Results 1-20 of 7,789 for speaker:James Browne

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Construction Industry (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I agree. It is simply taking too long to get certification for the use of modular builds in this country. The Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, is engaging with his counterpart in the Department of enterprise. We are determined to get to a situation where we can get certification done at a much quicker pace. We need it done. We have an ageing workforce. It is getting more difficult to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authorities (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I thank Deputy Sheehan for asking when funding will be made available for a project. This is the shortfall of €5 million to cover infrastructure for the Mungret LDA development of 250 units in Limerick. The Deputy's question relates to the development of the lands at the former Mungret College, which is a key strategic priority for Limerick City and County Council. The site will see...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authorities (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Funding for the housing activation office will come under the national development plan, which is currently being agreed. Limerick City and County Council has received local infrastructure housing activation fund, LIHAF, funding for the delivery of the first two phases of a new distributor road at Mungret. LIHAF funding approval of €22.1 million was given, of which €6.6...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authorities (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Department has not received any formal submission on funding. We have been made aware that there is a funding issue and we are engaging with the local authority to see what is the best way forward to address it.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Construction Industry (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising this question about the encouragement of new technologies in the construction sector, including modular housing. I understand he has raised this issue on numerous occasions. The use of modern methods of construction, MMC, is a key policy measure to boost construction sector productivity and to support the scaling-up of delivery of new housing supply....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Construction Industry (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I fully agree with the Deputy that MMC is critical to housing delivery in this country. When modular units were first proposed for schools, for example, there was a little bit of pushback from school principals, who were concerned as many of them had grown up with very poor prefabs and perhaps they thought that was what was coming. I was chair of a school board of management at the time,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Deputy's proposal a number of weeks ago was simply to write blank cheques for local authorities. That is not a solution. We have to manage our finances and we have only a certain amount of funding. We want those voids brought back in but, as the Deputy will recall, one of the properties was a property that could not be let because it had not had a stairs for five years. There is no...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I am treating it as an emergency. The number seeking social housing is increasing, as it is for cost-rental and affordable and private housing, because the population of this country is exploding as a result of the successful economic steerage of this country. It is a good thing that our population is increasing as a result of our economy. It puts more pressure on me and the Government to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Legislative Measures (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 36 together. The drafting of the apartment and duplex defects remediation Bill is progressing. Various issues requiring legal advice are under consideration. The Bill is included in the Government legislation summer programme and I intend to seek Government approval to publish it shortly. The general scheme will be made available to undergo...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Legislative Measures (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The aim is to get the work done as quickly as possible. Regarding the interim scheme, four pathfinder projects covering almost 600 residential units have been identified. These projects are progressing and will allow the mapping of the application of the remediation process into simple steps to identify the pinch points and their solutions and to provide consistency across the submissions...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Legislative Measures (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I acknowledge that there has been some delay with the drafting. Some of that has arisen as a result of the Housing Agency receiving legal advice outlining the provision of the funding by the agency to oversee it is likely to trigger a requirement to comply with public procurement law. The Attorney General subsequently confirmed the need to align the application process in compliance with EU...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The programme for Government commits to the introduction of a new, all-of-government national housing plan to follow Housing for All, underpinned by multi-annual funding. This plan will take a whole-of-government approach, as Housing for All did. My Department is engaging across government to agree the high-level measures to be included in the plan. They must be supported by the required...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy. As he is fully aware, the cost-rental scheme did not exist in 2020 and that is why no units were delivered. On cost rental, some people cannot afford those rents and that is why we are providing a number of different solutions for people in order for them to access the homes they need at an affordable price. That may be purchase or rent and may involve cost rental,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Last week, we extended rent pressure zones across the entire country, effectively creating a national rent control, which the Deputy voted for. In terms of the 25% before market-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Deputy supported it.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Did the Deputy oppose it then?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We are in a housing crisis. Coming in here and being snide is not the solution. If the Deputy will let me give the answer-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Deputy supported it.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I clarified what the Deputy said. We did come in here. I will deal with the Deputy's question rather than shouting over him.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Cost rental is only one measure, as I have already outlined.