Results 16,321-16,340 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Sites (17 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the vacant site levy provisions in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, planning authorities were empowered to apply a vacant site levy of 3% of the market valuation of relevant properties which were listed on local authority vacant site registers in 2018, which relevant owners were liable to pay in January 2019. The rate of the levy increased to 7% for sites listed on local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme (17 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015, provide the basis for the current Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme, which came into operation on 1 January 2016, which allows local authorities to sell local authority owned dwellings to existing social housing tenants. The Scheme does not extend to houses owned by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Under the terms of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Animal Culls (16 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 to 49, inclusive, together. 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 licences yet this year.    The delays arise as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 public health emergency and the effects this has had on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Constitutional Amendments (16 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government provides that the Government will refer the issue of the environment, including water, and its place in the Constitution, to a relevant Joint Oireachtas Committee for consideration.  I and my Department look forward to engaging with the relevant Committee when work proceeds on this issue. 

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Monuments (16 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 54 together. Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, gives primary responsibility to local authorities to identify and protect the architectural heritage by including particular structures on the Record of Protected Structures (RPS). Inclusion on the RPS places a duty of care on the owners and occupiers of protected structures...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Disability Support Services (16 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 56 together. My Department provides funding every year for the Disabled Persons Grant (DPG) scheme and the Housing Adaptations Grant for Older People and People with a Disability scheme. While both schemes are administered directly by the local authorities they operate independently with separate funding streams,  the main...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (16 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of fire authorities under the Fire Services Act, 1981.  My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Weather Events (16 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Met Éireann is the National Meteorological Service of Ireland and one of its most important roles is to issue weather forecasts and warnings for Ireland. The Public Weather Service provided by Met Éireann prioritises the protection of life and ensuring citizen safety. The service also supports the activities of the citizen and other agencies to mitigate damage to property and reduce...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Disability Support Services (16 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs.  The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People, which are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (16 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of fire authorities under the Fire Services Act, 1981.  My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (16 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive (2011/92/EU), as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU, and the UN Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (the Espoo Convention) both set out the obligations of Member States/Parties to assess the environmental impact of certain activities or proposed development at an early stage of planning. They also lay down...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Licence Applications (15 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 323, 326 and 347 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Flood Prevention Measures (15 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Office of Public Works (OPW) is the lead State body for the coordination and implementation of Government policy on the management of flood risk in Ireland. I understand from the OPW that to address the issue of flooding in Bandon, the Flood Relief Scheme that commenced in 2016 is now nearing completion. The flood relief scheme is mainly a dredged solution and while construction...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: EU Regulations (15 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 325 and 331 together. The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) was developed under the UN Convention on Migratory Species. Ireland signed up to the Agreement in 2003. The agreement includes a commitment that “Parties shall endeavour to phase out the use of lead shot for hunting in wetlands as soon as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Hare Coursing (15 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 327 and 346 together. I am at present considering a license application from the Irish Coursing Club on behalf of its associated clubs to capture hares for the forthcoming 2020/2011 coursing season. My Department has already consulted with the Irish Coursing Club in relation to its license applications and has received a number of views from a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Animal Diseases (15 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: An outbreak of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD2) occurred in Ireland in mid to late 2019. It has been detected in the Irish hare and both wild and domestic rabbit populations. RHD2 was first identified in France in 2010 and has since spread globally. It is caused by a Lago-virus and is extremely infectious. Although it bears no risk to people, its potential impacts on the rabbit and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fishing Industry (15 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Both species of seal in Irish waters - the Harbour or Common Seal and the more numerous Grey Seal - are protected under the EU Habitats Directive and Ireland is obliged to maintain their numbers at a favourable conservation level. We are also required to monitor their populations and report to the European Commission on their conservation status. A standardised monitoring programme has been...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Biodiversity Plan (15 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 was launched by the European Commission on 20 May 2020. It aims to ensure that Europe’s biodiversity will be on the path to recovery by 2030, and proposes ambitious EU actions and commitments to halt biodiversity loss in Europe and worldwide. It proposes that by 2030, the 27 Member States collectively legally protect at least 30% of the EU’s...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme (15 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 332 and 359 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (15 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Coastal Change Management Strategy Steering Group is jointly chaired by my Department and the Office of Public Works (OPW). The Group is comprised of senior officials from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the...