Results 181-200 of 6,997 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The ARC process for granting Ministerial consents for certain activities as provided for under the Birds and Natural Habitats Directive, is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department. The NPWS has confirmed that no Ministerial consents/ARCs for the stocking or restocking of fish have been issued to Inland Fisheries Ireland in relation to Lough Arrow SAC. It...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Data Protection (26 Mar 2025)

James Browne: My Department met with the Deputy Commissioner of the Data Protection Commission on 5 February 2025. This meeting did not extend to discussing data compliance within state bodies under my Department's aegis who are independent bodies with their own data protection responsibilities and reporting arrangements. My Department does not hold any information in relation to same. The state bodies...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (26 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The funding system that applies to local authorities is a complex one, as authorities derive their income from a variety of local sources including commercial rates, Local Property Tax (LPT), charges for goods and services and funding from Central Government. My Department does not provide specific funding to local authorities for the purpose outlined in the question. My colleague, the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (26 Mar 2025)

James Browne: My Department does not fund any homeless service directly but provides funding to housing authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services. Under the funding arrangements, housing authorities must provide at least 10% of the cost of any funded service from their own resources. Furthermore, housing authorities may also incur additional expenditure on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (26 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I can confirm that in November 2024 funding was approved under my Department’s Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2024-2026 for the project mentioned in the details supplied. My Department confirmed this approval in writing directly to Sligo County Council and advised that the project should now commence and be delivered to completion as quickly as possible. For progress updates...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Weather Events (26 Mar 2025)

James Browne: My Department undertakes the Lead Government Department role, as set out in the Strategic Emergency Management (SEM) Framework (2017), in relation to the coordination of national level responses to severe weather and flooding emergencies, where warranted. My Department's National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management undertakes this role and works closely with local authority Severe...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Issues (25 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department has engaged locally with representatives of the relevant stakeholders and positive discussions about the issues have taken place. I am aware that the scale of the works will be significant and that the site being located within a designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC) will make this more complex. The NPWS is in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (25 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 438 and 449 together. The €1 billion in capital investment in Uisce Éireann announced as part of Budget 2025 will support the delivery of its 2025-2029 capital investment plan. This funding will enable the delivery of improved water services to both domestic and non-domestic customers. The selection of specific projects is a matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme was introduced in 2012 and is administered by the Housing Agency on behalf of my Department. The scheme offers households with acute, unsustainable mortgage arrears and limited prospects of a significant change in circumstances, the chance to surrender a property to a lender and in turn become a social housing tenant, whilst staying in their own home and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (25 Mar 2025)

James Browne: My Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is responsible for the implementation of legislation around invasive alien species including the new European Union (Invasive Alien Species) Regulations 2024 which were introduced in July of last year. These new regulations give full effect to the EU IAS Regulation (1143/2014) in the national context and also update and strengthen the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ministerial Responsibilities (25 Mar 2025)

James Browne: No functions have been formally delegated to the Ministers of State in my Department as yet. I will discuss the functions to be delegated to the Ministers of State in the coming weeks and once these are agreed the functions will then be delegated in formal Delegation of Functions Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Mar 2025)

James Browne: My Department publishes comprehensive programme level data on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery and spend activity. This data includes information relating to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) and can be found on my Department's website at the following link:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (25 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 445, 450, 461, 463, 474 and 476 together. Tenant in Situ Acquisitions were introduced by way of Government decision in 2023 as a short term response to the reported uplift in sales by landlords of homes which were within the HAP and RAS schemes in order to prevent potential homelessness where other solutions could not be found for the affected tenants. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Grant Payments (25 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Government Reform (25 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The Programme for Government recognises the need to strengthen the framework and powers of municipal districts and area committees. It also commits to the establishment of town councils in large towns, on a regional phased basis, to provide a focal-point for raising concerns of towns and coordinating town-focused activities. Proposals in relation to this commitment will be considered in due...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Procurement Contracts (25 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The information sought is not readily available and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work. In accordance with the Freedom of Information publication scheme, my Department maintains a contracts register for contracts with a value in excess of €25,000 (excl. VAT). The register is published on an annual basis at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (25 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The bodies under the aegis of my Department that perform functions which could be considered to be somewhat quasi-judicial in nature are listed below.An Bord PleanálaApproved Housing Bodies Regulatory AuthorityApproved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority Appeals PanelDefective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme Appeals PanelResidential Tenancies BoardValuation Tribunal

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (25 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 453 and 454 together. Under the Vacant Site Levy provisions contained in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 (the Act), planning authorities were empowered to apply a vacant site levy of 3% of the market valuation of relevant properties which were listed on local authority vacant site registers in 2018, which relevant owners were liable to pay in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (25 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Under the Derelict Sites Act 1990, local authorities are required to maintain a derelict sites register, of any land which, in the opinion of the local authority, is a derelict site. Section 8(5) of the Act, provides that "The register shall be kept at the offices of the local authority and shall be available for inspection at the offices of the local authority during office hours." There is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Capital Expenditure Programme (25 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 457 and 458 together. The overall expenditure on Housing in 2024 is currently being examined and will be available shortly. My Department's 2024 Appropriation Account is currently being finalised and is due to be submitted to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) shortly.