Darragh Obrien · TheJournal.ie

# darragh-obrien - Last month November 2022

The Green Party convention takes place in Athlone - and it has a decision to make on housing

# Coalition Woes

The Green Party convention takes place in Athlone - and it has a decision to make on housing

Nov 26th 2022, 7:00 AM 16,442 Views 51 Comments

Housing will be the main issue of the next election – the Green Party should know this.

Councils that can deliver rapid-build houses on sites will have land debt paid off

# Housing Crisis

Councils that can deliver rapid-build houses on sites will have land debt paid off

Nov 23rd 2022, 7:57 AM 14,036 Views 16 Comments

Local authorities are currently carrying around €309 million of land legacy debt.

'Symbolic' cross-border bridge linking Louth to Down put out to tender

# Narrow Water Bridge

'Symbolic' cross-border bridge linking Louth to Down put out to tender

Updated Nov 18th 2022, 11:11 AM 28,717 Views 25 Comments

The Narrow Water Bridge will link the Mourne Mountains in Co Down and the Cooley Peninsula in Co Louth.

# Housing

Housing minister admits not enough homes being built in cities

Nov 15th 2022, 8:42 PM 10,434 Views 22 Comments

Darragh O’Brien said that housing supply was ‘going in the right direction’.

# Housing

Taoiseach says housing plan is working, as McDonald calls it a 'social catastrophe'

Nov 9th 2022, 4:17 PM 14,177 Views 57 Comments

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien was criticised for comments he made during a Tonight Show debate yesterday.

# Homelessness

New pilot scheme will see shared social housing used to prevent youth homelessness

Nov 9th 2022, 6:30 AM 12,387 Views 19 Comments

Government to pilot the use of social housing as shared accommodation for young people under new youth homelessness strategy.

# Housing

Housing Minister 'confident' overall social housing targets will be met by end of the year

Nov 8th 2022, 5:09 PM 12,355 Views 33 Comments

Darragh O’Brien said there has been a “step change” in housing delivery this year compared with the previous 10 years.

16 and 17 year olds can now pre-register to vote and process can be done online at any time

# Voter Registration

16 and 17 year olds can now pre-register to vote and process can be done online at any time

Nov 8th 2022, 12:18 PM 9,649 Views 20 Comments

The ‘Check the Register’ campaign aims to highlight improvements to the voter registration process.

Government to review private rental market as housing targets set to be exceeded

# Housing Crisis

Government to review private rental market as housing targets set to be exceeded

Updated Nov 2nd 2022, 1:29 PM 33,690 Views 29 Comments

The review of the rental market is expected to be completed before Budget 2024.

# darragh-obrien - October October 2022

Apartment owners vote against proposal they pay €68,000 each to fix fire safety defects

# Dublin

Apartment owners vote against proposal they pay €68,000 each to fix fire safety defects

Oct 21st 2022, 12:05 AM 53,505 Views 59 Comments

‘People didn’t vote ‘no’ because they don’t want the work to be done. We voted ‘no’ because we don’t have the money,’ said one owner.

Mortgage change rules to 'boost purchasing power' of renters

# Housing

Mortgage change rules to 'boost purchasing power' of renters

Oct 20th 2022, 6:15 AM 13,091 Views 37 Comments

The share of renters that can purchase a three-bed semi-detached home in Dublin has fallen since 2015, says the Central Bank.

# Eviction Ban

Explainer: How will the Government's winter eviction ban work?

Oct 18th 2022, 11:59 PM 11,536 Views 6 Comments

The plan was agreed at Cabinet this morning.

# Eviction Ban

Cabinet signs off on temporary eviction ban

Updated Oct 18th 2022, 5:24 PM 38,372 Views 70 Comments

The ban will be in place until the end of March.

# Concrete Levy

O'Brien warns Donohoe of Fianna Fáil concerns about concrete levy

Oct 17th 2022, 3:58 PM 10,239 Views 14 Comments

The Housing Minister raised the concerns in a letter to the Finance Minister.

