Results 7,241-7,260 of 7,385 for speaker:James Browne

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

James Browne: It is clear that climate change is causing significant challenges for the entire planet, with many areas already experiencing more frequent extreme weather events, changes in rainfall patterns, and changes in temperature norms. Ireland is not immune from these challenges. In particular, the predictions for sea level rise this century, associated with increasing temperatures due to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 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 Provision (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The regeneration of Poolbeg West is an important step in the transformation of the Dublin Docklands area, with the potential to provide for 3,500 homes. A condition of the planning scheme for the Poolbeg West Strategic Development Zone, as modified by An Bord Pleanála in April 2019, is the provision of 15% social and affordable homes on this site in addition to the 10% statutory social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Projects (15 May 2025)

James Browne: This Government has worked to increase resourcing to the heritage services in order to support Ireland's unique natural and historic resources. My Department’s key priorities for Heritage over the coming years include, but are not limited to: a continued programme of acquisition of additional areas of high nature value and key national heritage assets, supporting the EU Birds and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 May 2025)

James Browne: In 2024, 10,595 new social homes were delivered, including 7,871 new-build homes, 1,501 acquisitions and 1,223 homes through leasing programmes. When the Housing Assistance Payment (8,121) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (1,576) are added, 20,292 housing supports were delivered in 2024. In relation to affordable housing, in 2024, 7,126 affordable housing solutions were delivered,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 21 together. My Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People scheme, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for Disabled People, the Mobility Aids...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 May 2025)

James Browne: I am providing €325 million to local authorities in 2025 to buy second-hand properties with a particular focus on tenant-in-situ acquisitions. All local authorities have been informed of their specific funding allocations. Leitrim County Council and Sligo County Council has been allocated €2 million and €3 million respectively. To date Leitrim has not drawn down any of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Solar Energy Guidelines (15 May 2025)

James Browne: My Department notes the commitment in the Programme for Government 2025 – Securing Ireland’s Future to introduce planning guidelines for solar energy developments. In light of this commitment, my Department has begun an initial scoping process to identify the component factors relevant to the preparation of planning guidelines for solar energy development, including any...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (15 May 2025)

James Browne: Overall responsibility for roads policy and funding for the implementation of transport strategies is a matter for the Minister for Transport. Nevertheless, the €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) provides part-funding to support certain applicant-led road projects, such as projects that enable the delivery of residential and mixed-use development. In that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage for creditworthy applicants who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. It is a successor loan to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan. The loan can be used both for new...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 May 2025)

James Browne: Government is committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social, affordable and cost rental homes at scale. This is demonstrated by the record level of investment being provided for the delivery of Housing in 2025, with capital funding available of €6.8 billion. This is supplemented by a further €1.65 billion in current funding. My Department publishes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The Land Development Agency is a key partner in the Government’s delivery of affordable and social homes. To ensure the delivery of homes, the LDA deploys two main approaches. Firstly, it secures housing delivery on lands sourced from State bodies, in partnership with local authorities or on lands purchased by the LDA. Secondly, it acts through the Project Tosaigh initiative, whereby...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The Programme for Government commits to continuing to support rural one-off housing. My Department is considering how best to proceed with updating the rural housing guidelines to bring this matter to a conclusion. The vast majority of one-off houses – well in excess of 90% - are built in rural settings. I wish to highlight that, notwithstanding the need for updated housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30, 64 and 74 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Budgets (15 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31 and 33 together. The Uisce Éireann Strategic Funding Plan 2025-2029 was approved in November 2024 and sets out an ambitious capital investment plan to make necessary improvements to water and wastewater infrastructure including new capacity to facilitate growth. The Strategic Funding Plan 2025-2029 includes the capital and operational costs...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 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. For 2025, Government has increased the funding available for second hand social housing acquisitions from...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (15 May 2025)

James Browne: In support of the National Planning Framework (NPF) objectives relating to compact growth and in support of Housing for All objectives relating to increasing the supply of housing, the Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines (SRDCSG) for Planning Authorities were issued in January 2024, as Ministerial Guidelines. The SRDCSGs were issued under Section 28 of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (15 May 2025)

James Browne: 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 as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent. A top-up...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Schemes (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The Heritage Act (1995) defines “heritage objects” as works of art or industry which are over 25 years old and which are of cultural importance. This can include classic and vintage cars, tractors, trucks, vans, motorcycles and steam-powered vehicles, as referred to. One of the functions of The Heritage Council, a state body under the remit of my Department, is to facilitate...