Results 16,521-16,540 of 26,886 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Derelict Sites (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department can provide full funding to local authorities for sites on which they bring forward suitable new social housing construction projects, including sites acquired by compulsory purchase orders. I am keen to see our local authorities expand their ownership of suitable sites for new social housing and with the record funding levels we have secured for new social housing delivery in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Following on from the recommendations contained in the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services report in April 2017, a Working Group was established to conduct a review of the wider investment needs relating to the rural water services. As part of its work, the Working Group recommended a number of revisions to the existing grant scheme that provided...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Constitutional Amendments (24 Nov 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 will engage with the relevant Committee when work proceeds on this issue.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 housing developments to be built on key sites at scale. In 2018, 30 projects received final LIHAF approval and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Oversight and practical management of housing waiting lists is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated regulations. Specifically, section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions. Section 22 of the Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Galway Social Housing Taskforce is continuing its work in line with its terms of reference, with five meetings to date in 2020. The Galway Councils have a combined target of just over 2,000 social housing homes to be delivered through build, acquisitions and leasing in the period 2018 to 2021. The work of the Taskforce confirms that the Councils remain strongly committed to improving and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Water (24 Nov 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 in accordance with Section 7 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013. This includes the connection of newly built residential developments to the water services network, including Irish Water's protocols pertaining to the use...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 Donegal and Mayo, to carry out the necessary remediation works to dwellings that have been damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks. The regulations...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government makes clear our commitments to provide measures for good-quality housing to purchase or rent at an affordable price. To this end, in providing Capital funding of €468 million, Budget 2021 made clear our intentions to deliver on these commitments and outlined our plans to cover affordability measures including: 1. €110 million which will be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Procurement Contracts (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In accordance with Circular 40/2002, issued by the Department of Finance, my Department completes an annual return in respect of contracts above a €25,000 threshold which have been awarded without a competitive process. These returns are submitted annually to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General as part of the Appropriation Account process and include contracts awarded...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Process (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department made six applications to waive pre-legistive scrutiny of primary legislation since 1 January 2017. Details and outcomes of the applications are provided in the attached table. ">Table on Legislative Process

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Data Protection Officer in my Department is at Assistant Principal level.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme (24 Nov 2020)

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: Residential Tenancies Board (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2020 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government commits to increasing the social housing stock by more than 50,000, with an emphasis on new builds. In 2021, the total funding being made available for the delivery of housing programmes is €3.3bn. This includes funding to deliver 12,750 social homes through build, acquisition and leasing. A major focus of this investment is the delivery of new build,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tribunals of Inquiry (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is not undertaking nor in the process of setting up any Tribunals or Inquiries. Following an investigation, a report is being compiled into the alleged role, if any, of Dublin City Council regarding payments made to certain individuals for the purpose of facilitating the protection of social housing developments in Ballyfermot/Cherry Orchard, Dublin 10, against anti-social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Agency (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under my Department's Serviced Sites Fund (SSF), €310 million has been allocated to provide infrastructure to support the delivery of more affordable new homes for purchase or rent in those areas where local authorities have identified an affordability challenge and the viability to deliver homes and below open market prices. Funding under the SSF is available for new-build homes on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Road Management Office (RMO), a local authority shared service, was set up in late 2014 following development of a business case by the local authority sector. Its set-up followed approval by the Public Services Reform Oversight Group, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and the award of the shared service to a consortium of Donegal, Cork County, Cork City, Kerry and Tipperary...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 348, 355 and 356 together. The National Quality Standards Framework (NQSF) for homeless services is in place nationally for local authority and NGO delivered services. The NQSF has been developed to ensure a consistent approach in how local authorities and service providers respond to the needs of those experiencing homelessness and to improve the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Control (24 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Irish Coursing Club (ICC) announced a suspension with effect from 21 October 2020 of both parkland and open coursing events due to the Level 5 COVID - 19 restrictions.At that time I was aware that a number of coursing clubs had already captured hares on the basis of forthcoming coursing meetings which were subsequently suspended by the ICC. Wild hares which are a protected species, are...