Results 16,001-16,020 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (13 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In September 2018, the Land Development Agency was established on an interim basis by statutory instrument under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971, as amended. A General Scheme of the Bill to establish the LDA as a commercial state body was approved by Government for publication, consideration for pre-legislative scrutiny and priority drafting in July 2019. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (13 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing First enables homeless individuals with high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation with the provision of intensive housing and health supports to help them maintain their tenancies. The National Implementation Plan for Housing First, published in September 2018, which puts the programme on a national footing, is designed to provide this response, by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Youth Homelessness Strategy (13 Oct 2020)

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 will approach this challenge. Upon my appointment as Minister, I established a High Level Homelessness Taskforce, to provide a forum for engagement with key...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (13 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 164 and 165 together. Section 35 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), which relates to refusal of planning permission for past failures, enables planning authorities to refuse an application for planning permission to those responsible for a previous development where it is satisfied that an applicant, a partnership of which the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rent Pressure Zones (13 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2020, to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants. Additional powers and functions were conferred on the RTB by provisions in the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) 2019 Act. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electric Vehicles (13 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2018/844/EU) requires Member States to ensure that appropriate infrastructure is installed in all new residential buildings and non-residential buildings, as well as those buildings with more than 10 parking spaces, for the purpose of enabling the installation at a later stage of charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) in such...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (13 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My colleague Peter Burke TD, Minister of State for Planning and Local Government, will be responsible for Traveller accommodation and the formal process to delegate the functions is underway.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (13 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 181 together. I am aware of concerns in relation to the matter raised. This matter is now, I understand, the subject of planning enforcement action and legal proceedings by Dublin City Council and I am precluded from further comment on it. With regard to the safeguarding of protected structures, Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (13 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 and 171 together. The Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) and the Capital Infrastructure and Affordability Unit fall within the Housing Delivery Division of my Department, which is one of the core business areas of my Department. LIHAF has been administered within the Capital Infrastructure Unit of my Department since March 2019. It...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (13 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 planning regulations. Further orders were signed on 16 April 2020 and 9 May...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (13 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 173 and 183 together. Local authorities have a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes. An initial three-month waiver of rates for businesses forced to close business due to COVID-19, was announced in May. In order to enhance the supports available for enterprise, and in recognition of the fact that not only were...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme (13 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme is underpinned by regulations made under Sections 2 and 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1979, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the counties of Donegal and Mayo to carry out the necessary remediation works to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (13 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has responsibility for the regulation of the foreshore under the Foreshore Act 1933, as amended. Foreshore is the shore and seabed between High Water Mark and the territorial seas (12 nautical miles from the shore). It is not clear from the question where the proposed development will occur, therefore two options will need to be considered: - In accordance with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (8 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Carlingford Mountain Special Area of Conservation is a site selected for the protection of a range of habitats. The National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department received a report of unauthorised turf cutting at Black Mountain within the site. An inspection of the site was carried out by officers from the National Parks and Wildlife Service in August 2020. During the site...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (8 Oct 2020)

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 wastewater safely to the environment. It is recognised that our waste water networks require ongoing and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Strategic Infrastructure Provision (8 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (8 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In terms of affordable housing for purchase, the statutory basis for the delivery of affordable housing for purchase in the State is Part 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, which was commenced in June 2018. Under my Department's Serviced Sites Fund (SSF), €310 million has been allocated to provide infrastructure to support the delivery of more affordable new...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (8 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 housing, including the development of a Cost Rental model....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (8 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand my Department does not have any contracts with public relations agencies or consultants. Press and public relations functions are generally undertaken by my Department's Press Office and Communications Unit. The engagement of external expertise is only considered where the issues involved require expert skills or capabilities that are not readily available within my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (8 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: As part of the broader social housing reform agenda and the ongoing work of my Department, there are various reviews underway, including a review of income eligibility for social housing and other ongoing review and analysis of various social housing policy matters. However, there is no review of “social housing provision” or a specific review of policy/legislation related to...