Results 21-40 of 7,142 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: Government is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social, affordable and cost rental homes at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures. This is demonstrated by the record level of investment which is being provided for the delivery of Housing in 2025, with overall capital funding available of €6.8 billion. The capital provision is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Generation (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1141, 1234 and 1355 together. My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development 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. My Department, in conjunction with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1142, 1312 and 1325 together. Under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. Local authorities have a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1143, 1318 and 1333 together. While the Planning and Development Act 2024 was enacted in October 2024, it is not yet commenced and the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended and associated Planning and Development Regulations 2001 remain in force. A review of the current Exempted Development Regulations is ongoing and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I am pleased that the Government is providing continuing and substantial financial support for Tenant in Situ acquisitions in 2025, following on from similar investments in 2023 and 2024. I have made €325 million available to our local authorities for their social housing second hand acquisitions activity in 2025 and asked that they prioritise Tenant in Situ acquisitions but have...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: It should be noted in the first instance that I, as Minister, have no function with regard to intervening in the onward sale or purchase of private property in Gaeltacht areas. However, policies have been developed with regard to Gaeltacht areas through both legislation and ministerial guidance provided to operate within the planning system. At present, the Planning and Development Act...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1148, 1159, 1160, 1161, 1162, 1163, 1228, 1236 and 1263 together. Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Infrastructure (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) aims to retrofit a local authority home to a minimum BER rating of B2. It is expected that 36,500 local authority owned homes will be retrofitted under this programme over the period of 2021 to 2030 inclusive. The programme has been devised in a way to give local authorities a level of flexibility when selecting properties to retrofit,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I am pleased that the Government is providing continuing and substantial financial support for Tenant in Situ acquisitions in 2025, following on from similar investments in 2023 and 2024. I have made €325 million available to our local authorities for their social housing second hand acquisitions activity in 2025 and asked that they prioritise Tenant in Situ acquisitions but have...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Oireachtas votes funding each year for a variety of programmes to encourage and support investment in built heritage, including the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS). The funding available for these programmes in the current year was determined in Budget 2025. In February of this year, I awarded €8.1m of funding under the BHIS. This is a record allocation to the scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Development Contributions (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1154, 1227 and 1247 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pension Provisions (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Single Scheme is a statutory Public Service Career-Average Defined Benefit Pension Scheme. It was established on 1 January 2013 under the Public Service Pensions (single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012. The provisions of the Single Scheme are clearly set out in law and were enacted on 28 July 2012. All new-entrant public servants hired after 1 January 2013 are members of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Turf Cutting (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme (CTCCS) was launched in 2011 as an annual payment scheme, from date of legal cessation for 15 years, for households affected by the restriction on turf cutting on raised bog Special Areas of Conservation. It was later extended to include raised bog Natural Heritage Areas. The Scheme is comprised of a payment of €1,500 per annum,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, is a matter for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local Authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure all their tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (29 Apr 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: Departmental Programmes (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: Under the Derelict Sites Act 1990, local authorities are required to maintain a Derelict Sites Register, which includes the name and address of each owner and occupier, where these can be ascertained by reasonable enquiry, of any land which, in the opinion of the local authority, is a derelict site. A property can be placed on the Derelict Site Register where it is deemed by a local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Information and Communications Technology (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Act, 1981 & 2003. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts 1981 & 2003. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts 1981 & 2003. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rural Schemes (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1171, 1221 and 1359 together. 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 NPF published in 2018) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably, obligations under European Directives and...