Results 17,461-17,480 of 26,886 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (28 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In advance of the formal establishment of the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority, as provided for by the Housing (Regulation of the Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019, the oversight of approved housing bodies (AHBs) is conducted through the Voluntary Regulation Code (the Code), "Building for the Future, A Voluntary Regulation Code for Approved Housing Bodies in Ireland" underpinned...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (28 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The acquisition of properties on the private market for use as social housing has been an important delivery channel, focusing on priority situations, with local authorities seeking to ensure that they do not interfere unduly with the local private market and secure good value for money to meet local housing needs. The Programme for Government commits to increase our...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (28 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware of the recent Supreme Court judgment to which the Question refers, concerning the leave to apply for substitute consent system under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended and its compatibility with the EIA Directive. The judgment and its implications are currently being examined by my Department, which is working to ensure that any measures necessary to address the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Estates (28 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The role of the Minister in relation to the planning system is, primarily, to provide a policy and legislative framework under which the planning authorities, An Bord Pleanála and the Office of the Planning Regulator perform their statutory planning functions.  Under section 30 of the Planning Act, the Minister is specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I intend that will absolutely be the case. Under the Government plan, we will not exclude couples who earn more than €75,000, unlike what other parties have put forward, which would exclude nearly half of those who need housing. We need to look at the net cost for people. The Deputy is 100% correct in that there are so many people out there who are working hard, paying 50% to 60% of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: We will bring forward a plan in the autumn and we will be looking for input from Members of all parties and none. We do not want to delay this. People have waited too long for an affordable purchase scheme. We can deliver homes quite quickly under some of the options that I am also looking at. Fundamentally, there is a whole generation of people to whom the Deputy referred, including her...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11, 15 and 24 together. I am absolutely committed to ensuring that affordable, quality homes are available to everyone in Irish society. This key Government goal is clearly reflected in the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future. In particular, I am focusing on progressing the affordable purchase scheme and delivery programme and moving the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Land Development Agency (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I am just going to answer Deputy Ó Ríordáin first because he took the time to table the question. With the LDA legislation, we will be open to that. I have circulated the Bill among Cabinet members for observation. We are already at that stage. It will come back to me and it will go to the joint Oireachtas committee for pre-legislative scrutiny. I certainly want to see...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Shared Accommodation (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I probably should be flattered that Deputy Ó Broin takes such a personal interest in the things I say. He never misses an opportunity to jump on a bandwagon either. I say "well done" to him. It is no surprise. I must act responsibly and I will do so as Minister with responsibility for this area. To answer Deputy Ó Ríordáin's question, which was a genuine one...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Land Development Agency (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I will read a prepared response as it is a very specific question. On its establishment, the LDA had access to an initial tranche of nine sites that have near-term delivery potential for approximately 3,600 new homes. The sites in question are the Central Mental Hospital site in Dundrum, Hampton in Balbriggan, Hacketstown in Skerries, Devoy Barracks in Naas, the former Meath Hospital in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Land Development Agency (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In preparation for oral questions, I met my officials yesterday and raised the comments made last week by the Deputy regarding rent-to-buy. My officials will be in direct contact with him on the issue. I intend to meet him on the matter. As I stated in response to other Deputies, there are multiple ways of delivering affordable housing. We must be open to looking at other ideas. I spoke...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Land Development Agency (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: For the second time this morning, Deputy Ó Broin is piggybacking on questions tabled by the Labour Party.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: We want to get to a stage where it is not a question of whether people's homes are public or private in this country but that they are simply people's homes. We want to ensure we are delivering both types of housing. If we look at the Shanganagh development in Dublin, nearly 600 units have been approved by the LDA and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and all of them will be social...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Our job is to deliver homes for our people through various mechanisms and that is what we will do. Our focus has to be on driving down homelessness and continuing to focus on accommodation for singles. Approximately 60% of adults who are homeless are single and we do not have enough accommodation for them. That is why I put out a call this week to all local authorities - I assume the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Shared Accommodation (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: My views on this matter are well known and I have initiated a review of the scheme. I am bound to do so and that is what I am doing. To put the issue in context, not one co-living development has been built. That said, I am aware of applications that have come in quite recently in the co-living space. I want to make sure, through the review, that there is no impact on or any unintended...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Shared Accommodation (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I am absolutely aware that some permissions have been granted. I looked for detailed figures on this and they show that out of 62,546 homes which were approved up to June this year, 600 were deemed to be shared accommodation. That is the proportion we are talking about. However, the Deputy makes a very fair point that there are applications coming in and permissions have been granted. As...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: There will be some permanent measures in the Bill I intend to bring before the House next week. They will take effect from 2 August so there will be no gap between them and the current protections. There will be a seamless transition to the new provisions. The session of the Dáil beginning in September will also be important. We will need to work with the joint committee on further...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Deputy Paul Murphy asks if someone is just sloganeering. I thank him for his question. I say that in jest and honestly do not mean any disrespect. The programme for Government commits the State to playing a greater part in the provision of affordable and social housing, with a focus on those earning low and middle incomes and the development of sustainable mixed-tenure communities. These...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Sometimes the Deputy thinks he has all the answers on these matters but he does not. There are not only two mechanisms to deliver affordable homes. There are other mechanisms that can deliver. I have stated publicly the guide on prices that I want to see. Depending on the type of house in question and the area in which it is, that price would be between €160,000 and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: To be fair, if we had moved on the Sinn Féin motion that the Deputy put forward, we would have had an inferior and unworkable affordable housing scheme that would have left more than 40% of those who need affordable housing out of the system on the basis of the arbitrary cap on earnings of €75,000 for a couple.