Results 7,001-7,020 of 7,384 for speaker:James Browne

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...

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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Apr 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: Wind Energy Generation (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1141, 1234 and 1355 together. My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. The review is addressing a number of key aspects of the Guidelines including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. My Department, in conjunction with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1142, 1312 and 1325 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1143, 1318 and 1333 together. While the Planning and Development Act 2024 was enacted in October 2024, it is not yet commenced and the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended and associated Planning and Development Regulations 2001 remain in force. A review of the current Exempted Development Regulations is ongoing and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I am pleased that the Government is providing continuing and substantial financial support for Tenant in Situ acquisitions in 2025, following on from similar investments in 2023 and 2024. I have made €325 million available to our local authorities for their social housing second hand acquisitions activity in 2025 and asked that they prioritise Tenant in Situ acquisitions but have...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: It should be noted in the first instance that I, as Minister, have no function with regard to intervening in the onward sale or purchase of private property in Gaeltacht areas. However, policies have been developed with regard to Gaeltacht areas through both legislation and ministerial guidance provided to operate within the planning system. At present, the Planning and Development Act...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1148, 1159, 1160, 1161, 1162, 1163, 1228, 1236 and 1263 together. Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant introduced in July 2022, provides a grant of up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Infrastructure (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) aims to retrofit a local authority home to a minimum BER rating of B2. It is expected that 36,500 local authority owned homes will be retrofitted under this programme over the period of 2021 to 2030 inclusive. The programme has been devised in a way to give local authorities a level of flexibility when selecting properties to retrofit,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I am pleased that the Government is providing continuing and substantial financial support for Tenant in Situ acquisitions in 2025, following on from similar investments in 2023 and 2024. I have made €325 million available to our local authorities for their social housing second hand acquisitions activity in 2025 and asked that they prioritise Tenant in Situ acquisitions but have...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Oireachtas votes funding each year for a variety of programmes to encourage and support investment in built heritage, including the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS). The funding available for these programmes in the current year was determined in Budget 2025. In February of this year, I awarded €8.1m of funding under the BHIS. This is a record allocation to the scheme....