Results 7,081-7,100 of 7,384 for speaker:James Browne

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

James Browne: Tenant in Situ acquisitions were introduced by way of Government decision in 2023 as a short term response to the reported uplift in sales by landlords of homes which were within the HAP and RAS schemes, in order to prevent potential homelessness where other solutions could not be found for the affected tenants. A further Government decision extended such acquisitions into 2024 with approval...

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

James Browne: The 2005 Disability Act sets out the legal obligations of public body employers in relation to the employment of people with disabilities. Along with promoting and supporting people with disabilities, public bodies are also obliged to meet a 4.5% target of employees with disabilities. The target increased to 6% in 2025. The Disability Census Form provided to all new entrants in my...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1277, 1278, 1279 and 1280 together. While the priority for my Department in respect of Social Housing is the construction of new build social homes, my Department continues to provide financial support to local authorities to acquire second-hand properties for social housing purposes for agreed priority categories of need, including tenants-in-situ who...

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

James Browne: The current cycle of my Department's Multi-annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP) covering the period to 2026 was launched in 2024. Almost 900 applications for funding for individual projects were received from local authorities across the country. Mayo County Council submitted a number of applications for the scheme stated in the details including one application to fund a project under...

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

James Browne: In order for a household to qualify for HAP, they must first be assessed as eligible for social housing support by their local authority. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of...

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

James Browne: Guidelines on inter-authority movement were issued to local authorities to facilitate the movement of Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) households from one local authority area to another in cases where a HAP tenant wishes to access rented accommodation, with HAP support, in another local authority area. Inter authority movement is, however, subject to certain conditions, such as the relevant...

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

James Browne: Consistent with the provisions in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is considered to be a social housing support and consequently households in receipt of a payment under the HAP scheme are not eligible to remain on the main housing waiting list. However, acknowledging that some households on the waiting list, who avail of HAP, may...

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

James Browne: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is available to all eligible households throughout the State. Under HAP, a tenant sources their own accommodation in the private rented market. The tenancy agreement is between the tenant and the landlord and is governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, as amended. HAP supported tenancies are afforded...

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

James Browne: Under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) up to 100% Capital funding is provided to AHBs to provide new social homes for priority categories to include homeless, disability and age friendly housing. Capital Assistance funding provided to a local authority is dependent on the specific proposals proposed by the local authority, in conjunction with relevant approved housing body (AHB), and...

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

James Browne: Since taking office in the Department on 23 January I have attended scores of meetings, both internal and external, with departmental staff, stakeholders, NGOs, other Departments and Ministers, including Cabinet and Cabinet Committee meetings. In addition to attending meetings, I have been building knowledge of the vast remit of my Department, the various priority work areas, and considering...

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

James Browne: I can confirm that my Department received the following funding applications from Dublin City Council (DCC) for inner city flat complexes in 2024 and to date in 2025: Project Funding Application Date Received Current Status Matt Talbot Court Pre-Tender Approval 22/03/2024 Pre-tender Approval ...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1290 and 1291 together. As part of the publication of the Revised Estimates Volumes (REV), my Department includes a detailed range of programme/subhead performance metrics which demonstrate the full remit of Housing investment and activity each year. In respect of REV 2025, the detailed metrics for Subhead A.12 Traveller Accommodation are set out on page...

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

James Browne: I am pleased that 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...

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

James Browne: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Act, 1981. Keeping Communities Safe (KCS) was adopted as government policy in 2013 and is based on the...

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

James Browne: In keeping with the aims of the National Planning Framework (NPF) and Project Ireland 2040, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (UDRF) demonstrates a new and more tailored approach to the provision of Government support. Over its planned duration up to 2030, URDF funding support in excess of €2 billion will be targeted to support the regeneration and rejuvenation of our key...

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

James Browne: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual local authorities. My Department...

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

James Browne: The funding provided to local authorities in each of the years 2016 to 2023 for social housing build and acquisition is detailed in the attached table. My Department provides funding to local authorities on an ongoing basis as housing projects are progressed and claims fall due for payment in line with the relevant scheme conditions. In respect of the years 2014 and 2015, the detailed...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1300 and 1301 together. The Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that the role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist housing authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding. The Act provides that housing...

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

James Browne: Local Authority Home Loans are not funded through borrowings from the European Central Bank (ECB). Local authorities borrow from the Housing Finance Agency to finance their lending under the Local Authority Home Loan schemes. The interest rate for Local Authority Home Loans are not directly linked to the European Central Bank refinancing rates. That said, as the cost of finance to the...