Results 1-20 of 7,142 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Data (8 May 2025)

James Browne: The funding (capital and current) provided to Uisce Éireann from my Department's Vote (34) for the years 2020 to 2024 is set out in the table below: Year Vote 34 Funding (€m) 2020 1,303 2021 1,276 2022 €1,415 2023 €1,650 2024 ...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Land Development Agency (8 May 2025)

James Browne: Government is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social, affordable and cost rental homes at scale with a record level of investment being provided for the delivery of Housing in 2025; capital funding of €6.5 billion supplemented by current funding of €1.65 billion. The number of new build social homes in the pipeline for delivery in the three year...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Schemes (8 May 2025)

James Browne: As detailed under Housing for All, the Government plans to deliver 54,000 affordable homes, including 36,000 affordable purchase and 18,000 cost rental homes, by 2030. A comprehensive implementation strategy is in place to support the various affordable housing schemes now being delivered by a range of delivery partners. These measures are primarily aimed at supporting affordability...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Inquiries (8 May 2025)

James Browne: The 'Fresh Start' principle forms a key element in 'Housing for All' and is applied across a number of affordable and mortgage schemes such as the Local Authority Home Loan and the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme. The ‘Fresh Start’ principle is also applied by the independently-governed First Home Scheme. ‘Fresh Start’ means that people who are...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Policy (8 May 2025)

James Browne: Housing for All includes a commitment to review income eligibility for social housing. From this review, completed in November 2021, it was recommended moving five local authorities from Band 3 to Band 2, ensuring the income eligibility thresholds better reflect housing costs in those counties. Government also agreed to increase the baseline income thresholds by €5,000 for all local...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Policy (8 May 2025)

James Browne: The Government has targeted delivery of 54,000 affordable homes between now and 2030, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency and via the First Home scheme, a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks. My Department is supporting this affordable housing delivery by local authorities and these key partners, with funding...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Staff (8 May 2025)

James Browne: The information requested is provided in the table below and sets out the position for 2024. For ease of reference the salaries have been grouped in bands of €10,000. From (€) To (€) No. of Staff Value €100,000 €109,999 57 €5,952,080 €110,000 ...

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

James Browne: A proposal for a mixed tenure development at Tober Ciúin, Ardmore, Co Waterford was received by my Department from Waterford City and County Council. The proposal, which will deliver twenty social housing units, aligned with the Council’s housing needs assessment was approved by my Department on 20 February 2024. Following receipt of approval, Waterford City and County Council...

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

James Browne: A proposal for a mixed tenure development at Fairlane, Dungarvan, Co Waterford was received by my Department from Waterford City and County Council. A stage 1 proposal for a project which will deliver in the region of 70 housing units, was approved by my Department in March 2024. The breakdown of tenure type is not yet confirmed. Waterford City and County Council has advised that a stage...

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

James Browne: 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). Comprehensive data on social and affordable housing is published on my Department's website up to Quarter 4 2024, including completed acquisitions:...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 264 and 265 together. My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on social housing delivery activity in all local authority areas on the statistics page of its website. Data in relation to Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) can be found on my Department’s website at this link:...

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

James Browne: My Department does not hold data on Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) by local electoral area, but rather collects and publishes data by local authority area. My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on social housing delivery activity in all local authority areas on the statistics page of its website. Data in relation to active RAS tenancies for each of the last...

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

James Browne: Galway City Council submitted staffing sanction requests for 91 posts to my Department during the period 1 January 2024 to 31 March 2025, the sanction requests were in respect of both new and replacement posts. This number broken down by year is detailed in the following table: Galway City Council Number of Posts Requested 01/01/24 to 31/12/24 ...

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

James Browne: It is expected that a resolution to the legislative complexities that exist between the Local Government Acts and Official Languages Act may require primary legislation to resolve. The matter will be considered further by my Department in consultation with the relevant officials from the Gaeltacht division, which is currently part of a transfer of functions to the Department of Rural and...

Final Draft Revised National Planning Framework: Motion (30 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the Final Draft Revised National Planning Framework, as approved by the Government on 8th April, 2025; a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 22nd April, 2025 together with the Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental Report, the Post-Consultation Natura Impact Statement, the Post-Consultation Strategic Flood Risk...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Apr 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. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (30 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 to 94, inclusive, together. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department has responsibility for the designation of the Lady's Island Lake Special Protection Area under Statutory Instrument 69 of 2010 and the Lady's Island Lake Special Area of Conservation under Statutory Instrument 292 of 2018. The NPWS carries out certain nature...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (30 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department does not employ any staff in the Grades of Senior Mapping Manager or Superintendent of Mapping. We do not generally keep a record of the qualifications held by staff members and accordingly there may be staff working in various roles in the Department who are qualified in this area but who have applied for different positions.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (30 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The 2021 Review of the Mortgage to Rent Scheme was published by my Department in January 2022 and is available on my Department's website. One key priority action from this Review was to broaden the eligibility criteria of the scheme and this was implemented in February 2022. This included changes to the positive equity and property acquisition limits and more flexibility on...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The housing adaptation grant was increased. The grant is very important, and we will be keeping it under review as we move forward.