Results 15,981-16,000 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: European Council Meetings (25 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: No formal or informal Council of the European Union meetings have been held under the remit of my Department in the period under question. Matters in relation to the environment that fall to my Department, e.g. biodiversity or water quality, generally arise at Environment Council and there have been three meetings of that Council configuration since June 2020, as follows: ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (25 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Broadly, the objectives of an Affordable Purchase Shared Equity scheme are to improve access and affordability of new homes for First Time Buyers, stimulate an increase in supply by improving confidence as to the viability of future housing developments to meet increased realisable demand, and support economic recovery from COVID-19 by encouraging employment in the construction and related...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Procurement Contracts (25 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 136 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Energy Efficiency Programme for 2021 will be the first year of a newly revised ten year programme designed to help deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to retrofitting 500,000 homes by 2030 to a B2/cost optimal BER standard. It is expected that approximately 36,500 of those will be local authority owned homes. The budget of €65 million in 2021 for the energy...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for the operation of water services infrastructure and for the provision of drinking water in accordance with the European Communities (Drinking Water) (No.2) Regulations 2007, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas library. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as the water quality regulator, is the supervisory authority for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Offices (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides breastfeeding employees with access to flexible spaces across all of the office locations for which we have responsibility. These spaces include wellbeing rooms and rest rooms. Each one is shielded from view and is free from intrusion by co-workers or the public and is provided with appropriate furniture. Although currently demand does not exist for these spaces to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Animal Welfare (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 284 and 318 together. I trust the Deputies will appreciate that given my obligations under Section 16 of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 to protect the identity of a person who has made a disclosure, as well as the rights of individuals named in a protected disclosure, I am unable to provide details of any particular protected disclosure. Any...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 286 and 322 together. The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan scheme is administered by the local authorities, in accordance with the Housing (Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan) Regulations 2018. Under the Housing (Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan) Regulations 2018 a loan cannot be issued where the house has a gross internal floor area of 175 square metres or more. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan scheme the final decision on loan approval is a matter for each local authority and its Credit Committee on a case-by-case basis. Decisions on all housing loan applications must be made in accordance with the statutory credit policy that underpins the scheme, in order to ensure consistency of treatment for all applicants. Loan applicants who are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Referendum Campaigns (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government provides that the Government will retain Irish Water in public ownership as a national, standalone, regulated utility. The realisation of this commitment will complete the broad policy and legislative reforms which have seen the public water system embark on a journey of transformation, from a structure based on locally-organised water services authorities,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes a detailed monthly report on homelessness, based on data provided by housing authorities. The Report outlines details of individuals utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. Data relating to homeless families and their dependants are presented at a regional level. The Reports are available to access on my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 292 and 329 together. The Government announced that additional public health restrictions would apply under Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19 on 6 January 2021. The additional restrictions required all construction activity to cease from 6pm on Friday 8 January, with a number of exceptions. These measures are set out in The Health Act 1947...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ministerial Advisers (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is set out in the table below. All special advisers are based in Custom House, Dublin 1. Minister Adviser Contact details Darragh O’Brien, TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Ciara Shaughnessy Tel - 01 8882000 Email - ciara.shaughnessy@housing.gov.ie Darragh...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The minimum age of retirement in a local authority or other public service employment is dependent upon a range of factors, including but not limited to the commencement date of employment and the specific contract of employment. Without the full information, it is not possible to comment on individual cases. In any event, the aggrieved party should, in the first instance, raise his...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: 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. Figures for 2020 (up until Quarter 2) are available on the Gov.ie website...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: There were 1,201.70 staff serving in my Department at the end of January 2021, as calculated on a fulltime equivalent basis. The information requested is set out in the table below. Grade Female Male Total ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER 16.00 9.75 25.75 ADVISORY COUNSEL GRADE 2 1.00 1.00 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: While my Department is focused on ensuring that existing housing stock is utilised to its fullest extent, the management and maintenance including the re-letting of newly vacated homes of local authority housing stock is a matter for each local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLR) has advised my Department they receive approx....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reviews (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Details of the studies, reviews and research undertaken or commissioned by my Department and currently underway, are set out in the following table, together with the scheduled completion date. Title of live Study/Review/Research Scheduled for Completion Mortgage to Rent Review Q1 2021 Unlawful Termination of Tenancies Report ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 299 and 301 together. My Department publishes a detailed monthly report on homelessness, based on data provided by housing authorities. The Report outlines details of individuals utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. Data relating to homeless adults are presented at a county level. Where...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (24 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) continue to be effective and secure forms of social housing support, and remain a significant part of the suite of social housing options currently available across the country. Data in relation to active tenancies in HAP and RAS for the period 2018 to Quarter 3, 2020, in County Donegal, is set-out in the table...