Results 161-180 of 5,265 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Communications (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: A list of the email and phone numbers for the key offices within my Department is available on my Department's website at this link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-governm ent-and-heritage/organisation-information/contact-the-dept-o f-housing-local-government-and-heritage/  Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: 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. For new tenancies (i.e. first time tenancy between parties) created from 1 March 2026, a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The clear focus of Government is to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes. This is key to addressing the housing challenge and in particular preventing and ultimately eliminating long term homelessness, and that unquestionably must be the priority for all local authorities including Cork City Council and Cork County Council. My Department is continuing to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Turf Cutting (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme was established in 2011 for active domestic turf cutters arising from the restrictions on turf cutting on raised bog special areas of conservation and was extended in 2014 to include raised bog natural heritage areas. This scheme is applicable to turf cutters who have been affected by the designation of raised bogs as special areas of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Meetings (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: An Coimisiún Pleanála (the Board) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts. I have met with officials from An Coimisiún Pleanála once since taking up...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, is a matter for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure all their tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. My...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: An Coimisiún Pleanála is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2024, the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) and certain other Acts. Under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Meetings (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department is currently engaging with potential stakeholder groups that will be invited to participate in a soon-to-be established Countryside Forum for Nature. The purpose of this Forum is to engage with, and to take on board the views of, a cross section of relevant and appropriate stakeholder interests. Once the membership of the Forum...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Legislation (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department is currently undertaking an important project to update wildlife legislation. This includes the Wildlife Act 1976, the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000, the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 and significant regulations made under these provisions. The project is examining closely the effectiveness of our...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (26 Jun 2025)

James Browne: A review of the current Exempted Development Regulations is ongoing and a wider public consultation on exempted development regulations will be undertaken shortly. Members of the public, State bodies and other concerned parties will be able to make submissions in writing as part of the consultation process. The Government cannot pre-empt the outcome of any consultation and therefore no...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (26 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Building Regulations set out the legal requirements in Ireland for the construction of new buildings (including houses), extensions to existing buildings as well as for material alterations and certain material changes of use to existing buildings. They set out minimum standards for the design and construction of buildings and works to ensure the health and safety of people in and around...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas (26 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Marine Protected Areas Bill is at an advanced stage of drafting. It is intended to finalise this draft as soon as possible. However the Bill will need revision to reflect new Ministerial responsibilities and transfers of functions between Departments once these have taken place. It should be noted that, in the context of this forthcoming transfer of the marine environment function...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (26 Jun 2025)

James Browne: A flagship element of Project Ireland 2040, the €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is supporting a programme of significant transformational capital projects that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (26 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The National Planning Framework recognises the strong link between our health and environment and includes a National Policy Objective to support the objectives of public health policy, including Healthy Ireland and the National Physical Activity Plan, through integrating such policies, where appropriate and at the applicable scale, with planning policy. The zoning of land for particular...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (26 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Government is acutely aware of the housing challenges faced by many sectors of society. Housing for All, Ireland's housing plan to 2030, contains a suite of actions that have, and continue to, increase the provision of housing through accelerating supply and increasing the affordability of homes. My Department is currently exploring options for the setting aside of certain Cost Rental...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (26 Jun 2025)

James Browne: My Department is committed to continued investment in rural water infrastructure which is delivering improvements to water services in areas of rural Ireland where Uisce Éireann services are not currently available. As regards the funding being provided there are separate arrangements for capital and operational funding of the Group Water Sector. The Multi-annual Rural Water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (26 Jun 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 Provision (26 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 Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (26 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, www.firsthomescheme.ie/ ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Night-time Economy (26 Jun 2025)

James Browne: My Department participates in the Night Time Economy (NTE) Implementation Group, which is led by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (DCCS), and is currently leading on Action 6 of the Night Time Economy Strategy to “examine the practical implications for planning and other legislative codes to enable the potential for vacant buildings to be used for meanwhile...