Results 301-320 of 7,789 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: My Department is not in a position to provide funding for the purchase, by Galway County Council, of Dunguaire Castle. The National Monuments Service of my Department has written to the CEO of Galway County Council, confirming that we do not have a voted funding stream to facilitate the purchase by local authorities of heritage sites.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The National Planning Framework (NPF) is a broad national plan for strategic planning and sustainable development of urban and rural areas, with the objectives of securing balanced regional development and a sustainable approach to the form and pattern of future development. The Revised NPF was approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. This concluded the Revision process...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Section 160 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides the Minister with the power to declare qualifications of such classes and descriptions as he or she thinks fit for a specified employment under a local authority or for such of the employments as belong to a specified class, description or grade. Orders made under section 160 of the Local Government Act 2001 declaring qualifications...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: While the Planning and Development Act 2024 was enacted in October 2024, it is in the process of being commenced. The provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and associated Planning and Development Regulations 2001 remain in force until the relevant sections of the Act of 2024 are commenced and the corresponding sections of the Act of 2000 are repealed A review...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by Tailte Éireann under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2020. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. Information in relation to the collection of commercial rates is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (10 Jun 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: Departmental Data (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: On 28 November 2023, Government approved, on an exceptional basis, funding of up to €15 million to be paid to the Trust, between 1 December 2023 and 31 March 2024 on a phased basis in order to ensure the continuation of the essential Homeless services being provided by the Peter McVerry Trust. The funding was provided subject to compliance with a range of conditions related to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Housing First approach to addressing homelessness places direct access to housing first and foremost for vulnerable individuals using homeless services consistently or intermittently over long periods of time, and those unable or resistant to accessing homeless services and who may then become habitual rough sleepers. These individuals often have complex high support needs such as mental...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Budgets (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: A record level of capital investment is being provided for the delivery of Housing in 2025, with overall capital funding available of almost €6.8 billion. A key focus of this capital investment is on the delivery of social homes, with almost €2.4 billion in Exchequer funding available to support social housing delivery in 2025, including 10,000 new build social homes. Capital...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Derelict Sites (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: 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 functional area does not...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 858 and 871 together. My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the existing 2006 Guidelines. The review is addressing a number of key aspects of the Guidelines including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. As part of the review process, it has been determined that the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Instruments used to transpose EU law are referred to Oireachtas Committees in two circumstances. When transposition is being carried out through primary legislation, the Bill is referred to the relevant Committee for both pre-legislative and Committee State consideration, as with any other Bill. However, most transpositions are made through Statutory Instruments under the European...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Programme for Government (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Recent Governments have introduced significant changes to the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 - 2024 (RTA) in the past number of years to enhance tenancy protections and increase the powers of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). The RTB was established as a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the RTA to regulate the rental sector; provide information to tenants and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Programme for Government (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Repair and Lease Scheme is one of a number of Government initiatives aimed at tackling vacancy in our housing stock. Under this scheme, an interest-free loan of up to €80,000 per home is available to bring properties which have been vacant for over one year up to the current rental standards. The renovated home is then leased to the Local Authority or to an Approved Housing Body to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Programme for Government (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: As part of the Programme for Government, the Government committed to launching a new, comprehensive Starter Home programme across the public, private and AHB sector, which promotes home ownership and secures long-term rental tenures for young people and fresh start applicants. The Programme for Government sets out that the Starter Home programme will support and deliver an average of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The information requested is set out in the tables below. Staff by Grade - May 2024 & May 2025 Grade May 2024 May 2025 ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER 60.00 73.00 ADVISORY COUNSEL GRADE 2 1.00 2.00 ADVISORY COUNSEL GRADE 3 4.00 4.00 ARCHAEOLOGIST 32.73...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that the role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist housing authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding. The Act provides that housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Coastal Protection (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: It is clear that climate change is causing significant challenges for the entire planet, with many areas already experiencing more frequent extreme weather events, changes in rainfall patterns, and changes in temperature norms. Ireland is not immune from these challenges. As reported by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its recently published National Climate Change Risk...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (29 May 2025)

James Browne: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by Tailte Éireann under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2020. Tailte Éireann has responsibility for valuation matters, including the revaluation of properties. Tailte Éireann is independent in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (29 May 2025)

James Browne: The Water Action Plan 2024 published by my Department sets out a roadmap to restore Ireland’s water bodies to ‘good status’ or better and to protect water from any further deterioration. In some instances, water bodies have been physically modified in the past to serve a beneficial specified use to society such as; a drinking water abstraction, a hydroelectric scheme, a...