Results 16,761-16,780 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Shared Ownership Scheme (17 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department collects information on Shared Ownership Loans from local authorities. There are currently active 2,525 Shared Ownership Loans in place, as set out in the following table. Local Authority  Shared Ownership Loans Carlow County Council 12 Cavan County Council 24 Clare County Council ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme (17 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency. The provisions of the Act apply only to dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave consequent on the presence of reactive...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (17 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides significant funding support to local authorities in terms of various targeted housing stock upgrade programmes. In respect of local authority housing stock in Donegal impacted by defective concrete blocks, further evaluation of the issue is being undertaken by Donegal County Council. Once this evaluation is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (17 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The supply of social housing is in the first instance a matter for each local authority in line with local housing need. My Department supports local authorities through the policy and legislative framework and the range of funding schemes and delivery channels available.  In the case of Kerry County Council, I welcome that their social housing construction...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (17 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 386 and 388 together. In Budget 2021, the total funding being made available for the delivery of housing programmes was €3.3 billion. From this sum, €110 million was ring-fenced for a new national Affordable Purchase Shared Equity Scheme and a newCost Rental Equity Loan facilityto help deliver Cost Rental homes. Both of these programmes will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Budgets (17 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not make specific provision for contingent liabilities in the accounts.  They are disclosed by way of a standard note with regard to legal proceedings in the Appropriation Account.  In the case of my Department this reference relates to the Mahon Tribunal. The contingent liability for the Mahon Tribunal is set through consultation with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (17 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies  Act 2020  was enacted and came into operation on 24 October 2020 to help mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on tenants and to support the efforts of Government in restricting the movement of people in order to suppress the spread of Covid 19. The Act modifies the operation of the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2020 to prevent any notices of termination...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing for People with Disabilities (17 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: It is a matter for local authorities to ensure that the number and specific types of dwellings provided in their social housing developments meet local needs. My Department does not hold details on the proportion of local authority housing stock that is accessible for disabled persons, that granular information dwelling level information...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing for People with Disabilities (17 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities to support the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older Persons and Persons with a Disability.  The grants are available to applicants to assist in the carrying out of works which are reasonably necessary for the purposes of rendering a privately owned home more suitable for the accommodation needs of an older person...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (17 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The regular management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, is a matter for each relevant local authority, and it is open to each authority to address maintenance or improvements to their housing stock from within their own resources. However, my Department also supports local authorities to improve their social housing stock through a range of programmes including energy...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (17 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The oversight and management of the lists of qualified households awaiting accommodation, including the allocation and transfer of tenancies, is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with Sections 20 and 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Social Housing Assessment and Allocation Regulations, respectively. Under Regulation 28 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (17 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 397 and 399 together. Households wishing to obtain social housing support from a local authority or an approved housing body must first apply to the relevant local authority for a social housing assessment. Where the household is deemed qualified for support it is placed on the housing authority’s waiting list, and offers of suitable accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (17 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: There are two primary funding mechanisms provided by my Department to facilitate the delivery of properties for social housing purposes by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS), funding of up to 100% of project costs may be advanced by local authorities to AHBs to provide accommodation for people with specific needs. The persons being...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Residential Tenancies Board (17 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2020, to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants. Due to the quasi-judicial nature of work of the RTB, it would be inappropriate for me as Minister or this Department to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (17 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Following a judgment in March 2019 by the Court of Justice of the European Union on Ireland's non-compliance with the urban wastewater treatment directive, my Department, accompanied by Irish Water, met with European Commission officials in June last year and proposed a programme of measures to ensure that the findings in the judgment were addressed.  My Department is maintaining regular...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (17 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 405, 406 and 408 together. My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the statutory role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Rates (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The closure of power plants in Offaly and Longford will have a negative impact on the commercial rates income of Offaly and Longford County Councils, an impact which has been fully recognised by my Department. In recognition of this, my colleague, the Minister of State for Planning and Local Government, Peter Burke, T.D., and I recently announced the allocation of compensatory funding for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (12 Nov 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 including information on current population equivalent in terms of the operating capacity of the Drogheda Waste Water Treatment Plant. Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines in line with the “preferred draft approach” which was announced in June 2017 by the then Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, in conjunction with the then Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. The review is addressing a number of key...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Offices (12 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not have lease arrangements with co-working real estate companies. The majority of offices used by staff in my Department are managed by the Office of Public Works.