Results 16,121-16,140 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (10 Feb 2021)

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: Water and Sewerage Schemes (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 322 and 323 together. Primary responsibility for the monitoring, management, protection and improvement of water quality is assigned to local authorities under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts and related legislation. The Environmental Protection Agency, through its Office of Environmental Enforcement, exercises general supervision in relation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In relation to the Deputy's query regarding the protocols in place for all local authority grades regarding Covid-19, when a person is deemed to be a close contact, the position is that the protocols and arrangements in place are applicable to all local authority grades. It should be noted that the arrangements in operation for the local authority sector are consistent with public health...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Property Registration (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I am informed that the Property Registration Authority (PRA) has established a dedicated unit to investigate issues such as the ones highlighted by the Deputy. I understand that the required investigations can take some time to complete; however, the PRA expedites processing where it is notified of urgency relating to a case. I further understand that the specified application has been...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rent Data (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested is not available in my Department. 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. The Clerk of the Dáil requested that arrangements be put in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The allocation of local authority dwellings, including the prioritisation of certain households, is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation scheme made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations. As Minister I am precluded by housing legislation from intervening in relation to the procedures followed,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage for first-time buyers and has been made available nationwide from local authorities from 1 February 2018. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to build your own home. Section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in the annual Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The SSHA provides details of the numbers of households across a number of categories but does not include a breakdown by electoral area. The most recently published SSHA relates to data in June 2019 and shows that the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government, ‘Our Shared Future’, commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system, which the Government has prioritised in Budget 2021 by providing for a suite of affordable housing measures totalling €468 million. This will be utilised across two new programmes announced in Budget 2021 to deliver affordable homes to purchase or rent,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Water (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 12 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer, by Ministerial Order, of the property of a water services authority (a city council, county council or city and county council) to Irish Water. This transfer of assets arises solely in the context of the establishment of Irish Water which, since 1 January 2014, has assumed statutory responsibility for all aspects...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Increasing the supply of housing, particularly new build social and affordable is a priority for me and for this Government. The Programme for Government commits to increasing the social housing stock by more than 50,000, with an emphasis on new builds. Budget 2021 provides €3.3 billion for the delivery of housing. Subject to the impact of the Covid related restrictions on the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The response to the collective complaint brought by the International Federation for Human Rights to the European Committee of Social Rights in relation to a number of articles of the Revised European Social Charter was led by the Department of Foreign Affairs. Any legal costs arising from the complaint are dealt with by that Department. Any staffing or resource costs arising for my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is available to all eligible households throughout the State. Under HAP, a tenant sources their own accommodation in the private rented market. The tenancy agreement is between the tenant and the landlord and is governed by the Residential Tenancies Acts. Under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts cover tenancies in the private rental sector. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 amended the 2004 Residential Tenancies Act and brought tenancies of Approved Housing Bodies under the remit of the Residential Tenancies Board. The Housing Acts 1966 to 2019 govern local authority housing tenancies. Local authority social housing tenants can avail...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 343 and 344 together. The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. In order for a household to qualify for HAP, they must first be assessed as eligible for social housing support by their local authority. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (10 Feb 2021)

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 the individuals concerned 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Code of Conduct for Employees in a Local Authority, which issued under Section 169 of the Local Government Act, 2001 deals with these matters. An employee intending to accept an appointment that could give rise to a conflict of interest should inform the appropriate authority of such intention. An employee below Director of Services level should inform or apply, as appropriate, to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 349 and 350 together. It is open to anyone to apply for social housing support, applications for which 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. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 351 and 352 together. In line with the commitment to put affordability at the heart of the housing system in the Programme for Government, ‘Our Shared Future’, Government approved the priority drafting of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020 on 22 December 2020, and I published the General Scheme on 20 January last. The Bill includes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Water (10 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 353 and 354 together. 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 does not as a matter of course apply to my Department for the allocation of funding towards a specific project which are a matter for Irish Water. As...