The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien has welcomed confirmation from SIPTU that Retained Firefighters will suspend strike action from noon today [17 August]. This comes following discussions at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) which Minister O’Brien urged Parties to engage with earlier this week.
 
Minister O’Brien thanked both sides for their engagement in the process saying, “I welcome the intervention of the WRC in the current dispute and I believe a pathway forward can be found. I’d like to thank both sides for engaging in this process and for their efforts to seek a resolution.
 
I will continue to support the great work done by our retained firefighters across the country and will advocate on their behalf at the upcoming national pay talks which are due to begin shortly.”

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD and Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien TD today (August 17th) announced their joint plan to develop design standards for Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) in Ireland.
The Residential Construction Cost Study, which was published by Minister O’Brien in May of this year, recommends the development of a standardised specification for purpose built student accommodation. 
The first step will be to conduct a study to examine international best practice and flexibility of design to establish appropriate standards in the delivery of affordable accommodation.
The project will be led by a cross-departmental project group chaired by DFHERIS with sectoral and technical support from DHLGH, DFHERIS and the Higher Education Authority (HEA). This work will be informed by a stakeholder engagement process, which will include student representatives. 

Speaking today, Minister Harris said: "For the first time in history, the State is investing in building student accommodation, a plan which is an important part of our Housing for All strategy.
"Already we have helped to fund the construction of 1,100 beds, with many more on the way.
"As part of the new Student Accommodation Strategy, it is important we examine the best models of delivery for student accommodation.
"This project will examine how best we can increase supply of accommodation but also improve affordability too.
"Minister O’Brien and I, along with our officials, are committed to increasing the supply of student accommodation. This work is vital to that."
Minister O’Brien said: "Housing for All commits to the development of Purpose Built Student Accommodation in Ireland as part of the broader strategy towards overall diversification and, particularly in this case, the increased availability and affordability of rental stock.
“Recently, €62 million in funding was allocated to delivering over 1,000 student accommodation beds, and work is under way to plan student accommodation across the higher education sector.
“The Residential Construction Cost Study identified significant approach differences between Ireland and Europe with respect to PBSA. Standardised design and specification are more prominent in Europe.
“This new PBSA study will interrogate how increased standardisation of design and specification can maximise delivery and affordability in Ireland. As such, it is a key component of Government’s broader strategy to deliver across all tenures and housing types under Housing for All.”
The project will commence immediately with the appointment of a cross-departmental project group chaired by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science followed by a request for tender for an expert consultant to undertake the study.
ENDS

• 24 white-tailed eagle chicks were released in August around the country, as part of an ongoing National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) programme to reintroduce this once extinct species
• A total of 171 white-tailed eagles have now been released through the programme to date 
• A small, established population of eagles is now fledging chicks around the country and has even produced triplets

Over the past week, twenty-four white-tailed eagle chicks have been released in locations around Lough Derg, the Shannon Estuary and the west of Ireland, as part of a long term reintroduction programme managed by the NPWS. 
White-tailed eagles are predators who play an important role in nature and the ecosystem. 
Once native to Ireland, they became extinct in the nineteenth century. Since 2007, the NPWS has been working with partners in Norway along with farmers and communities around the country to reintroduce the white-tailed eagle to Ireland. 
Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, who released four chicks at Killarney National Park as part of the release programme, said:
“The juvenile white-tailed eagles we have released this week are joining a growing population across our island. This incredible endeavour is the result of 16 years’ work and collaboration, not just on the reintroduction programme, but also on habitat restoration and engagement with landowners to secure their ongoing protection.
“These apex predators perform a vital role in our ecosystems and the sight of them soaring in the thermals is a privilege that everyone who lives in or visits Ireland will now have the opportunity to enjoy. I would like to pay tribute to NPWS staff for their commitment and dedication to this initiative, our international partners from Norway, and the communities around the country who are embracing the return of the white-tailed eagle to our landscapes.”
A comprehensive satellite tagging system is now in place so that the birds can be monitored as they disperse around the country. 
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien who also participated in the release of chicks at in the vicinity of Lough Derg added:
“This reintroduction programme is the result of a combined effort by my Department’s National Parks and Wildlife Service, participating landowners and communities and endangered species experts. I commend each of them for the role they are playing in protecting these iconic birds of prey.”
Niall Ó Donnchú, Director General with the NPWS said: 
“This programme is one of several initiatives underway in the NPWS to protect endangered species in Ireland and prevent their decline. This work takes time, and calls for a partnership approach if it is to be sustainable in the long term. Collaboration with the science community and international partners, along with the involvement of our expert staff and communities around the country has been key to the success we have seen so far.”
Eamonn Meskell, Divisional Manager NPWS, Killarney National Park who heads up the white-tailed eagle reintroduction Programme added: 
“There is huge interest from the public in the white-tailed eagle programme. Locations where they are spotted attract many visitors and local interest and we love to hear about sightings of the birds around Ireland and further afield. There are great stories to tell about the project. For example, the first Irish bred female to breed in over a hundred years has fledged seven chicks in three years! In Lough Derg this year for the second time a nesting pair fledged triplets. This is incredibly unusual – even in the wilds of Norway, and it shows how well suited Ireland really is for the white-tailed eagle from both a habitat and a feeding perspective. We’ll be watching this year’s chicks with interest as they mature and hopefully go on to fledge more chicks.”
Bente Lyngstad, chargé d'affaires at the Norwegian Embassy in Ireland said:
“Watching the release of the white-tailed sea eagles is a truly extraordinary and mighty experience. Over the years more than 150 eagle chicks have been collected in Norway and released in Ireland. Today's stock in Ireland is the result of a long-term collaboration between Norway and Ireland, which again stems from our deep friendship and our shared values. I would like to acknowledge all volunteers whose efforts have been imperative to make this happen.
The retention of species is essential for maintaining the intricate web of life and the functioning of ecosystems. It contributes to the sustainable use of natural resources and the well-being of both present and future generations. Yet we now see a rapid loss of species world-wide. This development must be halted. The reintroduction of white-tailed sea eagles into their natural habitat is a great example of how we can work together against biodiversity loss.”

