Results 16,681-16,700 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (22 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Housing (Rebuilding Ireland Home Loans) Regulations (S.I. No 25 of 2018) provide that the loan provided cannot exceed 90% of the market value of the property. The credit assessment is the same for all Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan applicants, whether they are purchasing a home on the private market or a home under the incremental purchase scheme. The final decision on loan approval is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (22 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Currently the LDA has access to an initial tranche of 9 sites across the country that have near term delivery potential for 3,600 new homes. Details of the current status of these sites are set out in the table below. Update on LDA sites Location Size Projected number of units Status Partners Shanganagh, Dublin 17.8 acres ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Members (22 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: As a result of feedback from local authority elected members and their representative associations regarding their current remuneration regime, Ms Sara Moorhead SC was commissioned in June 2018 to carry out a review of the role and remuneration of local authority elected members. During the course of the review a survey was carried out of all local authority elected members. Ms Moorhead also...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (22 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Cost Rental Working Group was convened in 2019 in order to assess methods for the consistent and sustainable delivery of Cost Rental at scale. The Group is examining potential funding models, including the use of public land and appropriate Exchequer inputs, in order to establish a sustainable financing and implementation structure to deliver Cost Rental units at the necessary scale....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (21 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Regulations S.I. 670 of 2007 and S.I. 104 of 2014 provide the statutory basis for the operation of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. Article 8 of the Regulations provides that the applicant must occupy the house as his or her normal place of residence on completion of the works. The administration of the grants scheme, including the assessment,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Planning Framework (21 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: Proposed Legislation (21 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In January 2020 my Department published the finalised General Scheme of the Marine Planning and Development Management Bill, which will provide the legislative basis for Ireland's new marine planning regime. The commitment in the Programme for Government to enact this legislation in nine months reflects the priority it has been accorded. In order for this legislation to be enacted within...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Pollution (21 Jul 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. The Irish Water Strategic Funding Plan 2019-2024 sets out Irish Water’s multi-annual strategic business planning funding requirement of €11bn to 2024, comprised of a €6.1bn investment in infrastructure...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Property Tax (21 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The current system of local retention of Local Property Tax (LPT) began in 2015 and since then 80% of the estimated LPT liability in each local authority area for a given year is retained in that area to fund public services, notwithstanding any local variation decisions. The remaining 20% of LPT is re-distributed to provide equalisation funding to those local authorities that have lower...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (21 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: This Government, and I, are 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. The Programme for Government commits to ensuring that local authorities are central to delivering housing. This Government will increase the social housing stock by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (21 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. My Department actively encourages local authorities to ensure all vacant properties in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (21 Jul 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 level. Irish Water as a single national water services authority is taking a strategic, nationwide approach to asset planning and investment, and meeting customer requirements. In relation to overall funding, my Department approved...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (21 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The commencement of section 53 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 is not currently planned in 2020. The potential for future commencement of the section is being considered in the context of the differential rent regime review proposal included in the Programme for Government.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Rates (21 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on the occupiers of rateable property in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. The Local Government Rates and Other Matters Act 2019, modernised the legislation governing commercial ratesand contains provision for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (21 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 278, 280, 281 and 282 together. In terms of social housing delivery data to date in 2020, data gathering and collation was impacted by COVID-19, where the focus was on maintaining the essential housing services. The data collection and collation process has since resumed and social housing statistics for Q1 and Q2 2020 will be published together.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Home Loan Scheme (21 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes information on the overall number and value of (i) local authority loan approvals and (ii) local authority loan drawdowns. Local authority approval means that an official letter of offer has been sent to a borrower (and therefore relates to a specific property and loan amount). My Department recently issued data requests for the first two quarters of 2020 and figures...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (21 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes in their areas. My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ministerial Advisers (21 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: On the commencement of every Dáil, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issues guidelines setting out the arrangements for the staffing of Ministerial Offices. The Guidelines for the 33rd Dáil are currently awaiting Government approval. It should be noted that the appointment of individual Special Advisers is a matter for each Government Minister subject to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (21 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 285, 292 and 300 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....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Telecommunications Infrastructure (21 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), all development, unless specifically exempted under the Act or associated Regulations, requires planning permission. In this regard, Class 31 of Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, provides that certain classes of development carried out by a statutory undertaker authorised to provide a...