Results 8,081-8,100 of 8,153 for speaker:James Browne
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: In relation to any changes, we always give very careful consideration to them. We do our research and analysis when it comes to proposing and making those changes. We do it with very careful cognisance of the impact those changes will have on various groups, but I think we are happy enough with any changes we have proposed.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: Yes, accessibility is really important. I am working with the Minister, Deputy Foley, in relation to what we can do regarding access. It is critical. We do have strong building regulations around ensuring we do have access and safe access in respect of accessibility. We are considering what else can be done or needs to be done in ensuring the accessibility piece is there.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: Before we go any further, in relation to the question I was asked earlier concerning legal proceedings, I did ask the officials to make inquiries in the Department. They have confirmed to me that judicial review proceedings have been initiated and my Department was notified of it. I was not aware of that when I commented earlier. I can confirm that legal documents were received by my...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: I agree.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: We have a crisis in this country in terms of housing, and this crisis, that I am treating as an emergency, is a result of a lack of delivery of housing. There are two aspects to this - viability and affordability. The State is delivering approximately 50% of all homes. What I am doing is taking measures to make the delivery of homes viable.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: Apartments that never leave the planning and design stage are of no benefit to those people the Deputy mentioned when they are left paper. We need to get them built.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: I can tell the Deputy that the people living at home in box rooms in their houses want apartments to live in.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: It is not a question of delivering any homes first. We need to-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: We need more than those 11,000-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: We need to get up to 50,000 homes a year delivered. We are spending a record amount-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: The Deputy does not want to hear the answer. We are delivering 50% of all home solutions in this country. Approximately 30% of all capital funding in the State is now going towards housing delivery. While the Deputy waves those sheets around, I have been asking for months where Sinn Féin would get the funding to increase the delivery of social and affordable housing. The State only...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: I am very aware of any challenges around housing delivery across the country. We do everything we can to unblock it. That is what we are doing-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: When I became Minister for housing, there was €60 million available for the tenant in situ scheme.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: Hold on. I got a significant increase from the Minister, Deputy Chambers, to increase it to €320 million. That money was distributed to the local authorities. Any funding I have for the tenant in situ scheme has been distributed to the local authorities-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: Cork city was allocated €20 million and approximately 41% of that funding has been drawn down to date.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: I am answering the question. The Deputy just does not like the answer.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: Cork city has drawn down 41% of its tenant in situ funding.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: In fairness, it was never proposed that there would simply be a bottomless or open application, or that the State would support the purchase for anybody who came forward with a tenant in situ application. There are thousands of those types of properties. Sinn Féin's own policy proposes reducing the tenant in situ scheme down to 800 purchases per year. That is the Deputy's own policy,...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: I thank the Senator for his questions. I fully agree with him that we have to get developer-led wastewater treatment. As someone who comes from rural Ireland, I know that houses cannot be built in many villages to allow people to live in their local communities where their families are, where they went to school and where their support networks are. They are moving to the nearest...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)
James Browne: I thank Deputy McAuliffe. I know this is an issue on which he has been in regular contact with the Department of housing and me. On the impact with regard to PPP, as the Deputy has already pointed out, I cannot comment at this point. The bundle is now the subject of legal proceedings but with regard to the delivery of those homes, PPP is obviously one. With regard to the further bundles,...