Results 41-60 of 9,077 for speaker:James Browne

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Deputy is right that there were differing views on the commission, and well-reasoned views I think on both sides among the commission members as set out in the various reports. While it was a majority it is not that straightforward either due to the different views. We are keeping this under review but my priority is actually delivering on housing. It is a basic necessity, one of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: It is important to set out that putting it into the Constitution is not going to deliver one more house. This Government has set out that housing is a priority. This is evidenced by the fact that almost one in three euro in our national development plan is going towards housing delivery. This is not even including the funding for grids and roads, which are all prioritised towards housing...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Deputy’s party does not support those schemes but we will continue as a Government to support those individuals and couples to be able to get their foot on the property ladder.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy for his question in relation to affordable homes in Dublin for 2025 and 2026. More than 14,500 affordable housing solutions have been delivered since the launch of Housing for All, including over 5,200 in Dublin. Affordable housing schemes are now operating at scale in Dublin and the affordable housing delivery programme continues to be expanded and developed year on...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: As the Deputy is well aware, the Government has long acknowledged that there is an affordability problem in this country. There are two issues - a viability issue and an affordability issue - and both of these are driving supply difficulties. That is why we have taken measures on viability and affordability. Many of the affordability measures have been opposed by Sinn Féin's good...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I am not sure if the Deputy listened to my last answer. The Government has long acknowledged that there is a serious affordability issue in this country. That is why we brought in significant measures such as the first home and help to buy schemes to address the affordability issue. Supply is the only answer so that people can afford homes.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: That is on the rental side and the purchase side as well. What I do not hear from Sinn Féin is how it is going to drive supply.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: What I hear are objections to almost everything we are doing. That is Sinn Féin's right, but I am not seeing any solutions coming forward, just constant criticisms. I continue to make decisions to address the viability issue and the affordability issue. Ultimately, this is about driving supply right across this country including Dublin, which is a crucial part of that.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy. The question I have in front of me from the Deputy relates to a housing referendum.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I am happy to get the Deputy a written answer on the other question but-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I will answer the question on the housing referendum now. The Housing Commission was established in December 2021 to consider housing policy post 2030 and make proposals building on Housing for All. It was also tasked with advising the Government on the critical factors to be considered regarding a referendum on housing and, if appropriate, to recommend wording for a constitutional...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The housing activation office is just one piece of an important set of measures we will take to ensure we can unlock housing delivery. We have our State agencies, but the housing activation office will be able to work with those Stage agencies where they identify that land can be freed up very quickly for housing delivery to ensure that utilities are in place. The HAO itself has that fund...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: That work remains ongoing, but the head is not critical to this. As has been demonstrated, all the key experts are in place. The departmental staff are in place. The work is already well under way. We are engaging with local authorities. We are meeting with the relevant groups. That activity is being driven now as quickly as possible.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy for the question. Significant progress has been made on establishing the housing activation office. Senior specialists from Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, the NTA, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the local government sector are in place. In addition, senior staff from my Department with expertise in planning and project and programme management are assigned to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I reject the premise that there have been delays. For example, 54 CREL projects have been approved since the beginning of July last year and the average number of working days was 48 for this period. The processing times for individual applications can vary for the reasons I have outlined. That said, the trend is that projects are taking less and less time to assess. For example, projects...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: We are not in that situation at the moment. As I said, we are processing these ever more quickly. As I said, it took 15 days, on average, in the first six months of this year to process these applications. I encourage applications. There is an issue there, as the Deputy rightly pointed out, in terms of CALF and CREL not being aligned. It is something that the Department with AHBs and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: On 10 June 2025, the Government approved stronger tenancy protections and greater certainty for the rental sector, including the introduction of a national rent control. From 1 March 2026, a national rent control will be introduced for all tenancies, which will limit rent increases for properties other than new build apartments to inflation at CPI up to a maximum of 2% and for new build...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The changes will apply prospectively. That was made clear yesterday. In terms of the savings-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: Prospectively.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: They will apply to new tenancies where designated as cost rental. The LDA sought this change so that it could deliver lower rents for people and that is why we agreed to it. As it is a cost rental measure, I fully expect, even through the metrics of the system, that it will result in lower rents for future tenancies.