# Eviction Ban

Landlord group says it has 'deep-rooted' reservations about potential eviction ban

Oct 10th 2022, 1:30 PM 19,940 Views 61 Comments

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien yesterday said he has been “exploring options” regarding an eviction ban.

Planning permission no longer required to install solar panels on houses

# Solar Power

Planning permission no longer required to install solar panels on houses

Updated Oct 7th 2022, 2:48 PM 27,615 Views 22 Comments

Exemptions also apply to a range of non-domestic buildings.

# Housing

Housing Minister says planning applications should not be decided by courts

Oct 6th 2022, 5:57 PM 15,359 Views 28 Comments

Darragh O’Brien also said that people need to stop objecting to planning applications for housing developments.

'I want the homeless number to come down': Short-term let controls on the way, says minister

# HOUSING SUPPLY

'I want the homeless number to come down': Short-term let controls on the way, says minister

Oct 1st 2022, 7:00 PM 15,783 Views 33 Comments

Changes to the homeless HAP are also on the way.

No mini-budget in January, but budget package will 'get us through winter', says Martin

# Ff Ard Fheis

No mini-budget in January, but budget package will 'get us through winter', says Martin

Oct 1st 2022, 1:59 PM 6,661 Views 6 Comments

The windfall tax take will help ‘buffer’ Ireland’s finances, says the Taoiseach.

# darragh-obrien - This year 2022

More than 1,000 applications lodged for new first home support scheme

# Housing

More than 1,000 applications lodged for new first home support scheme

Sep 21st 2022, 1:20 PM 17,981 Views 10 Comments

The Minister for Housing said that many people seeking help from the scheme were renters “stuck in a rental trap”.

# Homelessness

O'Brien says more 'good landlords' needed to end historic level of homelessness

Updated Sep 19th 2022, 12:42 PM 27,681 Views 46 Comments

‘I’m not here to say everything is grand because it’s not,’ he stated.

Sinn Féin's Ó Broin calls for urgent reform of An Bord Pleanála amid ‘deep, deep crisis’

# Planning

Sinn Féin's Ó Broin calls for urgent reform of An Bord Pleanála amid ‘deep, deep crisis’

Sep 15th 2022, 3:23 PM 12,072 Views 14 Comments

The housing minister outlined steps being taken to address issues at the planning body in the Dáil today.

'I take the rights of tenants very seriously': O'Brien responds to rental property controversy

# Tenant Rights

'I take the rights of tenants very seriously': O'Brien responds to rental property controversy

Sep 6th 2022, 2:18 PM 26,620 Views 31 Comments

Darragh O’Brien’s comments come after two Cabinet ministers failed to register their rental properties.

Robert Troy asked housing minister to support landlords seeking to evict tenants during pandemic

# Renters

Robert Troy asked housing minister to support landlords seeking to evict tenants during pandemic

Aug 24th 2022, 7:30 PM 37,044 Views 0 Comments

Troy questioned the minister about landlords in the process of securing evictions notices against “non-conforming tenants”.

# Rental Crisis

118 new cost-rental homes open in Clondalkin as housing minister says rental crisis is 'acute'

Aug 23rd 2022, 5:15 PM 33,982 Views 47 Comments

The rents are set at €1,264 for two-bed apartments and €1,297 for the two-bed duplexes.

Bord Pleanála report should be published 'as soon as possible', says minister

# Planning

Bord Pleanála report should be published 'as soon as possible', says minister

Aug 16th 2022, 1:06 PM 7,964 Views 0 Comments

The minister said it is now a matter for the DPP to decide if a criminal prosecution should be undertaken arising from the findings of the report.

# An Bord Pleanála

Housing Minister receives report into alleged conflicts of interest at An Bord Pleanála

Jul 28th 2022, 9:55 PM 14,716 Views 0 Comments

It comes just weeks after Deputy Chair of An Bord Pleanála, Paul Hyde, resigned.

