Results 21-40 of 7,789 for speaker:James Browne

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We are putting measures in place in order that everybody has the solution they need. Ultimately, we have to increase the supply of housing across the country. That is the only way we will address homelessness, high rents and ensure that people get the homes they need. We have gone from 20,000 to 30,000 homes. We will make the next step change. That is why we made rapid decisions over the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Cost rental is only one measure, as I have already outlined.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: It is the clear focus of this Government to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes. As such, the decision not to proceed with the contract award for bundle 3 was not taken lightly and was made after much careful consideration of the costs involved and is ultimately the correct decision. I cannot comment on or discuss the tendered costs for PPP bundle 3 as these...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I understand people’s upset and frustration. My duty is to deliver the maximum number of homes we can but that means maximising the value so we can maximise the delivery of those homes. I will not blindly sign off at any price for social homes. These homes were frankly at an astronomical price. No doubt had I signed off on them, I would be before the Committee of Public Accounts...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Private Partnerships (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: It is not the end of PPP but we will review the processes to see how we can ensure that when the PPP process is used, there is value for money for the delivery of homes. We will use every method available to maximise the delivery of social homes. We will do that and we will continue to review it. We will deliver these homes as quickly as we can. We are reviewing the entire situation. ...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Cost rental is a key element of the Housing For All strategy to improve affordability in the rental sector and to provide secure, long-term homes for moderate-income households. Though it was only introduced in 2021, cost-rental delivery is accelerating, with over 3,600 homes delivered by the end of 2024 and a substantial pipeline is now in place. My Department is providing significant...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We are engaging with all the stakeholders regarding our new housing plan. The housing plan will follow the NDP. When that is finalised, the NDP will clearly set out the funding available for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and other Departments that are key in delivering the infrastructure we need to deliver the housing we need. It is in that context that the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The vast majority of the Act will be commenced by the end of this year. We have already started to commence it with the commencement of the urban development zone sections and the establishment of An Coimisiún Pleanála. The State is delivering approximately 50% of all housing solutions, including from the private sector Part V. Our ambition is to continue delivering as much...

GPO and Moore Street Regeneration as a 1916 Cultural Quarter: Motion [Private Members] (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: That was not the same-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Homeless Persons Supports (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy very much for requesting an update on the review of the section 10 funding for homelessness services and the changes I intend to make to this funding stream. Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a priority for the Government. I recognise the vital work of the NGO sector and its valuable contribution to the lives of those experiencing or at risk of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Homeless Persons Supports (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: As the Deputy knows, efforts are ongoing to reduce the reliance on commercial hotels to accommodate families, with the preferred model being the provision of supported accommodation operated by NGO providers. The increasing numbers in emergency accommodation have led to increased pressures on housing authorities to provide sufficient accommodation. To increase provision, housing authorities...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Homeless Persons Supports (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I hear the Deputy saying he wants to trust the NGOs more but also to have more oversight of them. The NGOs here do phenomenally good work. We are providing record funding to address homelessness. What we want to do, though, is to prevent homelessness occurring in the first place and that is why we are making rapid decisions to significantly increase the supply of housing right across the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy for asking this question in relation to an update on the Government's housing plan. The programme for Government commits to the introduction of a new all-of-government national housing plan to follow Housing for All, underpinned by multi-annual funding. Work is well under way in my Department on the development of this new housing plan. A programme of targeted...

GPO and Moore Street Regeneration as a 1916 Cultural Quarter: Motion [Private Members] (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I want to start by thanking all Members for the contributions to this discussion. The Government is absolutely committed to the redevelopment of the GPO complex as an ambitious flagship project and plans are well under way for the refurbishment of the national monument at 14-17 Moore Street. It is our commitment to honour the men and women and indeed the children of 1916. It is our...

GPO and Moore Street Regeneration as a 1916 Cultural Quarter: Motion [Private Members] (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: No part of the GPO has been sold off, no part is being desecrated and there is no secret deal. These are all myths, and worse, they are deliberate distractions from the real work of heritage preservation and essential urban renewal of a changing city. What we propose is a respectful, imaginative redevelopment of the wider GPO complex, including its cultural, the retail and office spaces...

GPO and Moore Street Regeneration as a 1916 Cultural Quarter: Motion [Private Members] (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We commissioned the 1916 exhibition in the GPO which is now visited by thousands each year. We funded heritage grants across every county and we engaged with young people, artists, veterans and communities in every corner of Ireland. We made sure these commemorations belong not to any one party or ideology but to the Irish people as a whole. That, I believe, is what real respect looks...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (26 Jun 2025)

James Browne: A review of the current Exempted Development Regulations is ongoing and a wider public consultation on exempted development regulations will be undertaken shortly. Members of the public, State bodies and other concerned parties will be able to make submissions in writing as part of the consultation process. The Government cannot pre-empt the outcome of any consultation and therefore no...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (26 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Building Regulations set out the legal requirements in Ireland for the construction of new buildings (including houses), extensions to existing buildings as well as for material alterations and certain material changes of use to existing buildings. They set out minimum standards for the design and construction of buildings and works to ensure the health and safety of people in and around...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas (26 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Marine Protected Areas Bill is at an advanced stage of drafting. It is intended to finalise this draft as soon as possible. However the Bill will need revision to reflect new Ministerial responsibilities and transfers of functions between Departments once these have taken place. It should be noted that, in the context of this forthcoming transfer of the marine environment function...

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

James Browne: A flagship element of Project Ireland 2040, the €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is supporting a programme of significant transformational capital projects that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan. ...