Results 7,661-7,680 of 8,153 for speaker:James Browne

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: That is not true. It is in the memo.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: We know there is a housing crisis and the only way to address that is by increasing supply. We have increased it from 20,000 to 30,000 homes. We need a step change to get to 50,000 homes and more so that people have the homes they want to live in where they want to live in their communities. Rent pressure zones were due to end this year, as Deputies well know. If the Government and I...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Correct.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I am not.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I will speak to amendments Nos. 1 and 2, which appear to have the aim of introducing a ban on rent increases. The Government's view is that the imposition of a ban on rent increases is highly likely to be subject to a legal challenge and would almost certainly deter continued investment in the rented accommodation market and cause a greater recourse to the State for social housing supports....

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I cannot accept amendments Nos. 3 to 5, inclusive, and 8, which appear to have the aim of extending the operation of rent pressure zones to 23 June 2028. As Members are aware, on 10 June last, the Government approved policy measures to provide for the enhancement of rent controls and tenancy protections from 1 March 2026. Last week, the Government also approved, as an interim measure, the...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: This is not an issue on this amendment, and the Deputy is at pains to look concerned but has not expressed his own opinion on it. We are not surprised there. The rent pressure zones-----

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I welcome the clarification. Rent pressure zones have been extended to new areas again and again since 2019. On every one of those occasions, short-term lets have been brought in with them. That is the law at the moment and that is how the law will continue.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I want to be clear. After a week and a half of Deputy Ó Broin complaining about there being too many tracks in this legislation and too many different applications, he is now calling for a new track to create a geographical difference between rent pressure zones that have been extended to date where short-term lets are affected and extending it now to where they would not be affected....

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Deputy is now calling for more exceptions, more tracks-----

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: -----and more differentiation. After the past week, it is extraordinary that he would call for more exemptions.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (19 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I am grateful to all Senators and everybody behind the scenes for facilitating today's debate on this urgent legislation in Seanad Éireann at such short notice. As Senators know, on 10 June 2025 the Government approved policy measures to provide for the enhancement of rent controls and tenancy protections from 1 March 2026. Last week, the Government also approved, as an interim...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: My Department is engaging with external consultants to undertake an independent assessment of costs for Ireland associated with the measures in the recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. The recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive applies the Polluter Pays Principle by including a provision for "Extended Producer Responsibility" for specific micro-pollutants. The Directive...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: My Department is currently working on the transposition of the recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive into national legislation. The deadline for transposition is 30 June 2027. My Department has established a national expert group to assist with the transposition of the recast Directive. This expert group includes key participants from the following organisations: Uisce Éireann,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: In December 2023, approval in principle was given pursuant to my Department's Multi-annual Rural Water Programme to a number of projects under for the waste water collection and treatment needs of villages without access to public waste water services. Following this approval my Department wrote directly to each local authority advising it of the maximum funding approved for each project...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) was commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The scheme is now open to applications in five counties: Clare, Donegal, Limerick, Mayo and Sligo with comprehensive information of all aspects of the Scheme available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive sets ambitious goals for energy efficiency and renewables in buildings by requiring Nearly Zero Energy Building or “NZEB” performance for new buildings from 31 December 2020. All new dwellings are now A2 rated and electrical heating systems, which are mainly renewable heat pump, are installed in nearly all new dwellings. In...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (19 Jun 2025)

James Browne: 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 Department of the Climate, Energy and Environment (DCEE) which has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Planning Framework (19 Jun 2025)

James Browne: On 20 June 2023, Government gave approval to commence the process of undertaking the First Revision of the National Planning Framework. The National Planning Framework (NPF), is the whole-of-Government strategy for strategic planning and sustainable development of our urban and rural areas to 2040, with the core objectives of securing balanced regional development and a sustainable...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (19 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Under the terms of the Birds Directive (Directive 2009/147/EC), all Member States of the EU are obliged to take measures to protect all naturally occurring wild birds and their habitats. The Directive prohibits, inter alia, the deliberate killing or capture of wild birds by any method, the removal of nests or the taking of eggs. As a member of the EU, Ireland has an obligation under this law...