Results 1,101-1,120 of 8,310 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (13 May 2025)

James Browne: Responsibility for the zoning of land rests with the elected members of a local authority. In preparing their statutory plans, including in relation to the zoning of land for particular purposes, the elected members are required to consider and be consistent with, as appropriate, the National Planning Framework, the relevant Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy and relevant Ministerial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (13 May 2025)

James Browne: The clear focus of Government is to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes. Increasing the overall housing supply is key to addressing the housing challenge and in particular preventing and ultimately eliminating long term homelessness. Social Housing acquisitions targets, including Tenant in Situ acquisitions, were increased by way of Government decision in 2023 as a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (13 May 2025)

James Browne: The standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. They 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. Responsibility for the enforcement of the Regulations in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 740 and 741 together. In line with the agreed Programme for Government, it is my intention to establish a new Towns and Cities Infrastructure Investment Fund to replace the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF). With this new fund it is the aim of my Department to continue and expand URDF-type investment in projects. This will allow for investment...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (13 May 2025)

James Browne: My Department remains fully committed to progressing the objectives outlined in the Programme for Government, including the activation and efficient use of land for housing delivery at scale. In line with these objectives, the Housing for All Land Acquisition Fund was established in 2022 and extended in 2024 to support local authorities in acquiring land for both social and affordable...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (13 May 2025)

James Browne: The Government is providing 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 who had received a Notice of Termination and are at risk of becoming homeless. The €325 million allocation I announced on the 31 March 2025 has been made...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Derelict Sites (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 745 and 746 together. The Derelict Sites Act 1990 (the Act) 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. The Act also imposes a duty on local authorities to take all reasonable steps, including the exercise of appropriate statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Government Reform (13 May 2025)

James Browne: The Programme for Government recognises that local government is the beating heart of our democracy. A significant priority is the establishment of a Local Democracy Taskforce with the Local Government sector to finalise a programme for the reform and strengthening of local government which is ongoing. The Terms of Reference for the Taskforce are currently under development in my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 748, 749, 750, 751, 752, 753, 754, 755 and 756 together. My Department does not have any non-governmental organisations operating under its aegis.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (13 May 2025)

James Browne: Local authorities set and collect rents on their dwellings in accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. The making or amending of such rent schemes is generally a matter for local authorities within broad principles set out by my Department, including that rent levels should be based on income and reflect tenants’ ability to pay. Local discretion and flexibility are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (13 May 2025)

James Browne: The Housing First approach to addressing homelessness places direct access to housing first and foremost for vulnerable individuals using homeless services consistently or intermittently over long periods of time, and those unable or resistant to accessing homeless services and who may then become habitual rough sleepers. These individuals often have complex high support needs such as mental...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (13 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. Housing First recognises...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Government Reform (13 May 2025)

James Browne: The Programme for Government recognises that local government is the beating heart of our democracy. A significant priority is the establishment of a Local Democracy Taskforce, with the Local Government sector, to finalise a programme for the reform and strengthening of local government which is ongoing. The Programme for Government commits the Taskforce to examining the principle of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (13 May 2025)

James Browne: In line with the Revised National Planning Framework, the strategic priorities outlined in Project Ireland 2040, and the key housing delivery pathways of Housing For All, supporting compact growth at national, regional and local level is central to Government's approach to investment in Irish cities. For our housing delivery partners such as Local Authorities, state bodies and the Land...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (13 May 2025)

James Browne: Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this end,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (13 May 2025)

James Browne: Following clarification from the Deputy, I understand that this question relates to healthcare professionals in the context of medical priority applications on housing waiting lists. I have no function in relation to these healthcare professionals.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (13 May 2025)

James Browne: My Department, working closely with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and other relevant stakeholders, is progressing work to increase delivery capacity in the residential construction sector through promoting the adoption of Modern Methods of Construction or MMC. MMC is a collective term which describes innovative construction alternatives to traditional construction, which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (13 May 2025)

James Browne: In December 2023, Minister O'Brien approved funding for a number of projects under my Department's Multi-annual Rural Water Programme for the waste water collection and treatment needs for villages without access to public waste water services. Details of the announcement are available at the following link www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-her...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Policy (13 May 2025)

James Browne: Significant progress has been made in recent years to support biodiversity, in particular through the efforts of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), of my Department. The NPWS manages 8 National Parks, two of which have been acquired since 2020, along with a large number of Nature Reserves to protect nature and promote biodiversity on the island of Ireland. The NPWS manages...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (13 May 2025)

James Browne: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties...