Results 16,861-16,880 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Property Registration Authority (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand that, as part of an escalated recovery plan, the Property Registration Authority (PRA) is now providing a full range of registration services.  However, the PRA is currently experiencing an increased backlog due to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, but as the number of applications being lodged is decreasing, response times will improve over time.  The PRA's...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Safety (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The means for communicating bathing water information to the public are well established and include beach signage, print media and social media. In relation to the Dublin Bay Area, my Department is working with Dublin City Council, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Environmental Protection Agency and the Health Service Executive to improve co-ordination of all matters related to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Telecommunications Infrastructure (30 Jun 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In June 2018 Ms Sara Moorhead SC was invited to carry out a review of the role and remuneration of local authority elected members. Her final report was recently published on my Department's website:  https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/ files/independent_review_of_role_and_remuneration_of_local_a uthority_elected_members.pdf  Ms Moorhead did not receive a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Health and Safety Regulations (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The design and construction of buildings is regulated under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2014. The Act provides for the making of Building Regulations and Building Control Regulations. The Building Regulations set out the legal requirements in Ireland for the construction of new buildings (including houses), extensions to existing buildings as well as for material alterations and certain...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 873, 874 and 889 together. I intend to continue supporting measures taken by the Department to assist local authorities with the financial difficulties they are experiencing since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is recognised that some additional costs are being incurred by local authorities in relation to Covid-19. Local authorities have...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Communications (30 Jun 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 related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. Section 10...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Sites (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: As housing authorities, local authorities are responsible for the identification of the social housing need in their area. The statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA) carried out annually since 2016 captures the total number of households qualified for social housing support to better inform policy and to allow local authorities, such as Dublin City Council, to develop...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 109 of the Housing Act 1966 provides that: (1) A housing authority may perform any of their functions under this Act outside of their functional area. (2) Where a housing authority intends to perform a function in the functional area of another housing authority, the authority by whom the function is intended to be performed and the other authority may make and carry out an agreement...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The statutory basis for the delivery of affordable housing for purchase in the State is Part 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009 which were commenced in June 2018.  Regulations in respect of the making of a Scheme of Priority were signed in March 2019, and were subsequently issued to local authorities.  The Scheme of Priority sets out the affordable purchase...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Renewal Schemes (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: A number of actions have been taken in recent years, to address vacancy and dereliction in part of our towns and city.   A core principle of the Project Ireland 2040 and the National Planning Framework (NPF) published in 2018, is the promotion of compact urban growth and the re-use of brownfield sites.  This builds on the particular actions set out in Rebuilding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Water Services Acts 2007 and 2012 (Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems) Regulations 2012, the owner of a domestic waste water treatment system is responsible for its maintenance and renewal  and shall ensure that its parts and components are fit for purpose, operational where appropriate and kept in good order and repair so as to prevent a risk to human health or...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 881 and 882 together. The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is providing funding assistance for applicant-led proposals that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s five cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and National Development Plan.  Projects...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 883, 884, 896 and 904 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: Covid-19 Pandemic (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 885, 888 and 906 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Appeals (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The recording of court cases is one in which I have no statutory function and is a matter for the Courts Service which is statutorily independent. Judicial Reviews against the State, which my Department may be included as a party, are co-ordinated by the Chief State Solicitors Office under the guidance of the Attorney General's Office. Under section 30 of the Act, I am specifically precluded...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (30 Jun 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: This data provides a breakdown of social housing delivery across a range of mechanisms. In addition to the statistical overview of activity in each local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 890 and 891 together. The Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) requirement applies to all new dwellings – including social housing -   which commenced construction from November 2019 subject to transition arrangements. An NZEB dwelling is one that has a very high energy performance, as determined in accordance with Annex I of the EU...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (30 Jun 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 and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (30 Jun 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I assume the Deputy is referring to the income levels that would define eligibility in the case of affordable dwelling purchase arrangements under Part 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009.   The main eligibility criteria for an Affordable Dwelling Purchase Arrangement under Part 5 is that the net income of the applicant household be such that the repayments on a...