Results 81-100 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: These are houses that have not been occupied. They very often are not fit for occupation. We provide funding to people to allow them to acquire these properties and bring them back into use. As a result, we are making those houses affordable for allow people to acquire and live in. It is very much an affordable purchase mechanism. The output in 2024 for total affordable purchase was...

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: That is output versus target.

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: That is true, but it does make the house more affordable to purchase.

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: That money is new and additional. In recent years, the Exchequer has been the net beneficiary of the local property tax, which I understand was not the intention. When I was a local councillor, it was explained to me that this was not the intention. With the changes to the local property tax bands this year, the amount the Exchequer would have been keeping would have been egregious,...

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 Deputy is right. One of the reasons I wanted to do it this year is that if it had continued on, in a few years it would have become so big and the Exchequer would become so used to it that it would become harder to make the change. For example, that €90 million for Dublin City Council will now be there every year until there are changes to the LPT or whatever the case may be....

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 fundamentally agree. We will engage with the SEAI. We will look at it in our Department to see what can be facilitated. As I said, repairs and second-hand boilers are permitted. I assure the Deputy that there will be no unspent money. There is high demand under these schemes and if money is not used for boilers, I have no doubt it will be drawn down for-----

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 Deputy is saying that even when someone applies for the subsidy, the cost of a home within the M50 is still beyond what is affordable for many couples. We are continuing to examine Croí Cónaithe cities. We are looking to work with the LDA, and the LDA is working with Dublin City Council on that. We are taking measures around viability but we need to ensure we have measures on...

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 agree with 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 am surprised that the Deputy is shocked by my comments, particularly because it is not the first time I have said it. I have said it quite publicly in recent times. That is just analysing matters and looking at what a number of bodies, such as the ESRI, have said. If I was coming in saying something else, the Deputy would rightly accuse me of not being realistic. That is what I have 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: In regard to affordability, my understanding is those properties on Old Mallow Road are brand-new, A-rated homes. There will always be a cost for new homes versus second-hand homes. That may be the case. I will look into the particular scheme. The Deputy understands he cannot expect me to come in here and know every scheme in the whole country.

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 agree with the Deputy. My view is that leaving sites derelict is antisocial behaviour. I praise those local authorities that are being very active in collecting the site levies. It also boosts their income. I am highly critical of local authorities that are not doing it because not only are they missing out on an income that could be spent elsewhere in the local authority and failing...

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 that regularly.

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 a CPO activation programme. We have given funding under round 3 of the URDF to local authorities to CPO properties as well. There is a commitment in the programme for Government to examine the CPO process to see how we can make it more effective and efficient. Again, a little bit like the four-stage process we are getting rid of, I find some local authority CEOs are very effective...

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 acutely aware of the impact on those children who are living in homelessness. Homelessness does have a real impact on them mentally, physically and in terms of social development. That is why I am doing everything I can to get housing moving in this country. The only way we will address homelessness, high rents and the high cost of homes is by getting supply going as quickly as...

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: -----and we increased that to €320 million.

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 Cork city there had been only a 42% drawdown of the funding for the tenant in situ scheme.

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 want to ensure there are no children going into homelessness. We have already had a record number of preventions of families and others going into homelessness and record numbers of exits. We want to get to a point where nobody is going into homelessness any more. The tenant in situ scheme is an important part of that, as is homeless HAP, the new social housing stock and turning voids...

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 the Cathaoirleach. On the supports of the Department for local authorities to bring voids back into use, a local authority can spend as much as it wants on any house but it is given €11,000, on average, per property. That was a decision by the Government to provide some additional supports to local authorities. Theoretically, local authorities are meant to bring 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 have not considered compulsory sales but believe the derelict sites levy drives compulsory sales in the sense that it could make sense to sell a property rather than-----

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 agree that is a problem. It is one I am very much focused on tackling. I am examining several options to ensure derelict sites are used. I take a very strong view on antisocial behaviour on foot of having derelict properties around the place. It is such a waste. There are people who need and want the properties and who would use them. Whether one comes from a Marxist perspective or a...