Results 7,141-7,160 of 7,384 for speaker:James Browne

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...

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

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

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

James Browne: My Department funds two main grant schemes for the repair and conservation of protected structures and certain other historic buildings. The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) provides grants of between €2,500 and €50,000 for a wide range of conservation works; the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) provides grants of between €50,000 and €200,000 for similar...

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

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the current grant scheme and the related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023. The Act provides for a letter of assurance which attaches to a dwelling and confers an entitlement to apply for a second grant under the scheme in respect of that dwelling, in...

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

James Browne: Requests for housing transfers are considered and determined solely by the relevant local authority concerned in accordance with that authority’s allocation scheme, which is made by the elected members under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and in compliance with Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011. In making their allocation schemes, authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (7 May 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 Acts, 1981 & 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a...