Results 16,641-16,660 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 58 together. My Department does not hold data on the amount of uninhabitable housing stock which exists nationally. My Department is, however, focused on ensuring that existing housing stock is utilised to its fullest extent including a targeted, effective and co-ordinated approach to identifying and tackling vacancy across Ireland. In that context,...

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 been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to...

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

Darragh O'Brien: This Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society and this is reflected in the Programme for Government "Our Shared Future". Already, 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....

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

Darragh O'Brien: The most recent amendments to the taking in charge provisions of the planning code were made in section 37 of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2018 with a view to further strengthening and streamlining the taking-in-charge process. Residential developments consisting of two or more dwellings that have been granted planning permission under section 34 of the Planning and...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area are set out 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 not yet been met, in order to better inform policy and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65 and 66 together. With effect from 27 March 2020, under new emergency measures introduced into law to protect tenants during the COVID-19 emergency period, tenants cannot be forced to leave their rental accommodation, other than in exceptional circumstances. The measures also prohibit any increase to rent for the duration of the emergency period. These...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The average annual exchequer cost (net of tenant contribution) for a HAP tenancy is approximately €9,500. There are no management and maintenance costs associated with the properties as these remain the responsibility of the landlord. It should also be borne in mind that some of this exchequer investment may be returned to the exchequer in the form of tax revenue from the rental income...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Tenants are required to pay rent to their landlord during the COVID-19 emergency period and, in the event of tenants having difficulty doing so, they are encouraged to engage with their landlords at the earliest opportunity. They should also engage with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) as income supports and Rent Supplement are available to assist them....

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government provides for a package of social housing reforms, including the introduction of a social housing passport to allow households move from one local authority list to another. It should be noted that the four Dublin local authorities already co-operate in arrangements that enable social housing applicants to apply for housing in one or two of the other Dublin...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, (the Act) sets out mandatory objectives for local authorities, which must be addressed in the drafting of County Development Plans. Section 10(2) of the Act includes a requirement that, where there is a Gaeltacht area in the area of the development plan, the plan must include provisions for “the protection of the linguistic and...

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

Darragh O'Brien: In September 2018, the Land Development Agency was established on an interim basis by statutory instrument under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971, as amended. A General Scheme of the Bill to establish the LDA as a commercial state body was approved by Government for publication, consideration for pre-legislative scrutiny and priority drafting in July 2019. The...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Traveller-specific projects and developments are focused on group housing schemes and halting sites. This includes meeting Traveller-specific housing needs through a range of mechanisms, including the provision of mobiles and caravans; the provision and refurbishment of halting sites and bays within sites; the refurbishment and extension of existing group housing; the return to use of void...

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

Darragh O'Brien: While I have responsibility for broad oversight of the local government system and specific responsibility for certain local government functions and services, I have no function in relation to this specific matter. Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the performance of their functions including the provision of public toilet...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The oversight and management of housing waiting lists, including the allocation and transfer of tenancies, is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated regulations. Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, requires all local authorities, as a reserved function, to make an allocation scheme...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan (RIHL) enables credit-worthy first-time buyers to access sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new or second-hand properties or self-build in a suitable price range. Local authorities may issue Rebuilding Ireland Home Loans (RIHL) in accordance with the Housing (Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan) Regulations 2018 and the Credit Policy issued under the...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 122 together. Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a priority for my Department. The Programme for Government, "Our Shared Future", commits to reducing and preventing homelessness and provides detail on how the Government will approach this challenge. I have established a High Level Homelessness Taskforce, to provide a forum for...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123, 124, 126, 130, 132, 135 and 138 together. My Department is fully engaged in a programme of activities focused on the delivery of social homes throughout the country. In my first weeks as Minister I have engaged with stakeholders across local government, the approved housing bodies and other delivery partners. There are of course many challenges presented...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan continues to support credit worthy first time buyers who are unable to secure commercial mortgages to purchase their own homes. Additional funding for new lending of up to €210 million has been secured to ensure the continuation of the RIHL in 2020, and details of 2020 allocations have been communicated to all 31 local authorities. The new Programme...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Sale of Sites Scheme, a local authority may make housing sites available at low cost. Households who have been approved for social housing or local authority tenants can access this scheme. Tenant purchasers or certain tenants of approved housing bodies can also apply. A total of 95 sites were made available by local authorities in 2017 under this scheme with 48 made available in...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive statistics on a quarterly basis on all social housing delivery activity under Rebuilding Ireland. This is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: . In addition to the statistical overview of activity in each local authority, a detailed Social Housing Construction Status Report is published which provides...