Results 16,621-16,640 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: There is no blanket ban on applications or drawdowns for Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan (RIHL) applicants. All local authorities are receiving and processing RIHL applications and are incorporating increased flexibility to accommodate applicants during the COVID 19 Pandemic. As is the case with any lender, local authorities must lend mortgages on prudent basis, taking into account the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government commits to address homelessness, increase the social housing stock by over 50,000 and to put affordability back at the heart of our housing system. I recently had a videoconference meeting with the Chief Executive’s all of the local authorities during which I highlighted these key priorities. Since taking up office in late June, I established a High Level...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 2 on today’s Order Paper which sets out the position in this matter.

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 60 together. I refer to the replies to Question Nos. [16507/20] and [17528/20] of 21 and 22 July, 2020, respectively. 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. The Irish Water Strategic Funding Plan 2019-2024 sets out...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (23 Jul 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 with an...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The new Programme for Government 'Our Shared Future' commits to the development of a new Cost Rental sector in Ireland, whereby the rents charged will cover the cost of delivering, managing, and maintaining the homes. Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) form a key element in the delivery of social housing in Ireland and have a well demonstrated capacity in both the construction of new homes and in...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Each individual local authority is responsible for ensuring that their social housing stock is maintained to an appropriate standard. In order to support local authorities in this work my Department provides exchequer funding for eligible improvement works to local authority housing, including through the voids and energy efficiency programmes. Furthermore, under the National...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government 'Our Shared Future', confirms the Government's commitment to introduce "Cost Rental" housing in Ireland where the rents charged cover the cost of delivering, managing, and maintaining the homes only. Cost Rental is not intended to overlap with or replace traditional social housing for low-income households In 2019 an inter-departmental multi-agency Cost Rental...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government – Our Shared Future identifies a range of legislative reforms in the housing area. The top three priority Bills that I plan to bring forward in relation to current housing shortages include measures to: - increase notice periods in relation to notices of termination served on tenants for failure to payrent due during a further period after the expiry of...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 42, 47 and 62 together. The new Programme for Government, identifies the need to avoid over-concentration of particular housing types in areas, by requiring local authorities to complete housing need and demand assessments to inform delivery of an appropriate mix of housing typologies to cater for the needs of disparate household types and sizes. ...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Legislative changes (Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019) were introduced 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. The planning system...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Land Development Agency (LDA) was established on an interim basis in September 2018, by way of an Order made under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971, pending the enactment of primary legislation when it will be established as a commercial State agency. The LDA has an immediate focus on managing the State’s own lands to develop new homes, and regenerate...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 49 together. Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. Under the Household Means Policy, which...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Since 2016, my Department has been working with local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies, to deliver housing under Rebuilding Ireland. Local authorities were given 4 year overall social housing delivery targets, and they are working towards these targets to end 2021. We will be working hard, with our delivery partners, to incorporate the ambitious goals and initiatives of the Programme...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Project Ireland 2040 comprises two principal elements, both of which were published by Government in 2018. The National Planning Framework (NPF) is Ireland’s long-term national spatial planning strategy to accommodate projected future population and economic growth over a 20-year period to 2040. The other principal element of Project Ireland is the current National Development...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government commits to delivering 50,000 new social homes over the coming five-year period. There will be a very strong and increasing emphasis on new build supply. Since taking up office I am working within my Department and with key stakeholders and delivery partners to fully understand the most up-to-date position regarding delivery across social housing programmes and in...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The figures the Deputy is referring to relate to 2019 and 2020 Exchequer funding for the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). The figure of €12.4 million relates to 2019 Exchequer funding and included a provision of €4.5 million for Rented Accommodation Inspection. This funding was a subvention from my Department for local authorities to aid their inspections of private rental...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme introduced in 2012 is targeted at those households in mortgage arrears who have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP), who agree to the voluntary surrender of their home and are deemed eligible for social housing support. From its introduction in 2012 to the end of June 2020, 691...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 (the Act) introduced new streamlined arrangements to enable planning applications for strategic housing developments (SHDs) of 100 housing units or more, or student accommodation or shared accommodation developments of 200 bed spaces or more, to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála (the Board) for determination. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (23 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...