Irish Water to be rebranded as Uisce Éireann as part of split from parent body

# Water You On About

Irish Water to be rebranded as Uisce Éireann as part of split from parent body

Jul 12th 2022, 2:57 PM 19,325 Views 40 Comments

Irish Water is currently a subsidiary of semi-state company Ervia.

# An Bord Pleanála

Deputy Chair of An Bord Pleanála resigns amid investigation into alleged conflicts of interest

Updated Jul 9th 2022, 4:12 PM 41,545 Views 0 Comments

A spokesperson for the Department of Housing confirmed that Paul Hyde had resigned.

Call for Government to close rent pressure zone loopholes

# Housing Crisis

Call for Government to close rent pressure zone loopholes

Jul 8th 2022, 3:17 PM 13,056 Views 3 Comments

The calls come amid reports that a US property giant plans to push up rents over current rent pressure zone limits.

There will be no cap on the number of Ukrainian refugees Ireland takes in, says minister

# Leaders' Questions

There will be no cap on the number of Ukrainian refugees Ireland takes in, says minister

Jun 22nd 2022, 4:07 PM 21,602 Views 0 Comments

There were heated exchanges between Independent TD Carol Nolan and the housing minister over the issue of immigration.

# Underutilised

Housing minister says 'scourge' of vacant sites across Ireland is underutilised

Jun 22nd 2022, 2:50 PM 15,953 Views 36 Comments

O’Brien said that he had written to the Archbishop of Dublin about buying unused church land.

# Airbnb

Airbnb call on government to create register of landlords to avoid unregistered hosts

Jun 20th 2022, 3:28 PM 14,147 Views 18 Comments

Controversy around the site’s effect on the rental market has been growing.

HAP discretion rate changes for the first time in 6 years, increasing to 35%

# Housing

HAP discretion rate changes for the first time in 6 years, increasing to 35%

Jun 3rd 2022, 1:43 PM 23,081 Views 32 Comments

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien says he will be expanding the couple’s rate to single people.

Report on increasing HAP rates released soon as pressure mounts on government over homelessness

# Housing

Report on increasing HAP rates released soon as pressure mounts on government over homelessness

May 29th 2022, 7:00 AM 18,067 Views 6 Comments

The number of people who were homeless nationwide in the last week of April was 10,049.

How many vacant properties are there in Ireland? We should get a clear answer in a couple of weeks

# Housing

How many vacant properties are there in Ireland? We should get a clear answer in a couple of weeks

May 27th 2022, 8:36 AM 15,153 Views 17 Comments

Local property tax data will give an up-to-date picture of vacancy rates in Ireland.

'I won't be bullied by you': O'Brien and Doherty clash over State subsidy scheme for developers

# Housing

'I won't be bullied by you': O'Brien and Doherty clash over State subsidy scheme for developers

Updated May 25th 2022, 3:39 PM 44,869 Views 84 Comments

The housing minister says the scheme aims to bring into use 80,000 un-commenced planning permissions.

Housing minister to further restrict short-term house and apartment lettings

# Rentals

Housing minister to further restrict short-term house and apartment lettings

May 23rd 2022, 1:24 PM 21,198 Views 13 Comments

The minister said it is “not sustainable” to have “multiples of short terms lets versus long terms in all our major cities”.

Varadkar: 'Far too many people have to spend too much of their income on rent'

# Housing Crisis

Varadkar: 'Far too many people have to spend too much of their income on rent'

May 12th 2022, 1:37 PM 24,582 Views 44 Comments

Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty says rents are out of control.

# An Bord Pleanála

Review of certain An Bord Pleanála decisions 'needs to be done quickly' as deputy chair steps back temporarily

Updated May 10th 2022, 1:02 PM 14,832 Views 0 Comments

Paul Hyde, who has been in the role since 2019, has denied the allegations.

#Darragh O'Brien

# darragh-obrien - Last month November 2022

# darragh-obrien - October October 2022

# darragh-obrien - This year 2022

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