Results 81-100 of 7,789 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Water Services (24 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The current cycle of my Department's Multi-annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP) covers the period to the end of 2026. Almost 900 applications for funding for individual projects were received from local authorities across the country. Galway County Council submitted a number of applications including one under Measure A5 to fund an extension to Castledaly - Peterswell group water scheme. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Traveller Accommodation (24 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that the role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist local authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding. The Act provides that housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Defective Building Materials (24 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and the implementation of the Pyrite Remediation Scheme, which is administered by the Board with the support of the Housing Agency.The provisions of the Act apply solely to dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave, resulting from the presence of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Social Housing is delivered through a range of local authority and Approved Housing Body (AHB) delivery programmes. Where a local authority such as Mayo County Council is seeking to deliver social housing, Exchequer funding is made available under the Social Housing Investment Programme (SHIP), my Department provides 100% of these costs to local authorities. Social housing is also provided...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Planning Issues (24 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants of local authority houses that are available for sale under the scheme. The scheme is underpinned by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015 (as amended). The regulations provide for a number of specified classes of houses to be excluded from sale,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Policies (24 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 526 and 531 together. The Derelict Sites Act 1990 imposes a general duty on every owner and occupier of land to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the land does not become, or continue to be, a derelict site. Each local authority maintains a Derelict Sites Register under section 8 of the Act for sites which they consider are derelict under the Act....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Data (24 Jun 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. The named organisation...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Legislative Process (24 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2025 was signed into law on 19 June 2025. The Act came into operation on 20 June 2025 to immediately extend and expand the operation of Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) to cover the entire country until 28 February 2026. Further legislation will be developed later in 2025 to give effect to the policy proposals recently announced by Government, to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Projects (24 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Fire Stations (24 Jun 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 Act 1981 & 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Rural Schemes (24 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Since the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 (which continue to have effect in addition to subsequent clarifications and national policy changes in the National Planning Framework) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably, obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Housing Provision (24 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 534, 535, 536 and 537 together. Data on new dwelling completions and planning permissions are published quarterly by the CSO on its website. These data show almost 33,700 new build apartments were delivered across the four Dublin local authorities in the seven years to end 2024. Almost 85,900 planning approvals were granted for apartments over the same...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Local Authorities (24 Jun 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 Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Office of Public Works (24 Jun 2025)

James Browne: My Department continues to engage with relevant stakeholders in respect of the Turoe Stone and it is anticipated that further discussions will be held in due course between the relevant stakeholders to progress and finalise the delivery of the relocation project.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Rental Sector (24 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, fire safety and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. These Regulations apply to all properties let or available for let....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Housing Schemes (24 Jun 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 under the Croí Cónaithe, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Staff (24 Jun 2025)

James Browne: My Department does not have any specific requirements for historians and therefore there are no WTE staff employed as historians. My Department does not keep a record of the qualifications held by staff members, and accordingly there may be staff working in various roles in the Department who are qualified in this area but who have applied for different positions.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Reviews (24 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Storm Éowyn was named by the UK Met Office on Tuesday 21 January 2025, the fifth named storm of the 2024-25 windstorm season. Widespread red and orange weather warnings were issued across Ireland and the United Kingdom ahead of the rapidly strengthening storm. Ireland experienced one of its most damaging, dangerous and destructive weather events with gale force/storm force winds,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Housing Schemes (24 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme, designed to help bridge the gap for eligible first-time buyers, eligible homebuyers, and self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). Full details are available on the First Home Scheme website, . The First Home Scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Funding (24 Jun 2025)

James Browne: In December 2023, approval in principle of some €45 million of funding was given pursuant to my Department's Multi-annual Rural Water Programme to a number of projects for the wastewater collection and treatment needs of villages without access to public wastewater services. Local authorities are responsible for the delivery of these projects and, under the terms of the programme,...