Results 7,221-7,240 of 7,385 for speaker:James Browne

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (15 May 2025)

James Browne: That is a different-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (15 May 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy. His question relates to the urgent review of the cut in funding for the social housing acquisition programmes, given its negative impact on key homelessness schemes such as the tenant in situ and housing first. Tenant in situ acquisitions have been an important measure in the prevention of homelessness since their introduction in 2023. The Government has therefore...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (15 May 2025)

James Browne: I take the housing first programme very seriously. I engage with my officials daily in relation to homelessness, in particular, which is an absolute priority for me, both preventing people going into homelessness and people exiting homelessness. The housing first programme for people who have particular difficulties is something I am very aware of and have dealt with both as a TD and now as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (14 May 2025)

James Browne: Under Circular 11/2025 “Social Housing Second Hand Acquisitions Programme 2025”, the capital funding allocation for Leitrim County Council is €2,000,000.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (14 May 2025)

James Browne: My Department sources IT equipment via the Office of Government Procurement frameworks which have suppliers prequalified.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: EU Directives (14 May 2025)

James Browne: Certain regulations made by my Department are required to be notified to the EU under Directive (EU) 2015/1535 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 September 2015 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical regulations and of rules on Information Society services (codification) (TRIS notification). The Construction Industry Register...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 May 2025)

James Browne: The clear focus of Government is to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes. This is key to addressing the housing challenge and in particular preventing and ultimately eliminating long term homelessness, and that unquestionably must be the priority for all local authorities including Dún-Laoghaire Rathdown County Council My Department is continuing to providing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (14 May 2025)

James Browne: The Uisce Éireann Strategic Funding Plan 2025-2029 was approved in November 2024 and sets out an ambitious capital investment plan to address historic under-investment in water services, and to make necessary improvements to water and wastewater infrastructure including new capacity to facilitate growth. The €1 billion in capital investment in Uisce Éireann was in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (14 May 2025)

James Browne: The standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, fire safety and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. These Regulations apply to all properties let or available for let,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (14 May 2025)

James Browne: In my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 1224 of 29 April 2025, I provided information to you on the funding allocations to the local authorities for their social housing second-hand acquisitions activity in 2025, including the proportion of the funding that had been recouped to them by my Department. In respect of information on the level of funding that was committed to but may not...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (14 May 2025)

James Browne: Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual projects is a matter for Uisce Éireann and is approved through its own internal governance structures. Uisce Éireann publishes annual water supply and waste water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (14 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 Schemes (14 May 2025)

James Browne: The Affordable Housing Act 2021 established a framework to make affordable housing available, setting up affordable purchase and cost rental schemes for delivery by key housing partners. My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and by key delivery partners in each local authority area. Data for the years...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Development Companies (14 May 2025)

James Browne: The Community Car Initiative (CCI) was put in place as a temporary measure to support the Offer a Home scheme, which sought the use of unoccupied homes to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection from Ukraine (BoTPs). An underlying principle of CCI was to minimise the number of properties that would be unsuitable due to their location and possible lack of transport links. The CCI was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 May 2025)

James Browne: The main emphasis of the Government remains on constructing new homes and that unquestionably, is the correct approach, however 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (14 May 2025)

James Browne: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2024, is available on my Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-ass...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (14 May 2025)

James Browne: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department is responsible for the implementation of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, both of which prohibit the spreading of invasive species. In addition, in July 2024, my Department led on the introduction of the European Union (Invasive Alien Species) Regulations 2024 which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (14 May 2025)

James Browne: Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government, as set out in Pathway 4 of Housing for All. The Vacant Homes Action Plan – Progress Report 2025, launched in March, sets out the significant progress that has been achieved across government under objectives contained in Pathway 4 of Housing for All in 2024 and the further steps...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Election Management System (14 May 2025)

James Browne: Local authorities, in their capacity as registration authorities, are responsible for the management and maintenance of the electoral register. It is the duty of each authority to ensure, as far as possible, and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and completeness of the Register in respect of its own administrative area. The Electoral Reform Act 2022 provided for significant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (14 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 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...