Results 1-20 of 7,179 for speaker:James Browne

Housing and Critical Infrastructure: Motion [Private Members] (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I thank all the Deputies for their contributions. I echo the comments made by the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, and reassert the Government's commitment to tackling challenges in the housing sector and with regard to critical infrastructure. We know these challenges are having a very real impact on people's lives. We understand the urgency and the need to ensure sufficient homes are...

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: Tax Code (7 May 2025)

James Browne: As part of the process for identifying land liable to Residential Zoned Land Tax, all Local authorities published annual draft maps on 1 February 2024 that identified lands considered to fall within the scope of the tax, as well as lands which they proposed to exclude from the annual final maps for 2025. Landowners and other interested parties had until 1 April 2024 to make a submission to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (7 May 2025)

James Browne: The project plan for the regeneration of the development referenced is a matter for the Local Authority (LA) and I am advised by Dublin City Council (DCC) that they are further developing proposals to advance the regeneration of this complex. The initial proposal for the regeneration of four blocks was to reduce the number of homes from 78 to 44. This would result in DCC having to find...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Expenditure Reviews (7 May 2025)

James Browne: The purpose of the Community Car Initiative (CCI) was to provide a limited transport service to support the accommodation made available under the Offer a Home scheme for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection, in areas more removed from urban centres, and in places without regular public transport. This initiative was run through Local Development Companies (LDCs). LDCs are already integral...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Sector Staff (7 May 2025)

James Browne: The Terms of Reference for the new Housing Activation Office were agreed by Cabinet on the 29th April. To begin the set-up, staff from my Department have been assigned to the Office and I am also commencing the process of seconding experts from the various utilities, as agreed in principle with the various agencies, with a view to having a full team of experts in place in the coming months....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (7 May 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 Schemes (7 May 2025)

James Browne: The Government is providing continuing and substantial financial support to local authorities to acquire second-hand properties for priority categories of need including tenants-in-situ who have been in receipt of supports under HAP or RAS and who had received a Notice of Termination. The other priority categories for second-hand acquisitions are properties that allow persons/families to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Correspondence (7 May 2025)

James Browne: Under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. Local authorities have a responsibility to ensure that tenancies are sustainable and are advised...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (7 May 2025)

James Browne: EU Member States are required to designate areas as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) to protect a variety of habitats and species under the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 477 of 2011). SAC sites are part of a European network of Sites of Community Importance, known as the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 May 2025)

James Browne: A key principle of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented market. HAP rent limits are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment above the prescribed maximum rent limit. Since July 2022 this discretion level was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (7 May 2025)

James Browne: Government is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social, affordable and cost rental homes at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures. This is demonstrated by the record level of investment which is being provided for the delivery of Housing in 2025, with overall capital funding available of €6.8 billion. The capital provision is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: House Prices (7 May 2025)

James Browne: In April 2023 the Government introduced the temporary time-limited waiver for local authority “section 48” development contributions and a refund scheme for water and wastewater connection charges payable to Uisce Éireann. This was part of a suite of measures to help reduce housing construction costs and to incentivise increased housing supply. The schemes applied for 1...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ministerial Responsibilities (7 May 2025)

James Browne: The functions of my Department are broad and complex, and following Government formation earlier this year, there is now an additional Minister of State assigned to the Department. We are working collaboratively with other Government Departments on Transfers of Functions. The process of assessing which specific functions and responsibilities are to be assigned to each of the Ministers of...