Results 481-500 of 8,310 for speaker:James Browne

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 were set up each week in 2024, indicating that the scheme continues...

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

James Browne: My Department has not engaged with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) on any compensation mechanism for Uisce Éireann's customers who are subject to boil water notices. The CRU is statutorily tasked with protecting Uisce Éireann's customers in accordance with section 39 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 (as amended). As noted in my reply to Question No. 259...

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

James Browne: As part of its role in protecting nature, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) manages the network of National Parks and Nature Reserves across the country. As part of this role, and in keeping with the aims of the Programme for Government, it occasionally purchases land for strategic and conservation purposes. Such acquisitions are always considered carefully on a case by case...

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

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damage by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the current Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) grant scheme and related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023. An Implementation Steering Group for the DCB Grant scheme has been in place since 2023. The Group comprises officials from the relevant local...

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

James Browne: Increased supply is key to meeting need and addressing the challenges in the housing market. 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. Housing for All contains a suite of actions that have, and continue to, increase the provision of housing through...

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

James Browne: Local authorities set and collect rents on their dwellings in accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. The making or amending of such rent schemes is generally a matter for local authorities within broad principles set out by my Department, including that rent levels should be based on income and reflect tenants’ ability to pay. Local discretion and flexibility are...

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

James Browne: Addressing vacancy, tackling dereliction and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government. To address this, a number of structures have now been established including a dedicated Vacant Homes Unit in my Department, a full-time Vacant Homes Officers and Town Regeneration Officers in local authorities, and the publication of a ‘Vacant Homes Action...

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 Cork City Council. My Department is continuing to provide substantial financial...

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

James Browne: Government is fully committed to delivering affordable housing at scale, and continuing to accelerate housing supply across all tenures. A comprehensive implementation strategy is in place to support the various affordable Housing schemes now being delivered by a range of delivery partners. Overall, nearly 13,000 affordable housing solutions have been delivered since the launch of Housing for...

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

James Browne: Addressing homelessness is a priority for this Government. The Programme for Government includes a number of commitments to address homelessness, including ensuring that there is sufficient emergency accommodation for those who require it with special supports for children impacted by homelessness. Funding of €303 million is available for the delivery of homeless services in 2025. My...

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

James Browne: The First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme designed to help bridge the gap between a purchaser’s deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home, for eligible first-time buyers, Fresh Start applicants and those who wish to build their first home. The First Home Scheme Designated Activity Company is responsible for the operation and...

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

James Browne: The Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) funding provides up to 100% capital funding to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for the construction and targeted acquisition of housing for priority needs categories to include persons with a disability. While there have been no changes to the fundamental operation of CAS regarding the funding for priority needs categories, second-hand acquisitions funded...

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

James Browne: The Government is acutely aware of the housing challenges faced by many sectors of society. Housing for All, Ireland's housing plan to 2030, is the most ambitious and comprehensive housing plan in the history of the State. The Plan contains a suite of actions that have and continue to increase the provision of housing through accelerating supply and increasing the affordability of homes for...

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

James Browne: Leagtar amach san Acht um Pleanáil agus Forbairt, 2000, arna leasú, cuspóirí éigeantacha d’údaráis áitiúla, nach mór aghaidh a thabhairt orthu nuair atá a bPlean Forbartha á dhréachtú, a rialaíonn beartais forbartha áitiúla. Nuair atá ceantar Gaeltachta laistigh de limistéar riaracháin...

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

James Browne: Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government, as set out in Pathway 4 of Housing for All. The Vacant Homes Action Plan, published in January 2023, built on Pathway 4 and set out the various actions that were being pursued to return vacant properties back into use as homes. The Action Plan Progress Report was published in April 2024...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Priorities (1 Jul 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....

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

James Browne: The Ready to Build Scheme, funded by the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, to support addressing vacancy, was launched in September 2022. Under the Scheme, local authorities can make vacant serviced sites in towns and villages available to potential individual purchasers to build a home. Local authorities identify suitable vacant sites in their ownership or purchase vacant sites in...

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

James Browne: The zoning of land is an exercise undertaken by planning authorities as part of the development plan process. The making of a development plan is a reserved function of the elected members of each planning authority who are required by legislation to be consistent with established statutory national and regional planning policy and legislation, including as identified in the National...

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

James Browne: The Government committed in January 2025 to introduce an all of government national housing plan to follow Housing for All, underpinned by multi-annual funding. As part of this, all Departments have been examining all potential actions to further scale up the delivery of homes of all tenures. A programme of targeted stakeholder engagement has also been undertaken. Written submissions...

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

James Browne: Corncrake LIFE is a five year (2021-2026) €5.9m project improving the conservation status of one of Ireland’s most iconic farmland bird species.Led by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department, in collaboration with project partners, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Fota Wildlife Park, Atlantic Technological University and...