Results 15,481-15,500 of 26,971 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: To date, a total of 48 leasing projects have been approved by my Department in 2021 under the Long Term Leasing and Enhanced Leasing Schemes. These 48 projects have approval for the delivery of 603 dwellings under long term lease agreements and 123 dwellings under Part V lease agreements. A breakdown of these approvals by local authority, detailing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Homelessness Task Force provides a forum for engagement with key organisations working together to address homelessness and to provide input on the implementation of the commitments on homelessness in the Programme for Government. The Group has met on five occasions since October 2020. Minutes from meetings up to the one held on 1 February 2021 are available on my Department's website at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government set out its housing priorities in the Programme for Government in 2020. It is intended to publish a new Housing Strategy 'Housing for All' later this year which will build on the commitments in the Programme for Government and this is being developed at the moment. As part of the process of delivering Housing for All, my Department is consulting with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I am very aware of the recent increase in people swimming, and the increase of beach users generally, outside of the traditional bathing season in Dublin Bay (and in many other areas). I have asked my Department to work with the National Bathing Water Expert Group, and with stakeholders, to specifically examine the feasibility and implications of expanding the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Pollution (28 Apr 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. Irish Water’s primary function is to provide clean safe drinking water to customers and to treat and return waste water safely to the environment. In turn, the EPA, as environmental regulator, is responsible for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) was developed to assist private property owners and local authorities or approved housing bodies (AHBs) to harness the accommodation potential that exists in vacant dwellings across Ireland. Subject to the suitability of the dwelling for social housing, the cost of the necessary repairs will be met upfront by the local authority or an AHB with the cost...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Social housing completions for Q1 of 2021 under the range of delivery programmes, including the Buy & Renew Scheme, are currently being collated and will be published as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Agency has been provided with direct capital funding to facilitate the acquisition of suitable portfolios of vacant properties for social housing from financial institutions and investors.  An Acquisitions Fund of €70m was established with effect from 1 January 2017, with the objective of acquiring some 1,600 homes over the period to 2021, for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In terms of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund  (LIHAF) funding drawdown, thus far, most infrastructure projects have been at the design, planning and procurement stages, and the bulk of expenditure will arise during the construction phase.  This is reflected in the level of expenditure to end 2020, with approximately €59.916m in Exchequer funds drawn...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: As part of Budget 2021, I 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 overall investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services, support improved water supplies right across Ireland, including rural Ireland, and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme for 2021 is a newly revised Programme which involves a move from a 'shallow' to a 'deeper' retrofit of local authority homes. The new programme has been designed around the Programme for Government commitment to retrofit 500,000 homes to a B2/Cost Optimal BER standard by 2030. Approximately 36,500 of those homes are expected to be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Climate Change Policy (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: While my Department has an overarching role in terms of local government, the recruitment and appointment of local authority staff is a matter for each local authority in accordance with section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, which provides that each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department received correspondence from Clare County Council in October 2020, requesting the extension of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant to County Clare. A comprehensive reply was subsequently issued to the Council in November 2020.   My Department informed the Council that before any extension of the scheme can be considered the same rigorous analysis as that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. 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. Homelessness is complex and causal factors and family circumstances vary considerably as do the responses needed....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.  Notwithstanding the legal obligation on local authorities to manage and maintain...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Language (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 484 and 485 together. My Department is committed to its obligations under the Official Languages Act and associated legislation.  Section 11 of the Act provides for the preparation by a public body of a scheme, specifying the details of the services it proposes to provide through the official languages. My Department published its fifth Language Scheme in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended by the Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011, provides the legislative basis for the NPPR charge.  The NPPR charge, which has since been discontinued, applied in the years 2009 to 2013 to any residential property in which the owner did not reside as their normal place of residence.  The self-assessed charge was set at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Residential Tenancies Board (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 487 and 488 together. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021, to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants. On 1 July 2019, the changes to the Residential Tenancies Act 2004...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rent Data (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021, to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants.    Section 134 of the Acts requires a landlord to apply to the RTB to register a tenancy of a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Conservation (28 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 491 and 492 together. For reasons of operational security, the Department does not provide details of staffing in the manner requested.  Some 368 staff work in the area of natural heritage through the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.I am not aware of any District Conservation Officer ...