Results 781-800 of 7,937 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (7 May 2025)

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the current grant scheme and the related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023. The Act provides for a letter of assurance which attaches to a dwelling and confers an entitlement to apply for a second grant under the scheme in respect of that dwelling, in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (7 May 2025)

James Browne: 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 baseline income thresholds by €5,000 for all local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (7 May 2025)

James Browne: Requests for housing transfers are considered and determined solely by the relevant local authority concerned in accordance with that authority’s allocation scheme, which is made by the elected members under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and in compliance with Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011. In making their allocation schemes, authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (7 May 2025)

James Browne: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 & 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Cycling Policy (7 May 2025)

James Browne: Details of the number of Cycle to Work Scheme applications processed by my Department in the timeframe requested are set out in the table below. Each application is administrated through the National Shared Services Office (NSSO). The scheme formed part of the July Stimulus Package 2020. Year Applications Processed 2020 36 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (7 May 2025)

James Browne: 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 properties which will be made available for rent. A top-up grant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 May 2025)

James Browne: The main emphasis of the Government remains on constructing new homes and that unquestionably, is the correct approach, however I am pleased that the Government is providing continuing and substantial financial support to local authorities to acquire second-hand properties for priority categories of need, including tenants-in-situ who have been in receipt of supports under HAP or RAS and who...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (7 May 2025)

James Browne: The Government, on 29 April 2025, agreed to the establishment of a new Housing Activation Office (HAO) in the Department of Housing. This Office will engage and align key stakeholders in a practical way to address infrastructure barriers and enable housing development. It is envisaged that the Office will manage a multi-annual housing infrastructure budget under the new Towns and Cities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (7 May 2025)

James Browne: The Basic Unit Costs (BUCs) formally referred to as Unit Cost Ceilings, specifically relate to social housing build projects developed directly by local authorities or approved housing bodies on their own land, using Public Works forms of contract. While not a record of actual delivery costs, the BUCs are based on an analysis of returned data from tendered social housing schemes and act as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 May 2025)

James Browne: My Departments Capital Assistance Scheme provides up to 100% capital funding to Approved Housing Body for the construction and acquisition of homes for priority categories of housing need to include persons with a Disability and a budget of €156 Million is available under the programme in 2025. Spending limits do not apply to housing provided under the Scheme with each project...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 May 2025)

James Browne: I understand that the question relates to my Department’s Design Manual for Quality Housing and the H15 unit type contained therein, which is a design approach for a Group Home or Community Dwelling usually used in the provision of housing for people with intellectual disability. There are currently three variations of the H15 design in the Design Manual for Quality Housing and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (7 May 2025)

James Browne: Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) funding is a capital support provided exclusively to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), through local authorities, to facilitate the financing of the acquisition and construction of social housing units, predominantly for general social housing needs. The resultant housing units are provided to local authorities for social housing use under long-term lease...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 May 2025)

James Browne: The Government is providing continuing and substantial financial support in 2025 for targeted social housing second-hand acquisitions, including for Tenant-in-Situ situations, following on from similar investments in 2023 and 2024. I have made €325 million available to our local authorities for this activity in 2025 and I've asked that they prioritise Tenant-in-Situ acquisitions, but...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (7 May 2025)

James Browne: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities. To assist in ensuring that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (7 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 271 together. Ten public bodies under the aegis of my Department are required to submit quarterly prompt payment reports in accordance with Government Decision S29296 of 19 May 2009, 2 and 8 March 2011, and 28 March 2017. The bodies in question are listed below:An Bord PleanálaApproved Housing Bodies Regulatory AuthorityHeritage CouncilHousing and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (7 May 2025)

James Browne: Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), all development, unless specifically exempted under the Act or associated Regulations, requires planning permission. Section 4 of the Act and Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, set out various exemptions from the requirement to obtain planning permission. Furthermore, section 254 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (7 May 2025)

James Browne: The legislative provisions regarding Section 181 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Act of 2000) and Part XA of the Act dealing with substitute consent are set out below. The Department of Justice has indicated to my Department that certain legislative amendments to these provisions may be required in relation to Ministerial Orders made in respect of sites for IP applicants and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (7 May 2025)

James Browne: The project plans for the regeneration of estates and flat complexes are a matter for the Local Authority (LA) concerned. In order to support LAs in progressing such regeneration plans, my Department is making a number of funding channels available to LAs and Approved Housing Bodies (AHB) including:Social Housing Investment Programme (SHIP)Affordable Housing Fund (AHF)Capital Advance Leasing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 May 2025)

James Browne: Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. Regulation 12 of the 2011 Regulations prescribes the timescales for the processing of applications by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (7 May 2025)

James Browne: My Department notes the commitment in the Programme for Government 2025 – Securing Ireland’s Future to introduce planning guidelines for solar energy developments. In light of this commitment, my Department has begun an initial scoping process to identify the component factors relevant to the preparation of planning guidelines for solar energy development, including any...