities through Circular 38/2020. I have arranged for a copy of the Circular to be issued to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (17 Feb 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 Provision (17 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I have received a meeting request from Dublin City Council this week and will be writing back to the Council on the matter. The regeneration of Poolbeg West is the next important step in transforming the Docklands area, given its strategic location east of Grand Canal Dock, with close proximity to important bridge connections to Dublin Port and North Lotts. In relation to the activation of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (17 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: AWAITING REPLY

Dumping at Sea Act 1996 (Section 5(12)) (Commencement) Order 2021: Motion (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputies who contributed, many of whom made relevant and constructive comments, while others made comments about other areas that are outside the subject matter of the debate. We will respond as best we can to the matters that were raised. I thank the House for agreeing to debate the motion and allocating time to it. It is very rare to seek approval such as this for a...

Dumping at Sea Act 1996 (Section 5(12)) (Commencement) Order 2021: Motion (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Dumping at Sea Act 1996 (Section 5(12)) (Commencement) Order 2021, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 3rd February, 2021. I will share time with the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan. I thank the House for agreeing to debate this motion. The purpose of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Parks (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 67 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that a local authority may take measures or engage in activities that it considers necessary to promote the interests of the local community in relation to matters such as allotments, fairs or markets, and the public use of amenities, to name just a few. While the relevant legislative provisions come under my remit, I have no function...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Land Development Agency (LDA) was established on an interim basis in September 2018, by way of an Establishment Order made under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971, pending the enactment of primary legislation when it will be established as a commercial State agency. The LDA Bill has now been published and will shortly be brought before the Oireachtas. The LDA...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97, 102 to 104, inclusive, and 106 together. My Department provides funding for a wide range of programmes and supports to assist households with their housing needs. This includes the delivery of new social homes through local authority and Approved Housing Body led programmes, other forms of social housing delivery such as HAP and RAS, targeted supports to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is a flagship element of Project Ireland 2040. The URDF was established to support more compact and sustainable development, through the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s five cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and NDP. This is to enable a greater proportion of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department's Rural Water Programme provides capital and current funding to the Rural Water Sector. The Multi-annual Rural Water Programme provides capital funding to the sector, while current funding is provided through an annual subsidy to group water schemes for the operational and maintenance costs of providing water to their domestic members. Further information in relation to capital...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Increasing the supply of housing, particularly new build social and affordable homes, is a priority for me and for this Government. This is a key element in addressing homelessness. The Programme for Government commits to increasing the social housing stock by more than 50,000, with an emphasis on new builds. Budget 2021 provided €3.3 billion for the delivery of housing which will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. Increased rent limits for the HAP and the Rent Supplement Scheme were introduced in 2016. These...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Quarrying Sector (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The activity of quarrying falls under a number of legislative regimes. For example, quarries must have planning permission and from an operational perspective they must comply with health and safety regulations operated by Health and Safety Authority. In regard to the licensing of quarries, the Waste Management (Management of Waste from the Extractive Industries) Regulations 2009 came into...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (11 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand the Deputy is referring to the construction of new social homes by local authorities. As capital funded construction projects by local authorities must, like all publicly-funded construction programmes, comply with the Public Spending Code and Capital Works Management Framework, my Department periodically issues Unit Cost Ceilings (UCCs) for each local authority area, for use as...