Results 441-460 of 8,310 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department is currently undertaking an important project to update wildlife legislation. This includes the Wildlife Act 1976, the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000, the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 and significant regulations made under these provisions. The project is examining closely the effectiveness of our...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Building Regulations set out minimum standards for the design and construction of buildings and works to ensure the health and safety of people in and around buildings. The primary responsibility for compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations rests with the designers, builders and owners of buildings. Following the completion of a comprehensive review of Part B (Fire...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40, 49 and 51 together. My Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People scheme, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for Disabled People, the Mobility Aids...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 77 together. Housing for All includes a commitment to review income eligibility for social housing. From this review, completed in November 2021, it was recommended moving five local authorities from Band 3 to Band 2, ensuring the income eligibility thresholds better reflect housing costs in those counties. Government also agreed to increase the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: 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 of domestic violence, including the provision and operational funding of domestic violence refuge services, rests with my colleague the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme continues to plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of Q4 2024, over 125,000 HAP tenancies had been set up since the scheme commenced, of which there were 53,742 households actively in receipt of HAP support. An average of 156 new HAP tenancies was set up each week in 2024, indicating that the scheme continues to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: While the Planning and Development Act 2024 (Act of 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 (Act of 2000), and associated Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended (Regulations of 2001) remain in force until the relevant sections of the Act of 2024 are commenced and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: My Department has introduced a range of measures to enable and support the delivery of apartments, including through planning reform, zoning, financing, rental sector reforms, cost of construction measures and other targeted measures. The impact of the current rent control system on the supply of new homes for rent is a key consideration for this Government and recent changes announced...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 and 429 together. Within the Programme for Government 2025 – Securing Ireland’s Future, a commitment was specifically made to continue to accelerate social housing regeneration schemes in Dublin. My Department remains committed to supporting regeneration across towns and cities. The prioritisation and project plans for the regeneration of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The system of funding local government in Ireland is a complex one, as local authorities derive their income from a range of sources including commercial rates, charges for goods and services provided, Local Property Tax and grants from various government departments and state agencies for both Current and Capital purposes. A fundamental prerequisite for effective local democracy is that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: My Department publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR), on a quarterly basis. The CSR provides details of social housing developments and their location that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. The most recent publication was for Quarter 4 2024, and is accessible on my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 88 together. Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual projects is a matter for Uisce Éireann and is approved through its own internal governance structures. Uisce Éireann...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 430 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 Department...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55, 67, 70 and 99 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 as a principal private residence and for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Planning and Development Act 2024 (Act of 2024) was enacted on 17 October 2024 and introduces a number of key reforms to the planning process that will assist the delivery of housing, including - the introduction of mandatory statutory time periods for decisions on all consent processes including, for the first time, for An Coimisiún Pleanála - to give confidence and certainty...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Question Heading (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Land Development Agency (LDA) is working with key landholders across the public and commercial State sectors to transfer land to the LDA in a managed process that meets its needs while minimising disruption to its operations. The Government is currently considering options to accelerate this process while ensuring that the transfer process remains smooth and does not impact the ongoing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: In 2016, a single-stage approval process was commenced on a pilot basis as a new streamlined approval mechanism, for projects with a maximum all-in budget of less than €2m (and no more than 15 units). This process was subsequently reviewed with the maximum budget threshold increased in 2020 to €6 million (and no more than 25 units). The value limit was increased again in 2023...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The clear focus of Government is to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes. This is key to addressing the housing challenge and in particular preventing and ultimately eliminating long term homelessness, and that unquestionably must be the priority for all local authorities including South Dublin County Council. My Department is continuing to providing substantial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 431 together. The Planning and Development Act 2024 (Act of 2024) was enacted on 17 October 2024. A comprehensive Implementation Plan, including a detailed commencement schedule, has been published on www.gov.ie/planning and outlines a range of initiatives to support training and engagement for the planning sector. The Act of 2024 is being commenced...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

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