Results 1-20 of 6,997 for speaker:James Browne

Uisce Éireann: Statements (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I welcome the opportunity to reflect on the tremendous progress that has been made in water services in Ireland and the ongoing efforts of the Government and Uisce Éireann in this area. I assure the House that securing a safe and reliable water supply is a top priority for the Government, as is securing water services to facilitate housing development in all parts of the country. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Expenditure Reviews (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Community Car Initiative (CCI) was put in place as a temporary measure to support the Offer a Home scheme, which sought the use of unoccupied homes to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection from Ukraine (BoTPs). An underlying principle of the Offer a Home scheme was to minimise the number of properties offered that would be declined due to their location and possible lack of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Conservation (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The EU Water Reuse Regulations, came into effect in June 2023, these Regulations seek to facilitate and encourage the practice of reusing treated wastewater for irrigation in agriculture. My Department undertook an ‘Evaluation of the Applicability of the Water Reuse for Agricultural Irrigation in Ireland’. The evaluation concluded that water reuse for agricultural...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: Government is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social, affordable and cost rental homes at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures. This is demonstrated by the record level of investment which is being provided for the delivery of Housing in 2025, with overall capital funding available of €6.8 billion. The capital provision is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Government is providing ongoing, 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 received a valid, no-fault Notice of Termination. The other priority categories for second-hand acquisitions are properties that allow persons/families...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government, as set out in Pathway 4 of Housing for All. The Vacant Homes Action Plan, published in January 2023, built on Pathway 4 and set out the various actions that were being pursued to return vacant properties back into use as homes. In March I published the 2025 Progress Report which shows the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department provides funding to local authorities on an ongoing basis as housing projects are progressed and claims fall due for payment in line with the relevant scheme conditions. Funding only becomes owed to a local authority once all of the necessary documentation has been received and checked and the claims involved are deemed to be in order for payment. As such, the position in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 267 and 268 together. My Department is working to progress the housing actions in the Programme for Government, including the commitment to establish a new Strategic Housing Activation Office in my Department to help coordinate and accelerate home building by unblocking infrastructure delays. The establishment of the Strategic Housing Activation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Water Supply Project – East and Midlands Region (WSP-EMR) is a strategic national project, included in the National Development Plan, to help meet the long-term water supply requirements for the Eastern and Midlands region. The Preliminary Business Case (PBC) received government approval on 25 June 2024 and currently moving through the next stage of the Infrastructure...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Government is acutely aware of the housing challenges faced by many sectors of society. Housing for All is the most ambitious and comprehensive housing plan in the history of the State. The Plan contains a suite of actions that have and continue to increase the provision of housing through accelerating supply and increasing the affordability of homes for our citizens. A list of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 271 and 272 together. I refer to my reply to Question Number 150 of the 9 April which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 273, 274, 275 and 277 together. The allocation of local authority dwellings, including the prioritisation of certain categories of households, is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation scheme made under Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations. This legislation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department has an advisory role with regard to the protection and management of our built heritage which is set out in Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. This act gives primary responsibility to planning authorities to protect the architectural heritage in their functional area. My Department has produced ‘Architectural Heritage Protection: Guidelines...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (10 Apr 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 grant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department has developed and published a data strategy. This will enable and support the wider digital transformation programme of the Department towards 2030. The strategy has five goals and a range of actions to support the better use and management of data. The data strategy is available on my Department's website at the following link:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 283 and 282 together. My Department does not have any projects underway with CeADAR, Ireland’s national centre for AI. Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective system to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department has recently concluded a program of work with EY and Microsoft to assess if a Microsoft AI product, specifically Copilot for Power BI, could enhance the flexibility and capability of the Housing For All reporting service that is available through the Insights data platform. The outputs are still in evaluation internally and is not operational at present. If it is further...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department recognises the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in improving public services, enhancing productivity, and supporting evidence-based decision making. My Department provides funding and encourages staff to consider AI Training to ensure they have the necessary skills and understanding to use AI responsibly and effectively. The courses offered align with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Correspondence (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 286 and 287 together. My office, and those of my colleagues, Minister of State Alan Dillon and Minister of State Malcolm Noonan, received an exceptionally high number of emails and letters in hard copy from a range of sources on a wide variety of matters in 2024. Accordingly, it is not possible to determine the number of those emails or letters that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Functions (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department is committed to continuously adapting and improving its structures and processes so that its organisational structure, culture, governance, processes and technology, together with a learning culture, support the delivery of its strategic goals. In pursuit of this commitment, over the past several years my Department has focused on delivery of several strategies and action...