Results 15,261-15,280 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (21 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 124, 125 and 136 together. In December last, the Government approved the priority drafting of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020, which will provide a legislative basis for a number of new affordable housing measures, one of which is the Affordable Purchase Shared Equity Scheme. Once enacted, the Bill will deliver on key affordability commitments in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (21 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 126 and 131 together. 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. Under the Household Means Policy (HMP),...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (21 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is funded through a combination of Exchequer funding and tenant differential rents collected in respect of HAP tenancies. Limerick City and County Council provides a highly effective HAP transactional shared service on behalf of all local authorities. The HAP Shared Services Centre (SSC) manages all HAP related rental transactions for the tenant, local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (21 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 129 together. 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 (21 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In general terms, a person who has been discharged from bankruptcy and is eligible in all other respects for a Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, including being a first-time buyer, may apply for a loan and will be subject to the same credit assessment process that applies to all applicants. Applicants for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan must be of good credit standing; have a satisfactory...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme (21 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Property Registration Authority (21 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The current number of staff employed by the Property Registration Authority (PRA) is 571, representing 528.36 full-time equivalents. On foot of the restrictions introduced by the Government on 30 December 2020, the PRA has implemented its Business Continuity Plan Level 5 response for the continued provision of essential services. The PRA is operating a high level of service at a reduced...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (21 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The oversight and practical management of social housing waiting lists, including the allocation and transfer of tenancies, is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated regulations. Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 requires all local authorities, as a reserved function, to make...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (21 Jan 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: Local Authority Housing (21 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 141, 143 and 146 together. My Department has published the Quarter 3 2020 Social Housing Construction Status Report, which provides details of all social housing developments under construction in each local authority. The report is available at the following link: . The data for Quarter 4 2020 is being compiled and the report will be published as soon as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (21 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 144 together. My Department publishes information on the overall number and value of (i) local authority loan approvals and (ii) local authority loan drawdowns. Local authority approval means that an official letter of offer has been sent to a borrower and therefore relates to a specific property and loan amount. Figures for 2019 and the first two...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (21 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The full range of infrastructural requirements, provision and plans within each local authority is broad and cuts across numerous Government Department's and public bodies and is dynamic. The most up to date and detailed information would be available in each local authority. Where local authorities have identified particular infrastructure shortfalls that may provide an impediment to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (21 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is focused on ensuring that existing housing stock is utilised to its fullest extent including a targeted, effective and co-ordinated approach to identifying and tackling vacancy across Ireland. In that context, there are a range of measures to assist in meeting housing needs by ensuring that our existing housing stock is used to the greatest extent possible. The , published in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: On 1 January 2018, Ministerial Orders (SI 573 of 2017, SI 574 of 2017 and SI 575 of 2017) transferred responsibility for the Valuation Office, the Property Registration Authority and Ordnance Survey Ireland to my Department. These three organisations have been preparing for a merger that will provide the opportunity and scope to lead, develop and maintain national spatial information...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Repair and Leasing Scheme (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) was developed to assist private property owners and local authorities or approved housing bodies to harness the accommodation potential that exists in vacant dwellings. Data to end Q3 2020 in relation to dwellings delivered by each local authority under RLS is available on my Department's website at the following link: Total capital funding drawn down own...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government provides for a package of social housing reforms, including the introduction of a social housing passport to allow households move from one local authority list to another. It should be noted that the four Dublin local authorities already co-operate in arrangements that enable social housing applicants to apply for housing in one or two of the other Dublin...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 196 and 197 together. 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. While my Department does not collate the data requested, the Department of Health has commissioned the Health Research...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The flexibility of HAP as a social housing support is one of the scheme's key characteristics and was one of the primary benefits envisaged at the outset of the scheme. With this in mind, Departmental circulars relating to inter-authority movement issued in 2017 and 2019, with the aim of facilitating movement of HAP households from one local authority area to another in cases where a HAP...

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

Darragh O'Brien: With regard to co-living development, I indicated in a letter dated 23rd November 2020 to all local authorities, An Bord Pleanála and the Office of the Planning Regulator, that my preferred approach was to restrict commercial co-living development, through an update of the Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments, Guidelines for Planning Authorities 2018 document,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: No employees of my Department have received Covid-19 vaccines due to their role in the Department.