Results 17,521-17,540 of 26,886 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Since 2016, my Department has been working with local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies, to deliver housing under Rebuilding Ireland. Local authorities were given 4 year overall social housing delivery targets, and they are working towards these targets to end 2021. We will be working hard, with our delivery partners, to incorporate the ambitious goals and initiatives of the Programme...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: County Development Plans (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Project Ireland 2040 comprises two principal elements, both of which were published by Government in 2018. The National Planning Framework (NPF) is Ireland’s long-term national spatial planning strategy to accommodate projected future population and economic growth over a 20-year period to 2040. The other principal element of Project Ireland is the current National Development...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government commits to delivering 50,000 new social homes over the coming five-year period. There will be a very strong and increasing emphasis on new build supply. Since taking up office I am working within my Department and with key stakeholders and delivery partners to fully understand the most up-to-date position regarding delivery across social housing programmes and in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Residential Tenancies Board (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The figures the Deputy is referring to relate to 2019 and 2020 Exchequer funding for the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). The figure of €12.4 million relates to 2019 Exchequer funding and included a provision of €4.5 million for Rented Accommodation Inspection. This funding was a subvention from my Department for local authorities to aid their inspections of private rental...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme introduced in 2012 is targeted at those households in mortgage arrears who have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP), who agree to the voluntary surrender of their home and are deemed eligible for social housing support. From its introduction in 2012 to the end of June 2020, 691...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Data (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 (the Act) introduced new streamlined arrangements to enable planning applications for strategic housing developments (SHDs) of 100 housing units or more, or student accommodation or shared accommodation developments of 200 bed spaces or more, to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála (the Board) for determination. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Since 2014, Exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department's Voids...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 58 together. My Department does not hold data on the amount of uninhabitable housing stock which exists nationally. My Department is, however, focused on ensuring that existing housing stock is utilised to its fullest extent including a targeted, effective and co-ordinated approach to identifying and tackling vacancy across Ireland. In that context,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Since 2014, Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: This Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society and this is reflected in the Programme for Government "Our Shared Future". Already, under the Serviced Sites Fund, €310 million has been allocated to provide infrastructure to support the delivery of more affordable homes on local authority lands....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Estates (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The most recent amendments to the taking in charge provisions of the planning code were made in section 37 of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2018 with a view to further strengthening and streamlining the taking-in-charge process. Residential developments consisting of two or more dwellings that have been granted planning permission under section 34 of the Planning and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area are set out in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The purpose of the SSHA is to capture the total number of households qualified for social housing support across the country whose social housing need has not yet been met, in order to better inform policy and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65 and 66 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. These...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The average annual exchequer cost (net of tenant contribution) for a HAP tenancy is approximately €9,500. There are no management and maintenance costs associated with the properties as these remain the responsibility of the landlord. It should also be borne in mind that some of this exchequer investment may be returned to the exchequer in the form of tax revenue from the rental income...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 income supports and Rent Supplement are available to assist them....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government provides for a package of social housing reforms, including the introduction of a social housing passport to allow households move from one local authority list to another. It should be noted that the four Dublin local authorities already co-operate in arrangements that enable social housing applicants to apply for housing in one or two of the other Dublin...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, (the Act) sets out mandatory objectives for local authorities, which must be addressed in the drafting of County Development Plans. Section 10(2) of the Act includes a requirement that, where there is a Gaeltacht area in the area of the development plan, the plan must include provisions for “the protection of the linguistic and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Programme (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: In September 2018, the Land Development Agency was established on an interim basis by statutory instrument under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971, as amended. A General Scheme of the Bill to establish the LDA as a commercial state body was approved by Government for publication, consideration for pre-legislative scrutiny and priority drafting in July 2019. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Traveller-specific projects and developments are focused on group housing schemes and halting sites. This includes meeting Traveller-specific housing needs through a range of mechanisms, including the provision of mobiles and caravans; the provision and refurbishment of halting sites and bays within sites; the refurbishment and extension of existing group housing; the return to use of void...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Parks (23 Jul 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: While I have responsibility for broad oversight of the local government system and specific responsibility for certain local government functions and services, I have no function in relation to this specific matter. Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the performance of their functions including the provision of public toilet...