Results 15,441-15,460 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Homeless Prevention Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I will take a note of what the Deputy says and come back on it.

Homeless Prevention Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy is not doing too well.

Homeless Prevention Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Ó Broin for bringing this Bill forward and providing us with another opportunity to discuss homelessness and, importantly, the aspect of prevention. It is correct that prevention is always better than cure. Tackling homelessness is a moral imperative for this Government and for our State. On the point raised by Deputy Andrews regarding local connections, I clarified...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2020 regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Acts apply to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy, subject to a limited number of exceptions. The Acts make no reference to animals. Any house rules that might be agreed between a landlord and a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Water (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 266 together. 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. The Irish Water Strategic Funding Plan 2019-2024 sets out Irish Water’s multi-annual strategic business planning funding requirement of €11bn to 2024,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Protected Disclosures (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Section 16 of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, a person to whom a protected disclosure is made "shall not disclose to another person any information that might identify the person by whom a protected disclosure was made". For that reason, I am not in a position to confirm the information sought.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to review the remit, status and funding of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to ensure that it is playing an effective role in delivering its overall mandate and enforcement role in the protection of wildlife. I have decided that the review should be headed by an independent chairperson overseeing a triptych review process. I...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 introduced the Rent Predictability Measure to moderate rent increases in those parts of the country where rents are highest and rising fastest, causing difficulty for households in finding affordable accommodation. In these areas, called Rent Pressure Zones (RPZ), rents can only increase by a maximum of 4% annually....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The allocation of social housing support is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated regulations. Section 22 of the Act requires all local authorities, as a reserved function, to make an allocation scheme determining the order of priority to be accorded in the allocation of dwellings to households qualified...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Regeneration (15 Dec 2020)

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 National...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, commits to reducing and preventing homelessness and provides detail on how the Government is approaching this work as a priority. This year, we are seeing a reduction in the numbers of people in emergency accommodation. The total number of homeless adults in the south-west region fell by 107, or 18%, between October 2019 and October 2020....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Following a review of the two existing local authority home loan schemes, the House Purchase Loan and the Home Choice Loan, a new loan offering was introduced, from 1 February 2018, known as the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan. In line with the previous schemes, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is designed to enable creditworthy first-time buyers to access sustainable mortgage lending to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 279 to 281, inclusive, together. On 21 September, I announced allocations under the new multi-annual capital investment programme for the progressive resolution of housing estates with “developer provided water services infrastructure”, to enable the taking in charge of these estates. The announcement followed an independent Expert Panel review...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: On 21 September, I announced allocations under the new multi-annual capital investment programme for the progressive resolution of housing estates with “developer provided water services infrastructure”, to enable the taking in charge of these estates. The announcement followed an independent Expert Panel review of all valid bids. The Panel’s recommendations are based on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of public water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. As part of Budget 2021 my Department secured funding of over €1.4 billion to support water services. This includes €1.3 billion in respect of domestic water services provision by Irish Water. This...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (15 Dec 2020)

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 with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer the Deputy to the reply to Question No. 283 on today's order paper in respect of unsewered villages. I understand that Irish Water is investing in an upgrade of an existing waste water treatment plant in Mullinahone. Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of public water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department received a Capital Appraisal for this project in late November. This is currently being reviewed and a response will issue to Limerick City and County Council once this process is complete.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Project Ireland 2040 (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Cork Event Centre is 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: National Parks and Wildlife Service (15 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I assume the Deputy is referring to an alleged incident involving a contractor in Connemara. NPWS has reviewed this matter and is satisfied that the contractor did not access private lands without permission. NPWS have full confidence in this contractor in his ability to carry out this difficult predator control work for the conservation of threatened and vulnerable breeding birds in the...