Results 2,641-2,660 of 9,126 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Weather Events (27 Feb 2025)

James Browne: My Department is designated as the Lead Government Department responsible for coordinating a response to severe weather emergencies at national level, as set out in the Strategic Emergency Management (SEM) Framework (2017), where warranted. The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management within my Department undertakes this role and works closely with local authority Severe...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Ireland (27 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Waterways Ireland proposes to update the Shannon Bye-laws and Canal Bye-laws which are more than 30 years old. The needs of users have changed, environmental landscape and health and safety considerations have developed significantly and the waterways themselves have been transformed over the past thirty years. The purpose of updating the Bye-laws is to make the waterways safer for those...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (27 Feb 2025)

James Browne: [Attachment omitted] The Derelict Sites Act 1990 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (27 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Support from the Affordable Housing Fund is available to all local authorities to deliver affordable purchase and cost rental homes where an affordable housing need is evidenced. Approvals for funding are now in place to support delivery of over 5,000 affordable homes by 21 local authorities. In addition, the First Home Scheme, launched in July 2022, supports first-time buyers in purchasing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reviews (27 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Working Group, established by my Department in April 2024 to undertake a review of the existing suite of engineering qualifications in the local government sector, has now concluded its work and has recommended a number of changes. My Department is currently in the process of consulting with the relevant public sector unions about these proposals and it is expected that these...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (27 Feb 2025)

James Browne: An Bord Pleanála (the Board) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts. The information requested is not held by my Department as this is a matter for An Bord...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (27 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Affordable Housing statistical reports are based on the delivery of affordable homes which have been completed and publicly advertised to eligible affordable housing applicants. Comprehensive programme-level statistics are published by my Department on affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and delivery partners in each local authority area. As is the case with house sales...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (27 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Multi-annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP) is the main funding stream providing capital funding to address the challenges faced by rural dwellers with their water services. The objective of the programme is to provide the necessary funding to address infrastructure deficits that are having an impact on the provision of safe and secure water services and promote economic and social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (27 Feb 2025)

James Browne: 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: Departmental Consultations (27 Feb 2025)

James Browne: A transboundary EIA notification was received by my Department on Thursday 30 January 2025 from the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) in Northern Ireland. This notification concerns a number of development applications related to the proposed Dalradian Gold Mine Project, at Greencastle, Co Tyrone. My Department accepted the invitation from DfI to engage in transboundary consultation in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (27 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended, provide that households may apply for support to one local authority only. Usually, this will be the local authority for the area in which the household normally resides or with which the household has a local connection. Local authorities may also, at their discretion, assess households with no link to the area for support. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (27 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Programme for Government 2025: Securing Ireland's Future commits to introducing a new, all-of-government national housing plan to follow Housing for All. Any proposals for new measures will be considered in this context.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (27 Feb 2025)

James Browne: My views in relation to a tourism accommodation levy, in the context of the recommendation in the Dublin City Taskforce report, are broadly similar to those outlined by my Ministerial colleagues in their recent replies to the parliamentary questions referred. My Department is participating in a working group of senior officials from across Government, under the leadership of the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Properties (27 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No. 4) Regulations were introduced to assist the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (MCEDIY) in meeting Ireland’s legal obligation to provide accommodation to international protection applicants. The Regulations amend Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (2001...

Seanad: Response to Storm Éowyn: Statements (26 Feb 2025)

James Browne: I very much welcome the opportunity to speak to the Seanad on the response to Storm Éowyn. It allows me to bring some clarity to the co-ordinated response led by my Department. First, I will clarify the role of my Department, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which is the lead Government Department for the response to severe weather events. This means it is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Process (26 Feb 2025)

James Browne: 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 members of the local authority. The Returning Officer is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (26 Feb 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 173 and 174 together. Following updated cost reports from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) and advice from the Expert Group established to consider the matter, a further increase was provided for on 23 October 2024 through S.I. 577 of 2024. The Scheme Cap has risen by 10% to €462,000. An increase in the scheme grant rates of between...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (26 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (26 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government. In Pathway 4 of Housing for All on Addressing Vacancy and Efficient Use of Existing Stock, the Government set out a blueprint to ensure that vacant properties can be used to the fullest extent possible. The Vacant Homes Action Plan, published in January 2023, built on Pathway 4 and set...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (26 Feb 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 and 186 together. The declaration of qualification for posts in the local government sector is a power given to me as Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage under section 160 (1) (a) of the Local Government Act. The currently declared qualifications for engineering posts in the local government sector are available on my Department's...