Results 16,441-16,460 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Rates (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The levying and collection of rates are legally matters for each individual local authority. Local authorities are under 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 early May. In order to enhance the supports available for enterprise, and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (8 Sep 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The 2020 target for additional Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) set-ups is 15,750 and at the end of Q2 2020, 7,825 HAP tenancies had been set up (49%). My Department is not aware that the increase in people working from home is impacting on the HAP scheme. Under the HAP scheme, in order to secure appropriate accommodation for a household that requires it, each local authority has...

Gnó na Dála - Business of Dáil (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: This is not a point of order.

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: No. What I am saying is that such tenants are not covered under these protections.

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: They can-----

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: That is not appropriate. If Deputy Ó Broin does not wish to hear the proper legal advice or a response to the amendments that have been tabled, that is fine. A tenant who wreaks havoc and engages in serious anti-social behaviour will not be protected under this legislation. It is as simple as that. Deputy Ó Broin can carry on in the disrespectful manner in which he has been...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I have listened to Tadhg an dá thaobh for most of the day, so let us just focus on what we need to do to bring in real protections for people. The key focus of section 4 is to assist tenants faced with adverse economic impacts on foot of the Covid-19 pandemic and who find themselves unable to pay rent and at a significant risk of having their tenancy terminated. It is not the case that...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Members for their contributions and the amendments that have been put forward. I will deal individually with the items that have been raised. Perhaps I will deal with the section first and then try to respond to the queries. We have to look at the provisions that are in place now and the basis of those provisions, which is emergency legislation. What I and the Government will...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Let us be clear about it. If we are being adult and honest about it, that is what it is seeking in its amendment. The declaration does not mean that a tenant or relevant person engaging in anti-social behaviour will be allowed to wreak havoc until January 2021. I heard Deputy Ó Broin comment on this both publicly and privately. That person's tenancy can be terminated in accordance...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 6: In page 5, to delete lines 16 to 18 and substitute the following: "(3) Section 6 of the Act of 2004 is amended, in subsection (1), by the insertion immediately after "this Act" of "orsection 4of the Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act 2020.". These are very technical amendments that are just for drafting purposes to tidy up the language. I have nothing...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 7: In page 5, to delete line 19 and substitute the following: "(4)Section 9 of the Act of 2004 is amended by—".

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputies for raising their various points. I will shortly deal with the specific queries Deputy Boyd Barrett had. Swearing a declaration is not a new provision. It is illegal to make a false declaration. That is not new and refers to a previous Act. In instances where somebody unintentionally does so, the RTB will obviously have discretion and will be asked to exercise its...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I am not shaking my head.

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I will reply to Deputy Ó Broin and give him the respect of using the title he earned by being elected to the House. If he wants me to refer to him as Eoin, I will do so also.

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: That is okay. All of us earnestly hope that a second wave does not present itself. If that does happen, we will consider the public health measures that would be required. The ESRI research is independent, rather than a survey on a party's website that asks people to click on a link. It has signalled the issue of potential and actual rent arrears. That is why the Bill focuses directly...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: For the genuine information of Deputy McGrath, no one is looking for an extension in this grouping of amendments. I will put section 4 in context first, and then I will deal with some of the queries and points raised by other Members. It might be helpful if I set out the purpose of section 4 of the Bill. I wish to make it clear to those who tabled amendments on behalf of the Opposition,...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputies for their amendment and I understand the reason for which it was tabled. However, I cannot accept the Labour Party amendment to provide the Government with power to extend the new emergency period. I am of the view, as I stated on Second Stage, that all parties should have an input into any further legislation required in this area. I commit to facilitating that. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 429, 444, 451, 460, 467, 490, 507, 525, 536, 543 and 559 together. The levying and collection of rates are legally matters for each individual local authority. Local authorities are under 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 430 and 527 together. In January 2020 my Department published the finalised General Scheme of the Marine Planning and Development Management Bill, which will provide the legislative basis for Ireland's new marine planning regime. The commitment in the Programme for Government to enact this legislation in nine months reflects the priority it has been accorded....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (30 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 431, 440, 447, 456, 464, 486, 493, 503, 521, 532, 539, 546 and 555 together. Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The purpose of the SSHA is to capture the total number of households qualified...