Results 61-80 of 8,310 for speaker:James Browne

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We are examining that proposal as part of the new housing plan.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: No, we have not given those to them yet.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Again, it follows from the NDP.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The reality is that the NDP will be completed over the next week or two weeks and we will then finalise our housing plan. Realistically we are at the end of the Dáil term so we are looking at the autumn. If it is the national planning framework targets the Deputy is referring to, we will be issuing those in the next two weeks to local authorities. We have prepared a lot with the local...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Yes, my apologies for the confusion.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Regarding the one-stage process, local authorities will be locked into that from quarter 3, that is, the autumn. They will have to follow the one-stage process and mandatorily use the housing designs in relation to it. After engaging with the Department of public expenditure, we are satisfied in terms of how we manage that risk. We are fairly confident and happy that we can manage that....

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: It is important that we retain the density. We are looking at proposals from local authorities when they seek to regenerate flats. The purpose of regeneration is that people can have modern homes to live in. Many flats need this kind of regeneration. We also have to maintain a density so that we keep homes that people can live in as well. That is really important.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We will key an eye on this on a case-by-case basis. Regarding CAS, we amalgamated it with second-hand acquisitions. With the pressure that existed under the pre-approved numbers of tenant in situ, perhaps some of the projects for CAS did not get the priority they should have. I am very much aware of this and I am examining it.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I thank Deputy Cooney. On our overall 2025 targets, I have publicly stated that at this point it is going to be extremely challenging and probably not realistic to meet them. We are starting from much further behind than I would have expected. When the targets were drawn up we would have been expecting delivery for last year to be much higher but it was considerably lower. That was very...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The costs have increased significantly, and there are various reasons for that. Part of it is supply, part is input costs, financing costs and a range of other reasons. It has having a huge impact on affordability and the ability of people to purchase those homes, as well as viability so developers and builders can be able to deliver the homes as well. We are trying to address viability...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We need the infrastructure, the housing funding and we also need the zoned land so people can build homes on it. Some areas are very constrained. We will be writing to the local authorities under the national planning framework to set out the new numbers for those local authorities. I hope to see a significant amount of land being rezoned. I hope the local authorities and the councillors...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We have to understand where we are at already. About 30% of all capital is being spent by the Department. It almost €1 in €3. Other Departments have demands as well. The communities where we are building housing need schools, hospitals and roads so there is only a certain amount the Department of housing can take. We are spending record amounts of money on capital...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I am sure the Deputy explains to the public when he is talking to them that funding is being allocated through the national development plan. It has to be balanced. Approximately 30% of all capital going to housing is an extraordinary percentage of our State capital. However, those same members of the public also need healthcare. They need our hospitals, community healthcare centres,...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: A total of €2.4 billion is being spent on social housing. In 2022, this money is facilitated the highest level of delivery in the State since 1975. The record was again surpassed in 2023. In 2024, 7,871 new-build social homes were delivered. We are aiming to maximise the delivery of social homes. The amount allocated in respect of affordable housing is €1.1 billion. The...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I will add it up for the Deputy.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I do not have the percentage, but it looks approximately correct.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: In terms of delivering housing, we use every means available to us. Sometimes it is local authorities, the LDA or affordable housing bodies. Ultimately, we are dependent on local authorities to drive the delivery of social homes. It also depends sometimes on the timing of the drawdown in terms of the necessary funding. The allocation under subhead A3 for 2024 included development levy...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We always make an assessment of what how best to deliver housing in a particular year as quickly as possible, whether it is through local authorities, in the context of affordable housing, the LDA or whatever. I encourage local authorities to apply for further funding. We went from a four-stage to a one-stage process and increased the ceiling from €8 million to €200 million to...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: A judicial review has been entered into in respect of the most recent PPP, so I must be very careful about any commentary I make. There is a future for PPPs. As stated previously, however, we are reviewing the model. In the context of the local authorities that have been affected, I want to see the social housing that has been committed to delivered as quickly as possible. Obviously, that...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: As the Deputy is aware, that is a live case before the courts. I cannot comment on it.