Results 21-40 of 23,953 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Derelict Sites (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Derelict Sites Act 1990 (the Act) imposes a general duty on every owner and occupier of land to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the land does not become, or continue to be, a derelict site. The Act also imposes a duty on local authorities to take all reasonable steps, including the exercise of appropriate statutory powers, to ensure that any land within their functional area does...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Derelict Sites (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Derelict Sites Act 1990 (the Act) imposes a general duty on every owner and occupier of land to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the land does not become, or continue to be, a derelict site. The Act also imposes a duty on local authorities to take all reasonable steps, including the exercise of appropriate statutory powers, to ensure that any land within their functional area does...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual local authorities. While...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Data on 'New Dwelling Completions' by local authority are published quarterly on the Central Statistics Office website at the following link: data.cso.ie/table/NDQ06 The data show a substantial uplift in new homes delivered since Housing for All was launched in 2021, with 29,662 and 32,548 completed in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Indeed, new home delivery in 2023 was at its highest level in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are not-for-profit housing organisations that provide both social and cost rental housing on behalf of the State. As independent organisations, AHBs are required to adopt the standards for AHBs provided for by the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA). The regulatory standards, which include financial management and reporting, property and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant in Situ Acquisitions Programme was introduced by way of Government decision in 2023. It was originally intended as a short term response to the reported uplift in sales by landlords of homes which were within the HAP and RAS schemes in order to prevent potential homelessness where other solutions could not be found for the affected tenants. A further Government decision...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual local authorities. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not collate information relating to deaths of homeless individuals in emergency accommodation, funded and overseen by local authorities, or individuals rough sleeping. On 16 January 2024, the Health Research Board published its report on deaths among people who were homeless based on 2020 data. The research applied the methodology used to compile the National Drug...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The development of housing by the Land Development Agency on the site at St Kevin's Hospital is currently underway. This 14.5 acre site is expected to deliver approximately 266 homes (46 houses and 220 apartments), with a tenure mix of cost rental, affordable purchase and social homes. The Vesting Order to transfer the land at St. Kevin's is complete, and the LDA has advised my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Referendum Campaigns (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Establishment of Uisce Éireann in public ownership is already firmly secured in legislation under the Water Services Acts 2007 to 2022. These Acts additionally confirm Uisce Éireann as the national authority for water services and detail its functions and responsibilities. The government is committed in its aim to deliver a world-class public water services utility which brings...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is a key support, introduced by this Government, to bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes. 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 will be made available for rent. A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government has recently revised its housing targets for 2025 to 2030, targeting delivery of some 303,000 new homes over the period, with an average of over 50,000 homes per year by 2030 and a pathway to delivering 60,000 homes annually in 2030 and thereafter. Tenure specific targets for social, affordable, and private rental and private ownership homes will fall to be considered by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Cork City Council is responsible for the management and maintenance of the apartment complexes in their ownership, including flats at Togher and at Desmond Square, which are now in excess of 50 years old. Notwithstanding, funding is available from my Department for refurbishment projects though various schemes including the Estate Regeneration Programme. My Department has been informed...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Local Authorities are responsible for the maintenance of their social housing stock. Notwithstanding, funding is available from my Department for local authority refurbishment projects through various funding schemes including the Estate Regeneration Programme. It is strictly a matter for the Local Authorities to bring forward submissions for funding approval to the Department. These...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has been informed by Cork City Council that they are assessing the potential for redevelopment and regeneration of social housing at Noonan's Road. Feasibility is at an early stage and is connected with the planned relocation of residents from their existing accommodation. We have been advised that the Council is currently progressing with the decant process to move existing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the 2024 EERP programme, my Department funded costs of up to €48,850 plus project management fees, on individual local authority homes. The actual cost of retrofitting works on each home will depend on its pre-works BER. Targets set and funding allocated to local authorities under the programme calls for local authorities to undertake a variety of house types, from those...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 ('the 2022 Act') on 22 June 2023, which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. As set out in my letter of 18 October 2024, the detailed operation of the Scheme is a matter for the designated local authorities in the first instance and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Area Plans (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Cork Event Centre was included as a Government commitment under the revised National Development Plan in 2021. This underlines the Government’s support for urban regeneration, enhanced amenity and heritage, associated quality of life standards, balanced regional development, and the regeneration and development of Cork City Centre. The Government decision of 22 October 2024...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: A list of all persons appointed to State or semi-State boards appointed under my remit since 1 November 2024 is set out in the table attached.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (22 Jan 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: In line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is currently providing part-funding to applicant-led projects, enabling more compact and sustainable development within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and large towns. Under Call 1 of the URDF programme, Louth County...