Results 15,861-15,880 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities. Under the Housing Act...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Expenditure (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of emergency accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. My...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: House Purchase Schemes (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: As part of Budget 2021, €110m was allocated for new affordable housing measures including a new national Affordable Purchase Shared Equity Scheme and a new Cost Rental Equity Loan facility for Approved Housing Bodies. Of this amount, €75 million was allocated for the introduction of the affordable purchase shared equity scheme in 2021. To this end, significant preparatory...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 615 and 616 together. Section 24 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004-2020 defines market rent for the purposes of rent setting and rent review to mean, in relation to the tenancy of a dwelling, the rent which a willing tenant not already in occupation would give and a willing landlord would take for the dwelling, in each case on the basis of vacant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Renewable Energy Generation (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the performance of his functions under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2020 and the setting of valuations for rating purposes, including those for renewable energy project related properties, is his sole responsibility. As Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, I have no function in decisions in this regard. Local authorities are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 620 to 625, inclusive, 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. The 2011 Regulations prescribe...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Contracts (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In accordance with Circular 40/2002, issued by the Department of Finance, my Department completes an annual return in respect of contracts above a €25,000 threshold which have been awarded without a competitive process. These returns are submitted annually to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General as part of the Appropriation Account process. The return for 2019 contained...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 627 and 628 together. As the question appears to refer to a particular (i.e 'the') An Bord Pleanála decision, it is important to clarify at the outset that under Section 30 of the Planning and Development Act, I am precluded from exercising and power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: It is a key objective of Project Ireland 2040, which includes the National Planning Framework (NPF), to encourage a shift in the pattern and format of future development towards more compact urban growth, as a mechanism to support proper planning and sustainable development and as a measure to address climate change. The National Planning Framework is endorsed in the current Programme for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In Budget 2021, the total funding being made available for the delivery of housing programmes is €3.3bn. This includes funding to deliver 12,750 social homes through build, acquisition and leasing. A major focus of this investment is the delivery of new build, with an overall target of 9,500 new homes. The build target includes the delivery of 5,250 new homes by local authorities,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Following the introduction of changes to Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, effected through the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 (the relevant sections of which were commenced with effect from 1 September 2015), the range of options available through which Part V obligations might be satisfied was reduced. In particular, the payment of cash in lieu of homes or the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The average costs for the delivery of social homes through the local authority capital construction programme for 2018 and 2019 are set out in the table below. These averages reflect the full delivery or 'all-in' costs, therefore in addition to construction costs, they also include costs such as land, design team fees, utilities, legal and professional fees, etc. As averages, it's important...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The average costs for the delivery of social homes through the local authority turnkey programme for 2018 and 2019 are set out in the table below. As averages, it's important to note that a range of dwelling types at various price ranges are covered. In delivering new social homes under this programme local authorities are cognisant of the need to balance the delivery of a range of new homes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I recently approved a once off allocation of €1m for Galway County Council. This funding is linked to the operation of municipal districts and is subject to a small number of requirements, including that the funding be divided equally among the municipal districts. The allocation in question is for 2021 and the payment will be made in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme (3 Nov 2020)

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: Hare Coursing (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The control of live hare coursing, including the operation of individual coursing meetings and managing the use of hares for that activity, is carried out under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958, which is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). My responsibility relates to the conservation status of the hare. In 2020 to date, the RHD2...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan scheme remains open for business. All local authorities are receiving and processing RIHL applications and are incorporating increased flexibility to accommodate applicants during the COVID 19 Pandemic. As is the case with any lender, local authorities must lend mortgages on a prudent basis, taking into account the most recent income and employment data...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: As indicated in the previous reply of 14 October last on this matter, in light of the impacts of the Covid-19 emergency, the Government, on 29 March 2020, made an Order under section 251A of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), which resulted in the extension of time for a range of specified or appropriate periods and timelines in the Planning Acts and associated...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Burial Grounds (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department's National Monuments Service has been engaged with for some time with the Health Service Executive (HSE), as owner of the site, in relation to the HSE's proposals to undertake certain conservation works. On foot of those discussions, also involving Dublin City Council, the HSE commissioned a condition assessment and conservation report of the graveyard last year. This...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (3 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 (the Act) introduced new streamlined arrangements to enable planning applications for strategic housing developments (SHDs) of 100 housing units or more, or student accommodation or shared accommodation developments of 200 bed spaces or more, to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála for determination. The SHD...