Results 15,301-15,320 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: I have established a High Level Housing Delivery Group to provide a forum for engagement with key housing delivery partners and to provide input on the implementation of the commitments on housing delivery in the Programme for Government. The membership of the Group consists of representatives from the City and County Management Association, the Housing Agency, the Housing Delivery...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (20 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 the individuals concerned maintain their tenancies. The National Implementation Plan for Housing First was published in September 2018. The Plan includes an overall target of 663 tenancies in the period...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, is targeted at first time buyers who wish to own their own home, have access to an adequate deposit and have the capacity to repay a mortgage, but who are unable to access a mortgage sufficient for them to purchase their first home. The Housing Agency provides a central support service which assesses applications for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan on...

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

Darragh O'Brien: It is important to note that, rather than directly funding the construction costs of affordable homes, Serviced Site grant funding is provided to support the cost of infrastructure that will facilitate affordable housing provision on local authority lands. The timeframe for the delivery of such projects entails the detailed design, consultation, planning, procurement and construction...

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

Darragh O'Brien: To date, my Department has issued two Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) calls for proposals to local authorities. Funding of almost €170 million has been approved in principle in support of 37 infrastructure projects in 14 local authority areas, which will assist in the delivery of almost 3,600 more affordable homes. Details of 35 SSF projects which received approval in principle under the two...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has provided funding support to local authorities under the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme since 2013 and this will continue in 2021. Budget 2021 has provided significantly increased funding support of €65 million for a newly revised Energy Efficiency Programme. The new programme has been designed to ensure delivery on the Programme for Government commitment...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Reviews of Dáil and European Parliament constituencies are linked to the publication of Census of Population data. In effect, the publication of preliminary census results triggers the establishment of a Constituency Commission under section 5(1) of the Electoral Act 1997 with the Commission required to present its report on Dáil and European Parliament constituencies to the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department understands from the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) that all hares which had been held in captivity by clubs affiliated to the ICC were released back into the wild in November 2020 on foot of a request to the ICC to do so. I understand that some hares netted in late December may remain in captivity. The National Parks and Wildlife Service are currently monitoring that situation,...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Issues in relation to the costs of the project referred to in the question and the allocation of funding towards the project are matter for Irish Water. As part of Budget 2021, I secured funding of over €1.4...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The number of staff recruited for the National Parks and Wildlife Service in the grades requested for the years 2018 to 2020 are set out in the table below. 2018 1 Head of Ecological Assessment 2 Wildlife Inspectors Grade 2 8 Ecologists/Wildlife Inspectors Grade 3 2 District Conservation Officers 2019 1 Ecological Data Manager 1 Wildlife...

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

Darragh O'Brien: In 2021, a total of €75 million is available for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme, in respect of private houses. This is made up of €60 million Exchequer funding, with the balance of €15 million in local authority contributions. The suite of grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the very stressful circumstances which the owners and residents of buildings face when defects occur in their homes. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme (14 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The table below shows the annual expenditure of the Pyrite Remediation Scheme and the associated number of dwellings remediated since 2014.  In addition, it contains the budget allocation and estimates for 2021. Year Annual Expenditure €m Number of dwellings remediated under the Pyrite Remediation Scheme ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (14 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The refurbishment of Priory Hall is being undertaken in a number of phases with 188 residential units and 4 Retail units in total being refurbished. The overall work scope relates to the extensive remediation of the residential and retail units, and extensive basement remediation including pyrite works. While the full costs of the remediation have yet to be finalised Dublin City...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (14 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Government and my Department have given careful consideration to the report of the European Committee of Social Rights in respect of the IFHS collective complaint against the Irish State in 2014. In relation to concerns around the adequacy of certain local authority housing, my Department is committed to ensuring that tenants in social housing are provided with adequate housing that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Strategies (14 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, is the foundation for my Department's main policy initiatives.  The Department has commitments across 10 of the 12 Missions in the Programme.  The Department's website is a good source of information about activities and initiatives but by way of illustration, in addition to significant initiatives undertaken to manage...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Property Registration Authority (14 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In relation to any specific cases with the Property Registration Authority (PRA), arrangements have been put in place to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas.  Further information in relation to the specific case referred to may be obtained by contacting the dedicated e-mail address in respect of the PRA at reps@prai.ie.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Climate Action Plan (13 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: Local Authority Staff (13 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: Environmental Schemes (13 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government includes a comitment that the Government will develop a scheme between local authorities and Irish Water to provide drinking water fountains nationwide to reduce plastic bottle litter. In addition, EU Directive 2020/2184 (the Drinking Water Recast Directive) as adopted on 16 December 2020 updates the obligations on Member States in relation to the...