Results 281-300 of 9,077 for speaker:James Browne

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

James Browne: On 25 April 2023, the Government approved additional measures under the Housing for All Action Plan to incentivise the activation of increased housing supply and help reduce housing construction costs, including the introduction of temporary time-limited arrangements for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions and the refunding of Uisce Éireann...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Political Funding (25 Sep 2025)

James Browne: The Electoral Act 1997 (as amended) provides the statutory framework for dealing with political financing and sets out the regulatory regime covering a wide range of inter-related issues such as the funding of political parties; the reimbursement of election expenses; the establishment of election expenditure limits; the disclosure of election expenditure; the setting of limits on permissible...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Political Funding (25 Sep 2025)

James Browne: The Electoral Act 1997 (as amended) provides the statutory framework for dealing with political financing and sets out the regulatory regime covering a wide range of inter-related issues such as, among other matters, the reimbursement of election expenses; the establishment of election expenditure limits; the disclosure of election expenditure; as well as the acceptance and disclosure of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (25 Sep 2025)

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the current grant scheme and the related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023. The 2022 Act sets out the role of the Housing Agency which acts as agent on behalf of the local authorities under the terms of the Scheme. As previously outlined the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (25 Sep 2025)

James Browne: The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, introduced in July 2022 under the Croí Cónaithe Towns umbrella, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Sep 2025)

James Browne: The Cost Rental legislation, set out in Part 3 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 and associated Regulations, does not require landlords to exclude from cost rental eligibility those who own a property. The legislation does, however, give Cost Rental landlords a significant degree of flexibility and discretion when advertising Cost Rental homes and accepting applications, in order to promote...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (25 Sep 2025)

James Browne: As Minister for Housing, Local Government & Heritage, my role in relation to the planning system is, primarily, to provide a policy and legislative framework under which the planning authorities, including An Coimisiún Pleanála (the Commission) and the Office of the Planning Regulator (the OPR) perform their statutory planning functions. The Environmental Impact...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (25 Sep 2025)

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The Act also provides for the Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Social Homes Scheme. This is a scheme for the purpose of enabling a designated local authority or an Approved...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (25 Sep 2025)

James Browne: My Department keeps costs relating to the DCB Scheme under continuous review. 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 from the original grant rates set down in the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act),...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (25 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Section 66 of the Local Government Act 2001 (as amended) refers to the establishment of subsidiary companies by local authorities. Section 66(4)(i) provides that a local authority may “enter into such contracts and make such other arrangements (including the incorporation of one or more than one company) as the authority considers necessary or expedient either alone or jointly with...

Child Poverty and Homelessness: Motion [Private Members] (24 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Would they cut money from our hospitals or from the roads budget?

Child Poverty and Homelessness: Motion [Private Members] (24 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Where are they going to take the money from?

Child Poverty and Homelessness: Motion [Private Members] (24 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Where are you going to take the money from?

Child Poverty and Homelessness: Motion [Private Members] (24 Sep 2025)

James Browne: You are not going to shut me down, so please let me say-----

Child Poverty and Homelessness: Motion [Private Members] (24 Sep 2025)

James Browne: I did not interrupt you, so let me-----

Child Poverty and Homelessness: Motion [Private Members] (24 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Look----

Child Poverty and Homelessness: Motion [Private Members] (24 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Thank you very much. We might look at the tenant in situ scheme. I am trying to square what Deputy Bacik said yesterday during Leaders' Questions, because the criteria in the circular I introduced earlier in the year put the focus on local authorities to prioritise families. The Deputy criticised that at the time. She said that single people were being singled out and left behind. Labour...

Child Poverty and Homelessness: Motion [Private Members] (24 Sep 2025)

James Browne: -----because that circular prioritises families, which she criticised me for doing. In relation to the Labour Party's motion, we have a demand-led tenant in situ scheme, which is what the Deputy wants. We have nearly 60,000 HAP and RAS tenancies. The Labour Party is well north of €20 billion, yet it has not quantified its position or said where that money will come from. Once...

Child Poverty and Homelessness: Motion [Private Members] (24 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Those who warned the Labour Party about the mistakes it was making-----

Child Poverty and Homelessness: Motion [Private Members] (24 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Those who warned the Labour Party when it was in government of the crisis it was creating-----