Results 15,921-15,940 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (22 Oct 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 accommodation and associated services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The details attached reflect the estimated current and capital allocations for 2021 in respect of each relevant programmes under Vote 34, on the basis of the financial provision made for my Department in the Expenditure Report 2021 published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform following decisions made in the context of Budget 2021.  Further detailed...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under my Department's Serviced Sites Fund (SSF), €310 million has been allocated to provide infrastructure to support the delivery of more affordable new homes for purchase or rent in those areas where local authorities have identified an affordability challenge and the viability to deliver homes and below open market purchase prices.  Funding under the SSF is available for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 102 together. I can confirm that in July 2020 an application for grant funding under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) was formally submitted by Dublin City Council (DCC) to my Department in respect of the proposed development in Emmet Road, Inchicore of 375 Cost Rental units. This site has been identified as a pilot Cost Rental scheme and my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 104 together. This Government is committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society, and this is reflected in the Programme for Government "Our Shared Future". The Programme commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system through the progression of State-backed affordable...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Budget 2021 provides for an unprecedented level of funding to deliver housing programmes next year through an overall investment of €3.3 billion, an increase of €641m (24%) on 2020. This investment will ensure that the housing needs of over 28,500 households are met in 2021. This includes delivering 12,750 social homes through Build, Acquisition and Leasing. The funding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the terms of the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), local authorities retain the responsibility to source alternative accommodation for a household accommodated under the RAS scheme, should the dwelling that the household is living in become unavailable.  In such circumstances, it is a matter for the local authority to secure suitable alternative accommodation for the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The report referred to by the Deputy was published in 2019.  Since then, the monthly homeless reports published by my Department have confirmed a reduction of 15% in the overall number of individuals, and a reduction of 35% in the overall number of families, experiencing homelessness. Supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness is a priority for this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I have established a Homelessness Task Force, to inter alia, provide a forum for engagement with key organisations working to address homelessness priorities and to provide input on the implementation of the commitments on homelessness in the Programme for Government. The membership of the taskforce consists of the Chief Executives of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, Crosscare,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I have established a  High Level Housing Delivery Group, to inter alia, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes in their areas.  My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 112 together. My Department publishes information on the overall number and value of (i) local authority loan approvals and (ii) local authority loan drawdowns. Local authority approval means that an official letter of offer has been sent to a borrower (and therefore relates to a specific property and loan amount). My Department has issued data...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Consultation Process (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In order to comply with Ireland’s obligations under the Water Framework Directive, and as signalled in the River Basin Management Plan published in April 2018, the Government recently approved a General Scheme of a Water Environment (Abstractions) Bill, which will introduce risk-based controls over the abstraction of water.  A six-week public consultation on a draft General Scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (21 Oct 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 statutory role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level.    In the context of the current response to COVID-19, my Department is working closely with Dublin Regional Homelessness Executive (DRHE),...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The regulations for the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme came in to operation on 31 January 2020.  The Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the counties of Donegal and Mayo only, to carry...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Leases (21 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In accordance with section 55 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, a local authority can request the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to provide such information in her possession as the authority may reasonably require for the purpose of performing its functions under the Housing Acts.   This includes provision of information on social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (20 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand that the Deputy is referring in his question to applications for planning permission for rural housing and in particular to applications by members of farming families who do not farm the landholding in which the site of the proposed house is located. Under the Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Rural Housing 2005, planning authorities are required to frame...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Office of Public Works (20 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Call 2 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, which was launched earlier this year, Kildare County Council submitted an application seeking support for the project in question. There were a large number of proposals received under Call 2, with every local authority submitting at least one application. Because of the nature of the URDF programme the proposals are very...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Monuments (20 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I am anxious to have the works to the national monument at Nos. 14 -17 Moore Street completed as soon as possible so that the buildings can be opened to the public to both resonate the mercantile, social and political heritage of the area as a 1916 commemorative quarter and to contribute to the overall rejuvenation of this part of the north inner city. Officials from my Department and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Ownership (20 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 263 and 264 together. 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 cases referred to may be obtained by contacting the dedicated e-mail address in respect of...