Results 15,201-15,220 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Renewal Schemes (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Cork Event Centre was included as a commitment under Project Ireland 2040 and it underlines the Government’s objectives around urban regeneration, enhanced amenity and heritage, associated quality of life standards, balanced regional development, and the regeneration and development of Cork City Centre. It was agreed in the context of Budget 2020 that responsibility at central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 to 88, inclusive, together. The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, contains a commitment to develop a Cost Rental model for housing delivery. Cost Rental is a new tenure option for Ireland, designed to assist households currently facing affordability pressures in the private rental market. It is defined as housing where the rents charged cover the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Hare Coursing (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Irish Coursing Club has informed my Department that all hares current held in captivity by coursing clubs will be released forthwith. I welcome this decision.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In the coming weeks, I intend to request the approval of the Government for the publication of the Planning and Development and Nature Conservation (Heritage Functions) and Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2021 and for the presentation of the Bill to the Oireachtas. Amendments to substitute consent provisions in the Planning and Development Act 2000, addressing a recent Supreme Court case,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos.93 and 94 together. Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Embodied Carbon in construction materials makes a significant contribution to the lifetime carbon emissions of new buildings. The operational carbon emissions for heating, lighting and other services have been significantly reduced in Nearly Zero Energy Buildings. These regulations apply to all new buildings including social and affordable housing developments. Currently these embodied...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government, ‘Our Shared Future’, commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system, and to progress a state-backed affordable home purchase scheme to promote home ownership. To begin delivering on these commitments, Budget 2021 allocated €75 million for an affordable housing shared equity scheme. On the 20thof January last I published...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 100 together. There are 37 social housing projects that are on site or completed, having used the single stage process, not 35 as stated in the reply to Question number 233 of 20 January 2021. The information sought on these projects is set out below; costs shown are the 'all-in' costs sanctioned by my Department to deliver the project. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In recognition of the need to protect the health of the population, local authorities have been asked during periods of lockdown not to terminate any of their tenancies for any reason, other than severe cases of anti-social behaviour engaged in by members of a household that necessitates action by the local authority. Information is not collected by my Department on tenancy...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I have established a Homelessness Task Force, to provide a forum for engagement with key organisations working together to address homelessness and to provide input on the implementation of the commitments on homelessness in the Programme for Government. The Group has met on eight occasions to date, on the 13th, 20th and 27th of July, on the 14th and 21st of September, and on October...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Building Regulations 1997 - 2019 set out the legal requirements in Ireland for the construction of new buildings (including houses), extensions to existing buildings as well as for material alterations and certain material changes of use to existing buildings. Their aim is to provide for the safety and welfare of people in and about buildings. The Building Regulations are set out in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing First enables homeless individuals with high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation with the provision of intensive housing and health supports to help them maintain their tenancies. The National Implementation Plan for Housing First, published in September 2018, which puts the programme on a national footing, is designed to provide this response, by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 was signed in to law on 23 December 2019. This Act will establish the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority to oversee the effective governance, financial management and performance of all voluntary and co-operative housing bodies. Substantial preparatory work has been ongoing to ensure that once the body is formally...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of building defects and provides for an examination of defective housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing report, "Safe as Houses". In this regard, my Department is actively engaging with key stakeholders and I have had several meetings...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Domestic Violence Services (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims of domestic violence rests with my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and I understand that the delivery of these services is managed by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. As such, the matters raised by the Deputy in relation to the resources provided to support...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Flood Relief Schemes (28 Jan 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 the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan scheme remains open for business. All local authorities are receiving and processing RIHL applications and are incorporating increased flexibility to accommodate applicants during the COVID 19 Pandemic. As is the case with any lender, local authorities must lend mortgages on a prudent basis, taking into account the most recent income and employment data...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The relevant details are being compiled and will be provided to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Since the initiation of the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) the maximum funding available towards the cost of facilitating infrastructure is €50,000 per affordable home delivered. The Programme for Government 'Our Shared Future' contained a commitment to improve the delivery of affordable homes and to extend the SSF in this regard. To inform that process, I have met with the Chief...