Results 16,261-16,280 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to explore expanding Part V to encompass affordable purchase and cost rental units and the cost of such measures will be considered as part of that work. The costs associated with Part V vary depending on the numbers of units developed in any given year by the private sector, the existing use value of the sites, and the type, size and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Census 2016 figures indicate that there were approximately 183,000 vacant homes (down from 230,000 in 2011) but, in considering that figure, it should be noted that those numbers were recorded at a single point in time and included houses for sale or for rent, as well as homes that are not recoverable for occupancy for a wide range of reasons. More recent GeoDirectory (An Post and OSi) data...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is committed to supporting older people to live in their own home with dignity and independence for as long as possible, as this has the best outcomes both for the individual and for society as a whole. To this end, my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Health, is developing policy options for supported housing/housing with care so that older people have a wider...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Part V units can be delivered through a range of programmes funded by my Department, including: - The Social Housing Capital Investment Programme which is Local Authority (LA) led and 100% capital funded - The Capital Assistance Scheme which is Approved Housing Body (AHB) led and 100% capital funded - The Capital Advance Leasing Facility which is AHB led and operates with a range of 0% to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 94, 95 and 97 together. Cost information on the delivery of social homes through the local authority construction and turnkey programmes and through the Capital Assistance Scheme, is collated by my Department at development level rather than at granular or individual housing unit level. Disaggregating such development level information into individual unit...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) funding is capital support provided to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) by local authorities to facilitate the funding of construction, acquisition or refurbishment of new social housing units. This loan facility can support up to 30% of the eligible capital cost of the housing project, with the housing units provided to local authorities for social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 98 to 100, inclusive, together. Given the critical lack of residential development, as an initiative of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is primarily designed to fund the provision of public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages and enable...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Voids Programme funded by my Department, 10,162 vacant social housing homes were returned to productive use in the period 2015-2019. This figure does not include homes which were returned to productive use by local authorities using funding from their own resources. Between 2015-2019, Exchequer funding of approximately €146m was provided supporting local authorities in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Impact Assessments (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: On 12 November 2019, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued its judgment in case C-261/18, which followed on from the judgment in case C-215/06. These judgments will be complied with when the Derrybrien Wind Farm, which is owned and operated by a subsidiary of the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), is subjected to a retrospective Environmental Impact Assessment - otherwise known as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Water Services Acts 2007 and 2012 (Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems) Regulations 2012, the owner of a domestic waste water treatment system is responsible for its maintenance and renewal and shall ensure that its parts and components are fit for purpose, operational where appropriate and kept in good order and repair so as to prevent a risk to human health or environment. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Licence Applications (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware of some delays in my Department this year in processing deer hunting licence applications and I am aware that many deer hunters have not received their licenses yet this year. The delays arise as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 public health emergency and the effects this has had on travel and working arrangements. While staff in the unit that deals with the issuing of licenses...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Issues (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding to local authorities, including Roscommon County Council, to support a broad range of social housing programmes, including the delivery of new social housing homes through build, acquisition and leasing and programmes which support maintenance, upgrades and improvement works to existing social housing stock. All local authorities, including Roscommon County...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department continues to make every effort to assist local authorities with the financial challenges they are experiencing since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, including cash flow support by bringing forward payments where possible, so that the vital services that local authorities deliver can be maintained. In early April an advance of €136m of LPT allocations was made to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Property Tax (23 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government – Our Shared Future, sets out a range of actions that relate to local authority funding. The Programme commits to bringing forward legislation for the Local Property Tax (LPT) on the basis of fairness and that most homeowners will face no increase. It also states that those counties with a lower LPT base will be adjusted via an annual national equalisation...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Heritage Schemes (22 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides financial support for the protection of heritage buildings and historic structures through two grant schemes, which are, in the main, administered by the Local Authorities. These are the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF). Both schemes are run on an annual funding cycle and, in general, all funds must be drawn down and claimed...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Commercial Rates (22 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 322 and 328 together. Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Planning Issues (22 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: There are no specific criteria for anaerobic and biogas systems facilities under the planning code and it is a matter for planning authorities or An Bord Pleanala, as appropriate, to assess applications for such projects in line with the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), and the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended. I am aware that the Irish Bioenergy...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Heritage Projects (22 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In November 2019, funding of €5m was awarded under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund to Waterways Ireland and its partners, Kildare and Laois County Councils to progress the Barrow Blueway from Lowtown to Athy. Waterways Ireland commenced construction of the Barrow Blueway in early August 2020. The construction work is being undertaken by Waterways Ireland’s direct...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Heritage Projects (22 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides financial support for the protection of heritage buildings and historic structures through two grant schemes which are, in the main, administered by the local authorities. These are the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF). To date, a combined sum of over €4.3m has been allocated to 450 built heritage projects across...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rent Supplement Scheme (22 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Across the period 2016 to 2021, we are working to meet the housing needs of more than 138,000 additional households. This includes 50,000 long term supports in build, bought or leased homes, being delivered by both local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and also congoing support under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme and the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS). The...