Results 17,621-17,640 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

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

Darragh O'Brien: The table below provides details of ongoing and completed projects funded under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) for victims of domestic violence.  As well as CAS-funded schemes, the housing needs of victims of domestic violence can also be addressed by the provision of accommodation by local authorities from their own stock of housing.  CAS funding remains available to...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities already have a range of legislative powers available to them to deal with under-utilised and derelict properties in their functional areas, including through the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) powers under Derelict Sites and Housing legislation.  A number of local authorities have already been particularly proactive in utilising their CPO powers and all local...

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

Darragh O'Brien: The 2005 Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines are framed in the context of the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) 2002.  Given the changes in planning policy since then, including the publication of the National Planning Framework in 2018 and other factors such as, inter alia, the work of the Working Group on foot of the “Flemish Decree” case, there is merit in reviewing...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area is provided in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The SSHA has been conducted on an annual basis since 2016, prior to which it was carried out once every three years, with the last Summary under this approach having taken place in 2013. The most recent summary,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme (28 Jul 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. The Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015 governing the Scheme provide for a number of specified classes of houses to be excluded from sale, including...

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

Darragh O'Brien: During 2019, expenditure of some €26.6 million was recouped to local authorities under the Voids Programme. This year, on 26 May, there was an initial call for proposals for COVID-19 related Voids funding for vacant units. The majority of works approved under this element of the programme are complete. My Department has approved funding of €4.8 million to support...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Action to deal with anti-social behaviour is primarily a matter for An Garda Síochána.   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. These emergency laws initially applied for a...

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

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has not received a funding application from Dublin City Council to acquire homes in this development for the purposes of providing cost-rental accommodation.

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

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003.  My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing...

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...