Results 8,901-8,920 of 9,174 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 580 and 581 together. My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority. This data is available to the end of Q1 2025 and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Sep 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, along with all summaries since 2011 at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Local authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock, which will fluctuate over time, as tenancy surrender and re-letting of stock is a rolling process. Therefore, ongoing data in relation to vacant local authority owned homes is not routinely collated by my Department. Notwithstanding that, statistics in relation to social housing stock, at a point in time, are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Social Housing is delivered through a range of Local Authority and Approved Housing Body (AHB) delivery programmes. Capital expenditure on the delivery of new social homes is also supported by current funding provided through the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP). My Department does not provide specific allocations to local authorities, rather funding for housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Since the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 (which continue to have effect in addition to subsequent clarifications and national policy changes in the National Planning Framework) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably, obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 587 to 592, inclusive, together. The response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross-Departmental and multi-agency issue, with overall policy coordinated by the Department of Justice. Responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims rests with my colleague the Minister for Justice working in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: 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 grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be derelict, bringing the total grant available for a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Development Contributions (30 Sep 2025)

James Browne: On 25 April 2023, the Government approved additional measures under the Housing for All Action Plan to incentivise the activation of increased housing supply and help reduce housing construction costs, including the introduction of temporary time-limited arrangements for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions and the refunding of Uisce Éireann...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The design and construction of buildings is regulated under the Building Control Acts in order to ensure the safety, health and welfare of people within the built environment. The Acts provide for the making of Building Regulations, Building Control Regulations and also set out the legislative basis for the system of enforcement. The Building Control Regulations provide for matters of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 318 and 319 together. My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme supports the building of apartments in urban cores for sale to owner-occupiers. The Scheme aims to activate the supply of units which otherwise would not be delivered due to viability challenges by providing funding support to bridge the current "Viability Gap" between the delivery cost of building apartments and the market sale price (where the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support available for people who have a long-term housing need. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. Under HAP, a tenant sources their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ethics in Public Office (2 Oct 2025)

James Browne: Section 237A of the Local Government Act 2001 (as amended) provides that the Minister shall make regulations in relation to the ‘dealings’ of local authorities with members of the Houses of the Oireachtas which must include provisions in relation to correspondence with members of the Oireachtas by local authorities. These Regulations are contained in S.I. 274 of 2003...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy. Addressing homelessness and in particular homeless families and children is a priority for me, the Department and the Government. Ireland signed the Lisbon declaration in June 2021 which committed all signatories to work towards ending homelessness by 2030. I will continue to work with the National Homeless Action Committee to ensure an all-of-government approach to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: With our new housing plan, we are developing the homelessness prevention framework. Significant work has been ongoing in relation to that, working with all the NGOs. I acknowledge the good work by Focus Ireland and the Simon Communities of Ireland. When I became Minister for housing, the first thing I did was visit all of the homeless organisations at their sites to get the necessary...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: As the Deputy rightly points out, there is significant additional funding for homelessness in yesterday’s budget. As the Deputy knows, budgets are always broad strokes. You are dealing with multiple Departments and within those Departments there are multiple areas. I will, through the Revised Estimates Volume, work out exactly how we will allocate this funding and how we will use...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Land Development Agency (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Land Development Agency is a key part of the Government’s housing strategy in delivering affordable homes for rent and sale in communities right across Ireland. The Department of Finance’s report on the sustainable funding options for the Land Development Agency considered the financing needs of the LDA and the implications of this need on the business model and operational...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Land Development Agency (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: That is exactly what the Department of Finance did, working with the Department of housing. It looked at how the LDA is financed and how it can be financed into the future and examining the remit of the LDA. We have agreed to expand its role. The LDA will be absolutely critical. It will very soon be the largest housing delivery body in this country. We are fully committed to expanding...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Land Development Agency (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I have been heavily engaged with the LDA. I meet it regularly. It is anxious to have that direct delivery model, which is what it has been moving towards as quickly as possible. The key is that we get properties delivered. As I say, I much prefer the direct delivery model and to get the private market delivering on the private sector side of things. That is where we are heading and where...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy for his question. I confirm that there are no approval lags for CREL funding. There is an approval process for funding applications to ensure compliance with the scheme conditions and value for money for the Exchequer. This is, as it should be, a requirement under public financial procedures. A necessary process should not be misrepresented as a delay. Since July...