Results 16,601-16,620 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Legislative Reviews (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question. The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 introduced what the previous Government defined as a new streamlined arrangement to enable planning applications for strategic housing developments, SHDs, of 100 units or more or student or shared accommodation developments of 200 bed spaces or more to be made directly to An Bord...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Legislative Reviews (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. He has been very vocal and active on this issue in his constituency, as well as elsewhere. I have raised concerns publicly about this process. To wind it down now would take as long as it would take for it to expire. I can give the Deputy a firm commitment. Colleagues in my party also raised concerns about this matter on a number of occasions. In the programme for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Legislative Reviews (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I give the Deputy a firm commitment, on my first set of Priority Questions as Minister, in public and in front of colleagues that these provisions will not be extended. We will need to work together on the joint committee on housing, local government and heritage, as it will be constituted, on how we can strengthen resources within our local authorities and planning teams so that we can...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. As he knows, I am committed to putting affordability back at the heart of our housing system through the expansion and acceleration of State-backed affordable housing. Long-term financial sustainability is an important guiding principle to ensure that individuals and families can be helped to secure affordable housing on an ongoing basis. Therefore, the Housing...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Ó Broin for raising this important issue. It is important we understand that we deal with any issues that relate to residual debt, particularly, with renters, due to losing jobs or income because of the Covid-19 pandemic. As the Deputy will be aware, tenants are required to pay rent to their landlord during the Covid-19 emergency period and in the event of tenants having...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: This is going to be an issue and we must base our response on the scientific research. The Deputy mentioned Sinn Féin has carried out research. I am carrying out research through the ESRI and the initial response from that is there has not been a massive increase. However, I take the point it is in the first three months and we have got to watch that. Measures like the PUP and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Any response will be based on fact and on the research we have done. I will be open to looking at all options once I have that information to hand. I would say to Members that we need to look at further protection of tenants' rights on a permanent basis as well. That is why in the next couple of days I intend to bring to Cabinet a new residential tenancies (amendment) Bill which I will...

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

Darragh O'Brien: In line with the provisions of Section 4(2) of the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 (the Act), the strategic housing development (SHD) arrangements were extended in December 2019 to the maximum period permitted by the Act, i.e. 31 December 2021. The Programme for Government – Our Shared Future indicates that this provision will not be extended...

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

Darragh O'Brien: When it comes to specific parts of the Country, such as Louth, each local authority, which is also a housing authority and planning authority, is best placed to understand the local housing need and to target supply, availing of the suite of State supports available and working with delivery partners such as Approved Housing Bodies. I understand that, based on the most recent data, as of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 introduced legislative changes last year in relation to the regulation of short-term letting sector through the planning code to help address its impact on the supply of private rented accommodation, particularly in urban centres of high housing demand i.e. rent pressure zones (RPZs). The planning system...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme 2016 is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. The legislative underpinning for the Scheme is provided by Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and associated regulations. As part of a package of social housing reforms, the Programme for...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 23 together. Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area are set out in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recent summary (June 2019), shows that 68,693 households were assessed as qualified for and being in need of social housing support, a decrease of 3,165...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities, are experiencing some delays on construction projects due to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions. However, Kerry County Council is actively working with all stakeholders to ensure that any delays are kept to an absolute minimum and that badly needed projects proceed with a view to completion in the most timely manner possible. Since taking up office in late June, I...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness is a priority for this Government. The Programme for Government ‘Our Shared Future’ commits to reducing and preventing homelessness and provides detail on how the Government will approach this challenge. Homeless services are overseen at regional level and Clare County Council is part of the Mid-West Region. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (23 Jul 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 individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Galway City Council sought sanction approval from my Department for an additional post of Biodiversity Officer on 6 December 2019. Formal sanction approval was communicated to the Council on 11 December 2019 for the post on a permanent basis, subject to Galway City Council being satisfied that it has sufficient budgetary resources to meet the salary of this post. The recruitment and...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 115 together. The Programme for Government commits to delivering 50,000 social homes with a greater emphasis now on new build activity. The pre-existing overall target set for 2020 was to provide social housing support to over 27,000 households including 11,000 through built, bought or leased social homes. Despite the challenges faced through...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is a flagship element of Project Ireland 2040. Under the stewardship of the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Fund was established to support more compact and sustainable development, through the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s five cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government – Our Shared Future commits to a number of actions, including reforming and reimagining our public life. This mission sets out commitments that relate to local authority funding, including setting out how commercial rates will be treated for the remainder of 2020, as a priority action. The Programme also commits to bringing forward legislation for the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 38 and 43 together. 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...