Net household income limit of €66,000 in Dublin
Net household income limit of €59,000 in rest of the country
New income eligibility limits for Cost Rental take effect from today, August 1st 2023. The new limits were announced recently as part of the Government’s launch of the Secure Tenancies and Affordable Rent (STAR) Investment Scheme. 
The new limits will see those with net household income of €66,000 or less eligible for Cost Rental housing in Dublin while in the rest of the country the limit is €59,000. This replaces the former national net income limit of €53,000.
The increased thresholds recognise that prevailing rents in the private market have increased significantly in recent years and a large cohort of private renters are experiencing severe affordability challenges, particularly in Dublin. The new thresholds will apply across the Cost Rental sector to all delivery streams – by AHBs, Local Authorities, the LDA, and any Cost Rental landlord.
Commenting Minister O’Brien said: 
“The changes we are making to the income eligibility limits are in recognition of the fact that significant inflation, interest rates and prevailing rents in the private market have all increased. These changes will result in more families and individuals being able to avail of Cost Rental. 
“Cost Rental is a new form of housing tenure in Ireland. It’s State backed and the tenancies are long-term, a minimum 40 years. Tenants are charged an amount that covers the cost of delivering, managing, and maintaining a home only which means it’s not driven by profit and is more affordable for tenant. 
“Government are focussed on increasing the number of Cost Rental homes which will ultimately have a positive impact on the overall rental market. We want to see thousands more safe and secure cost rental tenancies in place and the announcement last week of the new STAR investment scheme will help us to do just that.”

• 7,353 homes completed in Q2 2023
• Record 14,017 homes completed in first six months of 2023, an increase of 5.8% on same period in 2022
  

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, has welcomed the new home completions figures for Q2 2023, published by the CSO this morning. 
 
The publication showed that 7,353 new homes were completed in Quarter 2 of this year. While this is a small decrease of 3.5% on the same three months of 2022, overall a record 14,017 homes have been completed in the first six months of 2023, a 5.8% increase on the same period in 2022 and the highest number of completions recorded for the first half of any year since the CSO data series began in 2011.   
 
There were 4,017 scheme dwelling completions in Q2 2023, up 2% from Q2 2022, with 1,439 single dwellings completed, up 7.2% from Q2 2022.
 
Minister O'Brien said:
 
“Today’s CSO figures show supply is increasing and that we are going in the right direction. Housing for All contains a projected housing output of 29,000 homes in 2023, including 9,100 new build social homes and 5,500 affordable homes, and I am confident we will meet this target – if not exceed it.
 
“We’ve made a very positive start to 2023. These healthy completion figures build on the momentum seen in the commencement figures, published by my department last week, showing a record 15,561 new homes commenced construction in the first six months of 2023 – the highest number since the data series began in 2015 – and the most recent CSO data showing 11,659 homes were granted planning permission in Q1 2023, an increase of 38% on Q1 2022.”

Urban Regeneration and Development Fund breathes life into towns
 
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, has allocated €7M to Fingal County Council to tackle vacancy and dereliction in North County Dublin.
Fingal County Council submitted 19 properties, including residential and commercial buildings, which are vacant and derelict and can be brought back into productive use with the support of the Government funding.
Commenting Minister O’Brien said, “I’ve always said we need to use every tool in our armoury to get to grips with the challenges in housing and that’s exactly what we are doing. One key action has been to focus efforts on tackling vacancy and dereliction in cities, towns and villages all across the country.
“Through this funding, Fingal will acquire vacant and derelict properties which are either not on the market for sale or to which the market has not responded. They will then offer these properties for private sale to individuals who in return will commit to bringing the property into use as a home.
“It's hugely positive as not only will it remove derelict properties which are eyesores, it will give people the opportunity to live and participate in their local communities making them more vibrant in the process,” he concluded.