Results 8,301-8,320 of 9,174 for speaker:James Browne

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We are always open to any local authority coming to us on an individual basis. There is never a situation where the scheme is closed-----

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The scheme is always being kept under review. We are only in July. I have never said that this is the end of the road for the entire year. We are always keeping this under review, but we need local authorities to do their bit. In fairness to Deputy Hearne, I have not responded to his contribution. On the issue of affordable housing for the elderly, the Minister of State, Deputy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2025: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I am grateful to the Cathaoirleach and the other committee members for the opportunity to present these proposed planning regulations. The regulations consist of the Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2025, which waive section 254 street furniture licence fees for the remainder of 2025 and for tables and chairs associated with outdoor dining until 30 September 2026....

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I thank Deputy McGrath for his questions. The Department of housing is now spending approximately 30% of all capital funding, which is close to about €1 in every €3 of all capital funding that has been made available by the Government. Obviously, there is only a certain amount of funding and this has to be split between schools, hospitals, transport and other important areas....

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The national development plan is very much focused on infrastructure and the understanding we are very challenged where it is concerned, especially water infrastructure, our electricity grid and also roads, for example. On rural areas, I come from a provincial town in a rural constituency and am very conscious that in those towns you are never going to get the big developers, so what we have...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: As the Deputy alluded to, it relates to EU directive 2024/1275, which was implemented on 1 January last. People are allowed to repair an existing oil or gas boilers and replace it with a second-hand model if they can locate one. It can be replaced by a hybrid boiler, that is an oil boiler combined with a heat pump. These are not very common but apparently they do exist. Of course, there...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy. There is approximately €20 million this year allocated for the apartment defects scheme. We will keep future funding under consideration in the context of the national development plan and the budget.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Uisce Éireann has non-voted funding as well, so it is often about the balance between the different funding streams. I assure the Deputy that Uisce Éireann will be getting a very substantial increase in funding through the NDP. It is essential and we will be ensuring that happens.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2025: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: On storage and the general question around disabilities, obviously, we have universal design guidelines. Also, under section 254, the licensing authority should ensure that any of these grants are being properly controlled, that they do not have an impact on accessibility or hinder people with disabilities from using the footpaths and public areas, and that they are returned appropriately....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2025: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I am not 100% certain, but I will find out.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Eighteen priority areas have been identified nationally for the development of Domestic Violence Refuges. These projects, which are supported through my Department's Capital Assistance Scheme and by Cuan (the State agency for Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence), are at various stages of progress. The first of these, the Wexford Women’s Refuge, was completed in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: I am satisfied there are no undue delays processing claims from local authorities for approved acquisitions funded via the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS). That said, while a small number of safe homes may have been funded directly via CAS in the past, groups sourcing, providing and operating safe homes for victims of domestic violence are supported to do so by Cuan, the State agency for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Eighteen priority areas have been identified nationally for the development of Domestic Violence Refuges. These projects are being supported through my Department's Capital Assistance Scheme and by Cuan, the State agency for Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence. CAS provides up to 100% capital funding to Approved Housing Bodies to advance Domestic Violence Refuge projects in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: The Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ (CRTiS) scheme was introduced on 1 April 2023 for tenants in private rental homes who are not in receipt of social housing supports but are at risk of homelessness because a landlord has served a valid Notice of Termination due to an intention to sell the property. The Local Authority conducts the initial assessment for eligibility of the tenant for this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: The scale of defects in apartments and duplexes is significant.  My predecessor Minister O'Brien established a Working Group to examine defects in housing in February 2021.  The Working Group, reporting at the end of July 2022, estimated that between 50% and 80% of apartments and duplexes (or associated common areas) constructed between 1991 and 2013 may be affected by one or more...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: My Department assesses, approves and records local authority social housing delivery on a project basis, rather than on the basis of individual unit types. However, as Social Housing Investment Programme funded construction projects by local authorities must, like all publicly-funded construction programmes, comply with the Infrastructure Guidelines (Public Spending Code) and Capital Works...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Housing for All includes measures to support local authorities to acquire the necessary land required in order to meet social and affordable targets. As part of the measures Local Authorities began updating and providing details of their respective landbanks. The National Social Housing Data Map was established by the Department in conjunction with the Local Authorities to capture this data....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: There are over 450 residential estates across the country that rely on developer provided infrastructure (DPI) for wastewater services and have not yet been taken in charge by Uisce Éireann. The information reflects point-in-time data provided by local authorities to my Department in April 2023. Following the Government decision effective 1 January 2024, Uisce Éireann, as the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 requires private developers to ensure that a specified percentage of land zoned for residential and other uses is reserved for social and affordable housing. Local authorities negotiate Part V agreements with the developer in line with a range of guidelines and supports aimed at assisting them in maximising the benefits of Part V in the context...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: My Department publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR), on a quarterly basis. The CSR provides details of social housing developments and their location that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. The most recent publication was for Quarter 1 2025. All CSRs are available at the...