Results 181-200 of 10,466 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (18 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) aims to deliver more compact and sustainable development, as envisaged under Project Ireland 2040. It does this by part-funding regeneration and rejuvenation projects in Ireland’s five cities and other large towns. The eligibility criteria for admission to the URDF funding Programme. provide that towns have a population greater than...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (18 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended, prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area concerned, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. The Policy was revised in March 2021 and comprehensive guidance was provided to local authorities at the time. Social housing is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (18 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not hold information on the average time it takes to assess a social housing application. Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (18 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, which launched on 7 July 2022, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market, and also self-builders, through the use of an equity share model. Full details of the First Home Scheme are available at: www.firsthomescheme.ie The Scheme is overseen and managed by the First Home Scheme Ireland Designated Activity Company (First...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Allotments Provision (18 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In terms of planning, providing, enabling and supporting allotments, legislation is in place in the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) and the Local Government Act 2000 (as amended) to identify locations in development plans for allotment development, and to establish allotments as a part of local government’s role in promoting the interests of local communities. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (18 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 52 of 11 April 2024 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (18 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand the Question refers to a 30 unit social housing proposal at Ennistymon, Co. Clare that received pre-planning funding approval from my Department in October 2022. This approval is still in place and has not been rejected. Further information on this proposal is available directly from Clare County Council.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (18 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. A grant of up to €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Interim Remediation Scheme is a demand-led scheme, and therefore a list of eligible properties is not maintained. My Department is currently, as a matter of priority, preparing legislation to put in place on a statutory basis, a remediation scheme for owners of certain apartments affected by fire safety, water ingress and structural defects. This legislation will establish supports...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Process (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I can confirm that the delay in publication of the Marine Protected Areas Bill has arisen due to the legal and technical complexity associated with this ground breaking legislation. This has meant that drafting has taken longer than anticipated. However, my Department has been working in close collaboration with parliamentary drafters and our legal advisors to develop this Bill. Drafting is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Departments’ Multi-annual Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme (DPI Programme) provides funding to assist local authorities to resolve issues with DPI to enable the taking-in-charge of the housing estates. As regards the estates referred to in the question, my Department received an application for funding under the DPI Programme from Kerry...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In December 2023, I announced the successful applications that are approved funding under the Waste Water Collection and Treatment needs for villages without access to Public Waste Water Services. Following the announcement, my Department wrote to Kerry County Council confirming approval of funding for the village of Beaufort and outlining the next steps required to commence and deliver the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Guidelines for Planning Authorities relating to Childcare Facilities, were issued in 2001 by my Department under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, to provide a framework to guide both local authorities and developers. Planning Authorities and An Bord Pleanála are required to have regard to the guidelines in carrying out their functions. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Process (16 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 160 of the Planning and Development Act (the Act) provides that a planning authority or any other person can apply to the High Court for an injunction in relation to an unauthorised development. This provision of the Act also sets out what the Court can specify in its orders and other detailed procedural matters. No further legislative provisions are required to transpose the EIA...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (16 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Following the Government’s recent approval of an increase in the mandatory retirement age for certain members of the uniformed services, I committed to examining a similar extension to the mandatory retirement age for all fire fighters with a view to providing consistency across the uniformed services. On 12 April, I was pleased to announce that I have now secured approval for this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Insurance Coverage (16 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is currently, as a matter of priority, preparing legislation to put in place on a statutory basis, a remediation scheme for owners of certain apartments affected by fire safety, water ingress and structural defects. This legislation will establish supports for the remediation of these defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (16 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock. This will fluctuate over time, as tenancy surrender and re-letting of stock is an ongoing process. Therefore, ongoing data in relation to vacant local authority owned homes are not routinely collated by my Department. However, statistics in relation to social housing stock, at a point in time, are published by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (16 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government and my Department continue to support local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies in the delivery of new public housing, with strong recent delivery and ambitious national and local targets set for local authorities to deliver further social and affordable housing. To support this delivery, Budget 2024 saw record levels of housing funding, with over €5bn capital...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (16 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: An Bord Pleanála (the Board) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts. The information requested is not held by my Department as timelines on decision making is a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (16 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: An Bord Pleanála (the Board) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts. There are now more people working at the Board than at any time previously. Since October 2021,...