Results 161-180 of 8,310 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (15 Jul 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 an executive function and is subject to broad principles set out by my Department, including that rent levels should be based on income and reflect tenants’ ability to pay.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (15 Jul 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. Notwithstanding the legal obligation on local authorities, my Department provides funding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The information requested is set out in the table below. There is no specific grade of Ecologist in this Department, rather these posts are filled by the recruitment of Wildlife Inspector Grade 3 with the requisite qualifications. - 2023 2024 2025 Grade WTE WTE WTE Conservation Ranger 21 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Local authorities may vary the rate of Local Property Tax (LPT) in their administrative area by up to 15% of the basic rate of the Tax. The decision to vary must be taken by resolution of the Council. While recent changes to the LPT legislation will allow elected members to adjust the Local Adjustment Factor (LAF) upwards to a maximum of 25%; due to the timing of the legislation, commencement...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Basking Shark was added as an animal to which Section 23 of the Wildlife Act 1976 applies under Statutory Instrument No. 485/2022, making it a “protected wild animal”. This makes it an offence to hunt, injure (unless under licence) or wilfully interfere with the breeding or resting place of this species. Tour operators or individuals who seek to photograph or research this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Residential Tenancies (No. 3) Bill 2024 was published on 24 July 2024, taking account of the Report of Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage on its Pre Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Bill. The Bill lapsed on 8 November 2024 upon the dissolution of the 33rd Dáil: www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2024/63/.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Safety (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The design and construction of buildings is regulated under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2020. The Act provides for the making of Building Regulations and Building Control Regulations. The Building Regulations set out the minimum legal performance requirements for the construction of new buildings and certain works to existing buildings. The purpose of the Building Regulations is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Strategies (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: In line with commitments made in both the Programme for Government and Housing for All, a national Youth Homelessness Strategy was published in November 2022. The Strategy aims to help young people aged 18 – 24 who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, with 27 actions to prevent youth homelessness; improve the experiences of young people accessing emergency accommodation; and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The funding system that applies to local authorities in Ireland is a complex one, as those authorities derive their income from a variety of sources including commercial rates, charges for goods and services and funding from Central Government including my Department but also other government departments and state agencies. Most of the funding from Central Government to local authorities must...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Construction Industry (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I cannot comment on the individual circumstances of the case. However, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is the statutory body responsible for promoting compliance with, and enforcing, competition and consumer protection law in Ireland. The CCPC strive to improve consumer welfare across the economy by enforcing over 40 legislative instruments, including product safety...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Since the beginning of 2022 my Department has supported the delivery of 30,783 new social homes across thousands of individual projects funded through build, acquisition and leasing programmes. My Department continually engages with local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHB) while assessing applications for suitability, value for money and compliance with the various...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 590 and 591 together. I refer to my reply to Parliamentary Questions 520 and 523 of 8 July 2025 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 592 and 593 together. I understand the Question is referring to the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme. The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) commenced on 22 June 2023 and contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The Act also provides for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 594 and 595 together. On 10 June 2025, the Government approved stronger tenancy protections and greater certainty for the rental sector, including the introduction of a national rent control, as part of a suite of measures to boost the supply of new homes and secure and grow the availability of rental accommodation. Legislation is being developed in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Derelict Sites (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: 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. Sites entered on the Derelict Sites Register are subject to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: My Department publishes programme-level statistics on affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and delivery partners in each local authority area. Data for the years 2022 up to Q1 2025 is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provis ion/?#affordable-housing-delivery. In...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (15 Jul 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. An Implementation Steering Group for the DCB Grant scheme has been in place since 2023. The Group comprises officials from the relevant local authorities, my Department,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: For 2025, the allocated funding to the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) for Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) is €156 million. My Department does not provide specific allocations from the CAS funding programme to AHBs for social housing projects, rather my Department recoups the relevant local authorities who administer the scheme as projects advance and claims fall due for payment in line...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Strategies (15 Jul 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 Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 provided for the development of a deposit protection scheme to be operated by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). However, significant changes have taken place in the rental market since this legislation was passed. It should be noted that, unlike many other jurisdictions examined, Ireland already has a well-established quasi-judicial dispute...