Results 15,201-15,220 of 26,971 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (25 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Deputy McAuliffe has covered the issue really well. Deputy Boyd Barrett has stated his opposition, effectively, to the LDA being set up in this manner yet further along his amendment No. 136 seeks to ensure that, with the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the LDA, the agreement for Shanganagh Castle is honoured by the agency. On the one hand, the Deputy is saying that this is...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (25 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will respond to a couple of the queries and try to address the amendments in the interests of moving this along. Deputy Gould spoke about cost rental and how it is framed. I will welcome his party's support for the Affordable Housing Bill because cost rental will basically cover the cost of the development and maintenance of those properties, with rent set accordingly. The Deputy...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (25 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will address the specific block of amendments first. To be clear, the LDA will have to be fully compliant with public procurement and the public spending code. The four-stage approval process is a different matter. I have altered the four-stage approval process for local authorities, as the Deputy knows. The single stage can be used up to €6 million, and I will seek to review...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (25 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In response to Deputy Boyd Barrett on amendment No. 44, I covered that issue. I reiterate that the LDA is a public body. It is State body. We own it but it is being portrayed by some as if we are selling our land bank off to the Trump organisation. This is about us managing our own land productively, as Deputy Higgins so rightly said. We need to get on with doing this and people know...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (25 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Amendment No. 85 seeks to delete section 13(1)(f). This section enables the LDA to appraise sites, prepare master plans and planning submissions, make planning applications and obtain development consents and approval. Obviously, that would be crucial to the development and to how the agency would operate. To delete that section would further neuter this agency and is not something I can...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (25 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will be brief. That is not what Deputy Higgins was referring to at all. I just want to make a point. Pre-legislative scrutiny was not denied on this legislation. I could not let that remark go unchecked. There was detailed pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft scheme in the previous Oireachtas that I participated in. Deputy Ó Broin did as well. There were full hearings....

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (25 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputies for tabling the amendments. Section 2(a) of the Bill, as published, states that the purpose of the Bill is, "to enable urgent measures to be taken to increase the supply of housing in the State and in particular affordable and social housing". That is pretty clear on what we want to do. The amendment from Deputy Boyd Barrett and his colleagues seeks, to insert "public...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (25 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will try to start in a positive vein because we have a lot of work to do to get the Bill through. It is significant that this groundbreaking legislation is now on Committee Stage. I look forward to working with colleagues of all parties and none to get the legislation through as expeditiously as possible. Deputy Ó Broin has just raised a point about the provision of a budget for the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (25 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will respond quickly on those amendments. I have already responded to two. Amendments Nos. 41 to 43 are another example of stripping functions from the LDA, which is a State-owned agency to develop and manage our own lands. It is clear from the short two hours of discussion we have had today that Sinn Féin does not want the LDA to build any homes or to plan to build any homes or any...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (25 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I think I did but if not, I will do so on Thursday. I am happy to do that because there are lots of amendments in the groupings. I will come back to it if the Deputy believes he did not get a response to his amendment.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (25 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Deputy Ó Broin has his lámh suas.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I never heard that.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Are membership cards being given out?

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Senator Norris, and other colleagues, for the welcome. I said some months ago that we would try to initiate as much legislation as we could in the Seanad. I served in the Seanad before I served in the Dáil. Even though we are in the Dáil Chamber, Senator Norris's presence raises the talent level of debates here as well. This Second Stage debate has been good. It covered...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (20 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 241 and 242 together. With effect from 1 January 2011 all new appointees recruited from open competitions to direct entry grades in the Public Service must start at the first point of the relevant pay scale. The appointment to an Irish local authority of persons who are not serving employees of an Irish local authority on or after 1 January 2011 therefore must...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Cybersecurity Policy (20 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department acknowledges that IT security is of critical importance in ensuring the security and integrity of its systems, files and data. In recognition of this, my Department maintains a dedicated, professionally trained cybersecurity staff who implement best practise risk management. Cyber risk management is carried out in conjunction with guidance and advisories issued by the Office of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Data Protection (20 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), my Department has implemented a range of appropriate organisational and technical measures to safeguard privacy and protect personal information. These measures include the ability to ensure the ongoing confidentiality, integrity and availability of systems and services. Since the coming into effect of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Data Protection (20 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The State bodies under the aegis of my Department are expected to be compliant with all relevant statutory requirements, including those arising from EU Directives and Regulations. My Department does not routinely monitor such compliance. Further information in relation to these matters may be obtained by contacting the dedicated e-mail addresses for members of the Oireachtas in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Domestic Violence (20 May 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. These reports serve as important management information for my Department, the housing authority sector and the various State funded...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (20 May 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is set out in the tables below. It should be noted that the figures only include appointments in the Heritage Division since 9th September 2020 when functions in the Heritage area were formally transferred to my Department. My Department has its main offices in Dublin, Wexford and Mayo (Ballina) but there are other smaller offices throughout the country, including...