Results 15,321-15,340 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (13 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the 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. Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 20% above the prescribed maximum rent limit...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (13 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: University College Dublin, in common with many other research groups across Europe, is conducting research to detect fragments of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater and to use this information as an indicator of the approximate infection rates in a population.  Irish Water is facilitating waste water sample collection from three waste water treatment plants for this project. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pension Provisions (13 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In relation to the subject matter of the representation, which was replied to in November 2020, both my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, and I have conditionally approved the consent request. This was communicated to Ervia on 6 January 2021. The timing of any associated payment is a matter solely for Ervia.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (13 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. Broadly, the objectives of an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (13 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: There are a range of funding and delivery mechanisms available to local authorities to deliver social housing supports in partnership with Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).  The funding is provided my Department directly to local authorities, who in turn, advance the funding to AHBs, as appropriate.   The four organisations detailed by the Deputy are Approved Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (13 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: Housing Issues (13 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is not available in my Department.  The Residential Tenancies  Act 2020  was enacted and came into operation on 24 October 2020 to help mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on tenants and to support the efforts of Government in restricting the movement of people in order to suppress the spread of Covid- 19. The Act modifies the operation of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (13 Jan 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Services (13 Jan 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (13 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 325 to 328, inclusive, together. In respect of the local authority identified by the Deputy, the funding provided for the acquisition of 2nd hand properties for social housing purposes in each of the years 2017 to 2020 inclusive is as follows -: 2017 2018 2019 2020 €3,556,182 €1,161,227 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (13 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: To date, 37 projects have received approval in principle under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF).  Of these sites, three were submitted by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC).  Details of these projects are set down in the table below: Project Location SSF Funding Affordable Homes Project Location SSF Funding ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (13 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: Departmental Contracts (13 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has not awarded any contracts to the company in question during the last five years. My Department does not maintain the requested information in respect of the State bodies under its aegis. These State bodies may be contacted directly by e-mail by members of the Oireachtas, as set out in the table below. State Body Contact E-mail Address ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (13 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Since 2018, and the publication of the National Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy, my Department has secured funding of €50,000 per annum for each local authority to support the work of a Vacant Homes Office, including a Vacant Homes Officer for each local authority. This Strategy strives to provide a targeted, effective and co-ordinated approach to identifying and tackling vacancy across...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (13 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not directly engage in any major capital projects.  Local authorities and bodies under the aegis of my Department enter into capital contracts in the course of their work, some of which is funded through the Department's Vote. Details in relation to specific projects (which are being advanced primarily by local authorities and Irish Water) under my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (13 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: On 6 August 2020, my Department received an application for funding under the Capital Assistance Scheme from Dublin City Council (DCC)  for the scheme referred to by the Deputy. In order to assess the application further, on 27 August 2020 my Department requested additional information including a capital appraisal, cost plans and a detailed design from DCC in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Library Projects (13 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Call 2 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund  (URDF), seventy six proposals were received, with every local authority submitting at least one application for URDF support, and all of which require detailed assessment.  Meath County Council submitted seven proposals under Call 2 including the proposal in question. The assessment process...

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: Disability Services Funding (13 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding on an annual basis under the Disabled Persons Grants (DPG) scheme to local authorities for adaptations and extensions to their existing social housing stock to meet the needs of local authority tenants.  The scheme applies to works that are necessary to address the needs of older people or people with a disability.  Under the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Disability Support Services (13 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding annually for the Disabled Persons Grant (DPG) scheme and the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme. While both schemes are administered directly by the local authorities they operate independently with separate funding streams,  the main differences being the type of properties eligible for...