Results 81-100 of 154 for 5 million speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Voluntary Housing Sector (15 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...with payments based on the number of inspections undertaken. Significant progress was made across the sector with the number of inspections more than doubling from 19,645 in 2017 to 40,728 in 2019. €6 million was made available to local authorities in 2020 and €10 million in 2021. However, restrictions arising from the Covid-19 pandemic have greatly impacted on inspection...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Jul 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 65 together. Details of expenditure under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) for the years requested are set out in the table below. Year Amount€m 2019 97.7 2020 95.1 2021 (end June) 36.2 The 2021 budgetary allocation for CAS is €96...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...to decide to disregard income that is temporary, short-term or once-off in nature. The income bands are expressed in terms of a maximum net income threshold for a single-person household, with an allowance of 5% for each additional adult household member, subject to a maximum allowance under this category of 10% and separately a 2.5% allowance for each child. The income bands and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (24 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...en/publication/04c69-social-housing-support-table -of-income-limits/ The income bands are expressed in terms of a maximum net income threshold for a single-person household, with an allowance of 5% for each additional adult household member, subject to a maximum allowance under this category of 10%; and separately, an allowance of 2.5% for each child. The income bands and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (16 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...Government’s Public Spending Code and Capital Works Management Framework and therefore require prior approval by my Department. The table below provides data on social housing projects under €6 million submitted by local authorities under the Single Stage approval process. Local Authority Projects Units Carlow 14 40...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...to provide housing for specific categories of housing need including older people, persons/families who are homeless and people with a disability. Funding available under CAS for 2021 is €96 million with a delivery target of 400 units of accommodation. Accordingly, increasing funding and delivery targets by 5%, 10% and 25% respectively, would cost an additional €4.8...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Grant Payments (15 Jun 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 625 and 626 together. My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, in respect of private houses. There are three separate grants available, including the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and Housing Aid for Older People grant. Funding of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (21 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 741, 742, 744 and 745 together. The National Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy was published by my Department in 2018, since then my Department has provided funding to each local authority of €50,000 per annum. This funding is to support the work of a Vacant Homes Office, including a Vacant Homes Officer for each local authority. All 31 local authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Data (21 Apr 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 746 and 747 together. Management and maintenance of the circa 140,000 local authority housing stock is very important. In accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act, 1966 local authorities are legally responsible for the management and maintenance of their housing stock. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted...

Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Second Stage (17 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...those modest but vital aims. However, an ongoing affordability crisis has reduced home ownership rates to historic lows and increased the age of the average first-time buyer by almost a decade to 35 years of age. Ireland has plummeted from being a world leader to below the EU average rate of home ownership. For an entire generation, owning their own home is slipping through their...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (17 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 249 and 250 together. The National Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy was published in July 2018, it provides a targeted, effective and coordinated approach to identifying and tackling vacancy across Ireland. The range of objectives and actions it specifies have been pursued in partnership with stakeholders and agencies across the housing sector to address vacancy...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (17 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...scheme for private homes, and (3) the introduction of a new form of tenure in Cost Rental. The statutory basis for the delivery of affordable housing for purchase by local authorities is Part 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. To support the delivery of these, €310 million is made available under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) to provide facilitating...

Seanad: Response to Covid-19 (Housing, Local Government and Heritage): Statements (1 Feb 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...shown by the staff of my Department. From the first day, the rapid redeployment of staff and ICT equipment has ensured that we have kept essential services going. In addition, my Department has assimilated just short of 500 new staff following the transfer of heritage functions to it in September. This has led to an almost 50% increase in the size of the Department. Most of the staff...

Response of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to Covid-19: Statements (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...affected last year. We are concluding the figures for housing completions last year. Deputy Duffy has a figure of 18,800. It might be slightly more. This year's target for public housing is 12,750. That will be impacted by the nine-week shutdown so far as a result of Covid. I earnestly hope we will get the sector back up and running fully on 5 March. It is my desire to do so. We...

Response of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to Covid-19: Statements (28 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...working. The Department's Covid-19 response plan consolidates national best practice with specific reference to our several work locations across the country. In addition, the Department assimilated almost 500 new staff following the transfer of heritage functions to it in September, leading to an almost 50% increase in the size of the Department. The vast majority of departmental staff...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Help-To-Buy Scheme (27 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...at the heart of the housing system, and to progress a state-backed affordable home purchase scheme to promote home ownership. To begin delivering on these commitments, Budget 2021 allocated €75 million for an affordable housing shared equity scheme. Broadly, the objectives of an Affordable Purchase Shared Equity scheme are to (1) improve access and affordability of new homes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (20 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In 2021, a total of €75 million is available for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme, in respect of private houses. This is made up of €60 million Exchequer funding, with the balance of €15 million in local authority contributions. The suite of grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme (14 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...contains the budget allocation and estimates for 2021. Year Annual Expenditure €m Number of dwellings remediated under the Pyrite Remediation Scheme 2014 2.2 5 2015 10 148 2016 26.6 400 2017 25 392 2018 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Efficiency (13 Jan 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: In 2020 funding of €20 million was made available as part of the Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan for an energy efficiency retrofitting programme to fund upgrades to local authority houses in the midlands, under the 'Just Transition' programme. This Midland Retrofit Programme was established as a pilot programme to provide economic stimulus to the counties most...

Seanad: Planning and Development, and Residential Tenancies, Bill 2020: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (17 Dec 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: ...to deal with the matter of substitute consent in line with the advice of the Attorney General so that An Bord Pleanála can move forward. It does not define An Bord Pleanála's decision. So far we have paid a lump sum of €5 million, with another €2.475 million due. If this is dealt with and wrapped up by the middle of next year, the State will probably be liable...