Results 16,521-16,540 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Details of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, up to 2018, are available on my Department's website at the following link: . The following table contains details of the exchequer funding drawn down by local authorities for the grants up to 31 December 2019, and up to 30 June 2020. Each local authority provides an additional 20% own contribution. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability currently provides up to 95% grant funding under the Scheme. The Scheme facilitates older people and people with a disability to remain living independently in their own homes. Funding of €73.75 million is available nationally in 2020 and has been increasing year on year since 2014. As part of the annual...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 152, 156, 160 and 164 together. In terms of measures taken by my Department to assist local authorities with the financial challenges they are experiencing since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, as a short term measure €136 million was made available to local authorities as cash flow support in early April, in order to ensure that vital...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF), €310 million has been allocated to provide infrastructure to support the delivery of more affordable homes on local authority lands. With a maximum of €50,000 funding available per home, at least 6,200 more affordable homes, to buy or rent, can be facilitated. To date, Serviced Sites Funding of €127 million has been approved in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 162 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 for social housing support across the country whose social housing need has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Agency provides a central support service which assesses applications for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan on behalf of local authorities and makes recommendations to the authorities to approve or refuse applications. Each local authority must have in place a credit committee and it is a matter for the committee to make the decision on applications for loans, in accordance with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Since 2014, Exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. This funding was initially introduced to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted at ensuring minimal turnaround and re-let times for local authority vacant stock. In relation to the Voids Programme for 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 158 and 166 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 to COVID-19 was announced in early May. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Forestry Management (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Detailed provisions in relation to the preservation of trees are set out in section 205 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. Under these provisions, planning authorities may - where it appears to them to be expedient in the interests of amenity or the environment - make a tree preservation order (TPO) in respect of any tree, trees, group of trees or woodlands specified in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Serviced Sites Fund, €310 million has been allocated to provide infrastructure to support the delivery of more affordable homes on local authority lands.  With a maximum of €50,000 funding available per home, at least 6,200 more affordable homes, to buy or rent, can be facilitated.  To date, Serviced Sites Funding of €127 million has been approved in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing Agency provides a central support service which assesses applications for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan on behalf of local authorities and makes recommendations to the authorities to approve or refuse applications. Each local authority must have in place a credit committee and it is a matter for the committee to make the decision on applications for loans, in accordance...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.  Since 2014, Exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department's Voids...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 325 of 7 July 2020; the position remains unchanged. It is a matter for Dun-Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to determine, in the first instance, the most appropriate response to the need for social housing supports in their area and to make the necessary application to my Department for consideration.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: On Monday, 13th July, planning permission was granted by An Bord Pleanála for the development of 597 homes at Shanganagh Castle, Shankill.  It is intended to comprise 306 Cost Rental homes, 200 social homes, and 91 homes for sale under the Affordable Purchase scheme.  Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) is working in partnership with the Land...

Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 3) Regulations 2020: Motion (28 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 3) Regulations 2020, copies of which were laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 22nd July, 2020.”  

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Second Stage (28 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle agus déanaim comhghairdeas léi as ucht a post nua. Guím ádh mór uirthi. I thank all of the contributors who brought forward their views on the Bill. We will move to Committee Stage on Thursday and I want to give a commitment to Members that I and my officials will consider any amendments brought forward, and where...

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Second Stage (28 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy should send me the details.

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Order for Second Stage (28 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Second Stage (28 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am grateful to the Ceann Comhairle and to all Deputies for facilitating the urgent passage of this very important legislation through the Houses this week. The programme for Government recognises the important role that the private rented sector will continue to play into the future. The Government is seeking to address challenges in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Road Projects (28 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: As part of this first tranche of approvals under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, Kildare County Council was allocated URDF support of €400,000 to support its proposed work to progress the technical and preparatory element of the Celbridge Southern Relief Road & Second Liffey Crossing.  The advancement and completion of this project is, in the first instance, a...