Results 16,801-16,820 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Efficiency (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has provided funding for an Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme for local authority homes since 2013. The Programme has two phases: Phase 1- which covers the bulk of the work undertaken to date - focuses on delivering immediate improvements such as cavity wall and attic insulation. Phase 2 targets higher cost measures, such as fabric upgrades, window and door upgrades and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rent Data (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department and the Economic and Social Research Institute operate a programme of collaborative research principally focused on housing economics. Under this programme, researchers from the Institute and my Department prepared a research paper exploring the short-run implications of the Covid-19 pandemic on the private rental market. The research paper is focused on rental payment...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. A National Quality Standards Framework for homeless services has been implemented to ensure a consistent approach in how local authorities and service providers...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The European Union (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2019 set higher building energy performance standards for dwellings, in accordance with the Nearly Zero Energy Building requirements (NZEB) contained in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. These Regulations apply to works in connection with the design and construction of a new dwelling, where the relevant works...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Department of Health provides guidance and advice on preventing the spread of COVID-19, which can be found at: . A Covid-19 public information booklet was delivered to all households as part of the Government efforts to suppress the spread of the virus. Stay Safe Guidelines at Home are available at the link above along with various Covid-19 information posters for use in homes, including...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: At the end of Quarter 4 2019, there were more than 52,500 households having their housing needs met via HAP and over 30,000 landlords and agents in receipt of HAP payments. Under the HAP scheme, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department operates the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, which is targeted at first time buyers who wish to own their own home, have access to an adequate deposit and have the capacity to repay a mortgage, but who are unable to access a mortgage sufficient for them to purchase their first home. As part of the eligibility criteria applicant(s) of the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan must have...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Inquiries (14 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: There are no tribunals, public investigations or commissions of investigation currently underway in relation to functional areas relevant to my Department. There are still claims and payments being processed following the completion of the Tribunal into Certain Planning Matters and Payments (Mahon Tribunal) in 2012.It is estimated that this process will be completed in 2022. The Tribunal has...

Rent and Mortgage Arrears: Motion [Private Members] (8 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy is misleading the House.

Rent and Mortgage Arrears: Motion [Private Members] (8 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "recognises that the Programme for Government – Our Shared Future acknowledges that Covid-19 has presented the global community with a terrible set of challenges to add to the ongoing climate and biodiversity emergency; acknowledges the extensive range of measures included in...

Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy is wrong.

Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (7 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: “acknowledges the extensive range of measures included in the Programme for Government - Our Shared Future, building on the initiatives already undertaken and in progress, which will be brought forward to support individuals and families to access affordable housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Just Transition Fund (7 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: As part of the Just Transition proposals for the midlands region, Budget 2020 made provision for €20 million to fund energy efficiency upgrades to local authority houses in the affected midland counties as a pilot programme. The programme also envisages the grouping of housing upgrades together so opportunities for retrofitting will arise for private housing with support from the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Rates (7 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 268, 269, 272 and 328 together. I intend to continue supporting measures taken by my Department to assist local authorities with the financial difficulties they are experiencing since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the outset and to minimise cash flow challenges, my Department arranged for the early payment of Local Property Tax (LPT) to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pyrite Resolution Board (7 Jul 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 pyrite...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (7 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I am unaware of any specific request from Kilkenny County Council to my Department in relation to its financial circumstances due to the Covid-19 pandemic. My Department is engaging directly with the County and City Management Agency in respect of the local government sector as a whole, on commercial rates and impacts on other income. Regarding the range of financial supports that will be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (7 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Government (Financial Provisions) Act 1997 removed the power of a local authority to make charges for domestic water services. Subsequently, the Water Services (No.2) Act 2013 provided Irish Water with the power to charge for water services. The Water Services Act 2017 discontinued charges for domestic customers of Irish Water with the exception of charges for network connections...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (7 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Part 4 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 specifies, in accordance with Section 33 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, the provisions with respect to applications for permission for development of land. An applicant is required to publish a notice of proposed development in an approved newspaper and erect or fix a site notice on the land or structure where the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (7 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 275 and 291 together. The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme, which came into operation on 1 January 2016, is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (7 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin and support the statutory responsibility of housing authorities to provide emergency accommodation for homeless persons.. My Department does not fund any homeless service directly but provides funding to housing authorities towards the...