Results 16,821-16,840 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The 2005 Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines are framed in the context of the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) 2002. Given the superseding of the NSS by the National Planning Framework in 2018, together with the need to address the potential implications of the 2013 European Court of Justice ruling in the "Flemish Decree" case, there is now merit in updating the Sustainable Rural Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Further to finalisation of three three Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies between June 2019 and January 2020, review of City and County Development Plans has commenced in many local authorities, overseen for the first time by the Office of the Planning Regulator. The process of alignment between plans will continue into 2021 and when complete, will be the first time that there is an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 108 together. The Office of Public Works provides accommodation for Government Services and manages a significant proportion of the State’s property portfolio. No part of my Department rents office accommodation from the company named. The information requested in relation to bodies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Water (11 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. The day-to-day operation of the public water system, including the leakage reduction programme, is therefore a matter for Irish Water and I have no function in relation to this matter. Additional capital funding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: An Bord Pleanála (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department engages with An Bord Pleanála on an ongoing basis to ensure that it has the appropriate resources to perform its broad range of functions which includes planning appeals, strategic infrastructure and strategic housing development planning applications, vacant site levy appeals and other matters which are submitted for determination under Planning and Development, Water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: 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. The 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: 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. The 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (11 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: As an initiative of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) was primarily designed to support housing supply by funding the provision of public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages and enable housing developments to be built on key sites at scale. 30 projects received final LIHAF...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Livestock Issues (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters Regulations, SI 605 of 2017, as amended, provide for controls on the application to land of nutrients from agricultural sources to ensure the protection of water quality in any adjacent surface water or groundwater bodies. The Regulations do not provide for discretionary exemptions from these controls. The recent announcement of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In Budget 2021, the total funding being made available for the delivery of housing programmes is €3.3bn. This includes funding to deliver 12,750 social homes through build, acquisition and leasing. A major focus of this investment is the delivery of new build, with an overall target of 9,500 new homes. The build target includes the delivery of 5,250 new homes by local authorities,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 370 and 374 together. Section 5.0 of Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments Guidelines for Planning Authorities, published by my Department in 2018, provide guidance and policy in respect of ‘Shared Accommodation Developments’, also known as ‘Co-living’. I have been clear in my intention to review the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The right of local authorities to set and collect rents on their dwellings is laid down in section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. The making or amending of a rent scheme is an executive function. The process can be subject to the influence of elected members through the local authorities annual estimates process. The Programme for Government commits to bringing forward a package of social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Flood Risk Management (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Office of Public Works (OPW) is the lead organisation for flood risk management in Ireland. The OPW has set out in Flood Plans how that flood risk is to be managed through investment in flood relief schemes and other policy measures. The Flood Plans detail the flood risk and proposed feasible flood risk management measures for 300 areas of significant flood risk throughout the country. My...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme 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 and having been in receipt of social housing support...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mica Redress Scheme (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme is underpinned by regulations made under Sections 2 and 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1979, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the counties of Donegal and Mayo to carry out the necessary remediation works to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Hare Coursing (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government has spelt out specific areas where certain activities could continue during the current COVID-19 Level 5 Phase. While it was noted that horse racing and greyhound racing were given a special dispensation by Government to continue behind closed doors, it was not clear to my Department that the body in question had an exemption to continue its activities. However, that body was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (10 Nov 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 role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and associated services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. The cold...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 Section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and Regulation 22(1) of the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (10 Nov 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Delivery under the Enhanced Leasing Scheme by Local Authority, to date, is as follows: Local Authority Units Delivered Dún Laoghaire Rathdown 78 Galway County 35 Total 113 Interest in the Social Housing Leasing Programme has increased significantly and there are a number of Enhanced Leasing...