Results 161-180 of 7,142 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 283 and 282 together. My Department does not have any projects underway with CeADAR, Ireland’s national centre for AI. Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective system to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department has recently concluded a program of work with EY and Microsoft to assess if a Microsoft AI product, specifically Copilot for Power BI, could enhance the flexibility and capability of the Housing For All reporting service that is available through the Insights data platform. The outputs are still in evaluation internally and is not operational at present. If it is further...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department recognises the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in improving public services, enhancing productivity, and supporting evidence-based decision making. My Department provides funding and encourages staff to consider AI Training to ensure they have the necessary skills and understanding to use AI responsibly and effectively. The courses offered align with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Correspondence (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 286 and 287 together. My office, and those of my colleagues, Minister of State Alan Dillon and Minister of State Malcolm Noonan, received an exceptionally high number of emails and letters in hard copy from a range of sources on a wide variety of matters in 2024. Accordingly, it is not possible to determine the number of those emails or letters that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Functions (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department is committed to continuously adapting and improving its structures and processes so that its organisational structure, culture, governance, processes and technology, together with a learning culture, support the delivery of its strategic goals. In pursuit of this commitment, over the past several years my Department has focused on delivery of several strategies and action...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Ready to Build Scheme, funded by the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, to support addressing vacancy, was launched in September 2022. Under the Scheme, local authorities can make vacant serviced sites in towns and villages available to potential individual purchasers to build a home. Under the scheme, local authorities identify suitable vacant sites in their ownership or purchase...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Údaráis Áitiúla (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: Faoi Alt 159 den Acht Rialtais Áitiúil 2001, tá gach Príomhfheidhmeannach freagrach as na socruithe foirne agus eagrúcháin atá riachtanach chun tabhairt faoi fheidhmeanna an údaráis áitiúil a bhfuil sé/sí freagrach as. Foráiltear le halt 63(3) den Acht Rialtais Áitiúil 2001, faoi réir an dlí, go...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Parking Provision (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: There are several car parks within Glenveagh National Park. The main visitor centre car park has tarred roadways and coach parking which were last resurfaced in 2023 with the adjacent parking spaces gravelled. The design purpose of this split in surfacing materials is to improve drainage and reduce the volume of surface run off. In 2022/23 a new overflow car park was built onto the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policies (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: In early 2019, legislative amendments to provisions relating to placename changes in Part 18 of the amended Local Government Act 2001 were commenced. At the same time, previous provisions under local government legislation for the changing of placenames were repealed, and replaced by provisions in the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011, amending Part 18 of the 2001 Act, which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Sites (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department funds a range of grant schemes for the repair and conservation of protected structures and certain other historic buildings. The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) provides grants of between €2,500 and €50,000 for a wide range of conservation works; the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) provides grants of between €50,000 and €200,000 for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 153 and 154 together. Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the performance of their functions and the discharge of their governance and other responsibilities. Elected members have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which includes adopting the annual...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mayoral Election (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The 2022 Dublin Citizens’ Assembly was asked to consider the type of directly elected mayor and local government structures best suited for Dublin. Its final report was presented to the then Taoiseach in January 2023. In June 2023, the Houses of the Oireachtas referred the report to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage for consideration of its...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Infrastructure (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department notes the commitment in the Programme for Government 2025 – Securing Ireland’s Future to introduce planning guidelines for solar energy developments. In light of this commitment, my Department has begun an initial scoping process to identify the component factors relevant to the preparation of planning guidelines for solar energy development, including any...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Land Development Agency (LDA) was established with a focus on managing the State’s lands to develop new homes and regenerate underutilised sites. The Agency has also been tasked with unlocking stalled, private, planning-consented developments in the shorter-term through Project Tosaigh, its market engagement initiative. The LDA is targeting 8,000 new homes over the course of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Irish Sign Language (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department is aware of its obligations under the Irish Sign Language Act 2017, to ensure that interpretation into Irish Sign Language is provided by a competent Interpreter; for persons who are competent in that language; and at no cost to them. My Department has clear procedures in place to source and engage accredited interpreters through the Irish Deaf Society and has previously...

Water Services (Repeal of Water Charges) Bill 2025: Second Stage [Private Members] (8 Apr 2025)

James Browne: That was our position.

Water Services (Repeal of Water Charges) Bill 2025: Second Stage [Private Members] (8 Apr 2025)

James Browne: When the previous Government proposed doing it, Sinn Féin did not bring forward any legislation because it was not on the front page of the national newspapers. Here, we have an opportunity for a little media attention, which is why Sinn Féin has jumped on it, even though it is the clear intention of this Government not to do so. The Government has no legal power to bring in water...

Water Services (Repeal of Water Charges) Bill 2025: Second Stage [Private Members] (8 Apr 2025)

James Browne: There is no evidence of that.

Water Services (Repeal of Water Charges) Bill 2025: Second Stage [Private Members] (8 Apr 2025)

James Browne: They are already gone.

Water Services (Repeal of Water Charges) Bill 2025: Second Stage [Private Members] (8 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I have never heard such nonsense in my life.