Results 161-180 of 9,077 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Artificial Intelligence (7 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The AIMSIR Centre (Artificial Intelligence for Meteorological Services, Innovation and Research) is a UCD-Met Éireann research initiative funded by Met Éireann’s Weather and Climate Research Programme. Its primary aim is to harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data science to advance Ireland’s capabilities in weather and climate services. The AIMSIR Centre was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Services (7 Oct 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 Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (7 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 325 to 328, inclusive, together. My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority. This data is available to the end of Q1 2025 and is published on the statistics page of my...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 329 and 330 together. Local Property Tax (LPT) is administered and collected by the Revenue Commissioners and subsequently transferred into the Local Government Fund (LGF). The funds are ultimately redistributed, by my Department, to local authorities in accordance with the Government’s allocation policies. In overall terms, LPT broadens the tax...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I welcome the opportunity to discuss with the select committee my Department's Further Revised Estimate for 2025. I am joined by John Cummins TD, Minister of State with responsibility for local government and planning, and the following officials from my Department: Ms Marguerite Ryan, assistant secretary for corporate support; Mr. Paul Benson, assistant secretary for social housing...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: It was just a technical decision to put it in there but I will get the Deputy a more detailed answer.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: That is correct.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: Our very clear intention is to deliver as many as possible and we are confident in that. If a situation arises where additional funding is needed, it will be sought but I do not expect or anticipate that will be the case.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: That will be assessed as we get closer to the end of the year. It may the case that some funding will not be drawn down until we are into the new year. The key point is-----

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: Whatever funding is needed to deliver what housing can be delivered, that funding will be made available.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: It will depend on the prices and what the demand for that funding will be too. Once the year's outturn has been completed and the delivery has been completed, we can assess the situation. Trying to predict at this point exactly what the drawdown will be is-----

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Deputy will be aware that expenditure does not always neatly fit into a 12-month period of delivery. Some, such as CALF, is forward funded and there will always be a question with local authorities as to when they actually finalise contracts, draw down funds and so on. It is never as neat having a target of X and simply multiplying that out by the cost of those houses.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: At the end of the year and into the start of next year, we will assess what has been requested from the local authorities and what has been delivered and then we will have a very clear picture. If there is a shortfall, it will be very clear at that point. As I said, the delivery of housing does not always neatly fit into one year. At this point in time, it would be quite difficult to make...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I would not be able to speak to their mindset.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: Absolutely. In fairness to the Department of public expenditure and the Department of Finance, they receive very significant demand from across Government and difficult decisions always have to be made. In my sense of it, they did not have any particular issue with housing. What they would have always said was that their difficulty was in balancing the demands from the different...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: Absolutely. With a new Government, the Department of public expenditure and reform was trying to assess what that funding was, what was available and how to meet that challenge. When you look at what actually ended up being the outturn, where about €1 in every €3 over the next five years is going to be spent on directly delivering housing or on infrastructure to facilitate the...