Results 461-480 of 23,871 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (2 Oct 2024)

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. The Housing Agency wrote to me and recommended that an order under Section 5(9) of the Act designating Sligo County Council in respect of the whole of its...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (2 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In December 2023, I approved funding for a number of projects under my Department's funding scheme for the Waste Water Collection and Treatment needs of Villages without access to public waste water services. I can confirm that Wexford County Council applied and were approved funding under the Programme for a project in the village of Ramsgrange. Each local authority has a Rural Water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (2 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 140 together. Housing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme (LAAPS) was introduced under the Affordable Housing Act 2021. It assists first-time buyers purchasing Local Authority-delivered new homes. This scheme uses an equity share model to give eligible purchasers the opportunity of home ownership at a significant discount. Section 12(2) of the Act outlines that the purchase of an affordable...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 254 and 266 together. The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses which are available for sale under the scheme. All applications for the Scheme must satisfy the requirements outlined in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and Housing (Sale of Local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policies (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to my reply to Question No. 54 of 25 September 2024 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policies (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to my reply to Question No. 242 of 24 September 2024 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (1 Oct 2024)

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. A review mechanism is provided within the 2022 Act, which provides for an increase or decrease the overall grant scheme cap (currently €420,000) a year after...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Budgets (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 259 and 269 together. The Gross Total allocations for my Department are set out in the Revised Estimates for Public Services (also known as the REV) which are published by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and are available at In 2024 an allocation of €90 million was provided to subhead A.16. There is no further breakdown...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Process (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 260 and 261 together. The Local Elections Regulations 1995 provide that a Local Authority Returning Officer, appointed by the Chief Executive of a local authority, is responsible for the conduct of a local election. This includes ascertaining and declaring the results of an election, and furnishing to the local authority a return of the persons elected to be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Oct 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, introduced in July 2022 under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes. A grant of up to €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 160 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides the Minister with the power to declare qualifications of such classes and descriptions as he or she thinks fit for a specified employment under a local authority or for such of the employments as belong to a specified class, description or grade. The declared qualifications for engineering posts in the local government sector specify...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 280 together. My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. The review is addressing a number of key aspects of the Guidelines including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. My Department, in conjunction with the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Social Housing is delivered through a range of local authority and Approved Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: There are currently three Septic Tank grant schemes available from my Department providing financial assistance to households. Each local authority has responsibility for the administration of the grants in their own areas. In each local authority there is a Rural Water Liaison Officer who is responsible for the day to day management of these grants. The officer is best placed to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (1 Oct 2024)

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 Act 1981. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (1 Oct 2024)

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 Act 1981. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible. Details of staffing numbers are available from each local authority and are not available from my Department at the granular level requested. In...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (1 Oct 2024)

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. A review mechanism is provided within the 2022 Act, which provides for an increase or decrease the overall grant scheme cap (currently €420,000) a year after...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme, designed to help bridge the gap for eligible first-time buyers, Fresh Start applicants and self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). The eligibility criteria for the First Home Scheme, including in relation to the...