Results 261-280 of 9,077 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Remedial works for relevant apartment defects, which will include all eligible fire safety, water ingress and structural safety defects, will be funded under the forthcoming statutory Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Scheme. This Scheme will establish supports for remediation of relevant defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: CALF funding is capital support provided to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) by local authorities to facilitate the funding of construction and purchase of new social housing homes. This loan facility can support between 25% and 30% of the eligible capital cost of the housing project, with the remaining finance sourced by the AHBs from private lenders (usually the Housing Finance Agency...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 564, 565 and 566 together. Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) funding is available to AHBs to provide affordable rented accommodation to those on middle incomes. The nature of the cost rental model means that cost rental homes are made available at a certain rent level, which is needed to cover the costs of delivery and maintenance of the cost rental homes,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Remedial works for relevant apartment defects, which will include all eligible fire safety, water ingress and structural safety defects, will be funded under the forthcoming statutory Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Scheme. This Scheme will establish supports for remediation of relevant defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: CALF funding is capital support provided to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) by local authorities to facilitate the funding of construction and purchase of new social housing homes. This loan facility can support between 25% and 30% of the eligible capital cost of the housing project, with the remaining finance sourced by the AHBs from private lenders (usually the Housing Finance Agency...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 564, 565 and 566 together. Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) funding is available to AHBs to provide affordable rented accommodation to those on middle incomes. The nature of the cost rental model means that cost rental homes are made available at a certain rent level, which is needed to cover the costs of delivery and maintenance of the cost rental homes, and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) published a research paper in February 2025, which explores the investment requirements for energy efficiency upgrades in the private rental sector. The research was funded by my Department under a joint programme the Department operates with the ESRI. Based on the data sets available, the ESRI paper explores the energy efficiency profile of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: This social housing project in Kildare County Council has received approval from my Department. A revised funding submission for this project was recently received, which my Department is reviewing. Kildare County Council is responsible for the implementation of this project and, therefore, would be in a better position to provide a detailed response as to the up-to-date position on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: The project in question has been approved by my Department and in terms of the pre-construction process, is at an advanced stage. My Department has been advised by Kildare County Council that this project is progressing as planned. Kildare County Council is responsible for the implementation of this project and, therefore, would be in a better position to provide a detailed response as to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis for social housing delivery, including on second-hand acquisitions by local authorities. These statistics show:1,829 second-hand acquisitions were completed in 2023, including 1,081 for tenants in situ;1,501 acquisitions were completed in 2024, including 1,054 for tenants in situ; and490 or so acquisitions...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Seanad Elections (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Under Seanad Electoral law, the taking of the poll for the Higher Education Constituency is a matter for the Returning Officer, in this case the Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Ireland. As Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, I have no function in relation to the taking of the poll. The Seanad Electoral (University Members) Amendment Act 2024 provided that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: My Department publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR), which provides details of social housing developments, their location and their funding programme that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. The report includes the names of the Approved Housing Bodies involved with the projects...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 577, 578 and 585 together. The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme 2016 came into operation on 1 January 2016 and allows tenants of local authority houses to apply to purchase their home. The scheme is governed by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015, as amended, and is open to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 580 and 581 together. My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority. This data is available to the end of Q1 2025 and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2024, is available on my Department's website, along with all summaries since 2011 at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Local authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock, which will fluctuate over time, as tenancy surrender and re-letting of stock is a rolling process. Therefore, ongoing data in relation to vacant local authority owned homes is not routinely collated by my Department. Notwithstanding that, statistics in relation to social housing stock, at a point in time, are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Social Housing is delivered through a range of Local Authority and Approved Housing Body (AHB) delivery programmes. Capital expenditure on the delivery of new social homes is also supported by current funding provided through the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP). My Department does not provide specific allocations to local authorities, rather funding for housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Since the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 (which continue to have effect in addition to subsequent clarifications and national policy changes in the National Planning Framework) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably, obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 587 to 592, inclusive, together. The response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross-Departmental and multi-agency issue, with overall policy coordinated by the Department of Justice. Responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims rests with my colleague the Minister for Justice working in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant introduced in July 2022, provides a grant of up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent. A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be derelict, bringing the total grant available for a...