Results 241-260 of 8,310 for speaker:James Browne

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We have given careful consideration to all of this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I am not sure what kind of analysis the Deputy is referring to. We do a lot of different analyses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We have done a careful analysis of these. We compared our own standards with general European standards. We saw that our standards were the highest in Europe, in our opinion, and we made the judgment call that we needed to change the specifications so they would be more in line with those in Europe and, in particular, to increase viability. Having the highest specifications for apartments...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I gave careful consideration to any delays there may be. We have close to 50,000 existing planning permissions. We considered what the impact may be if people considered going back in for changes of planning permission. That is why we worked closely with the Attorney General and came up with a proposal whereby most of these changes to specifications can be made within the envelope of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Yes, without the-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Developers will have to comply with all building regulations, as they do now, but they retain within the existing envelope of the planning permission they have the ability to change the specifications within that building. That will allay the Deputy's fears and concerns about the delays in delivering on these existing planning permissions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: It does not refer to communal spaces. It refers to cultural spaces, whereby Dublin City Council put an effective levy on developers being granted planning permission, which added a significant cost to the delivery of these units and is, in turn, being passed on to renters and home purchasers. In such circumstances, when the developer still goes ahead with the project, it also impacts on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I am not personally aware of any legal proceedings initiated by the preferred bidder.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We went through all current legal proceedings at Cabinet this morning and no-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We have given very careful consideration to all the proposals around the change of specifications for apartments in terms of its impact, in particular, how it would reduce the cost of delivery of apartments across the country, specifically in the cities,

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I am not aware of any legal proceedings having been issued against the Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We are determined to get these much-needed properties and social homes delivered. We are now looking at the alternative methodologies for doing so. We have not reached a conclusion on what that method will be. That is what we are working through at the moment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: What I can guarantee is that we will deliver these social homes. We have not reached a conclusion on what the method will be.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Of course there will be an impact on timeframes. That has already happened as a result of my decision not to proceed with this PPP. No doubt, if I had, I would not be in a meeting if this committee but at the Committee of Public Accounts answering for the sheer cost.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We are assessing that but I intend it to be as short as possible because I am conscious that these are homes that people need as quickly as possible. There is nothing to prevent Dublin City Council or any other local authority from coming up with additional proposals and driving forward with other proposals for social housing. This is not all duck or no dinner for these local authorities....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy. Regarding the single-stage process, I welcome the Deputy's welcome for it. I know he has raised this an endless number of times in the Dáil. He has championed this issue for a long time. Alongside that, the Department of housing’s housing manual made it mandatory for local authorities to use those designs that will standardise design. As the Deputy will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: It is now mandatory for local authorities to use the plans we have designed in the Department of housing. To deliver housing on the scale we did in the past, the Deputy is 100% right. We need to see the local authorities in Laois, Wexford and Donegal using similar plans for houses. That will also help modern methods of construction, MMC, because those companies will know what they are now...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Almost 50,000 apartments are not being commenced.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: They are not building, Deputy. If there was profit there, they would be building.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

James Browne: They do not need to go bankrupt as proof that they will not make a profit. A lot of the decisions we have been making is in order to get apartment delivery moving. We are seeing a collapse in the delivery of apartments, particularly in Dublin city. We need to get them delivered. That is why we have been making a lot of the decisions we have been making. With regard to student...