Results 201-220 of 7,010 for speaker:James Browne

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.

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

James Browne: While meeting our Irish language obligations is a responsibility for all relevant Departments and public bodies, policy responsibility for the Official Languages Acts 2003 and 2021 rests with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the performance of...

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

James Browne: During Stage 1, the initial set up phase of the National Flood Forecasting and Warning Service (NFFWS), under the oversight of OPW, a Flood Forecasting Centre was established in Met Éireann and became operational in early 2024. Met Éireann’s Flood Forecasting Centre is successfully providing information and guidance to decision making stakeholders such as the Local...

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

James Browne: The possible affect from wind turbine noise is the principal potential health impact most frequently attributed to wind energy developments. The Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) has primary responsibility for environmental noise matters. In this regard, my Department is working in conjunction with DECC, in the context of its environmental noise policy remit, to...

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

James Browne: The possible affect from wind turbine noise is the principal potential health impact attributed to wind energy developments. The Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) has primary responsibility for environmental noise matters. My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines in line with the “preferred...

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

James Browne: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded in accordance with Standing Orders. The information requested in relation to bodies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for the individual bodies concerned. Arrangements have been put in place by each Agency to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. The contact email address...

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

James Browne: Responsibility for the delivery of the housing targets set under Housing for All rests with individual local authorities, which identify the social housing need in their administrative area and are best placed to make decisions on potential sites for development. It is therefore a matter for individual local authorities to identify suitable sites and bring forward proposals to my Department...

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

James Browne: Housing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Budget 2025 provided Exchequer funding be of €4.85bn to support housing programmes, comprising €3.2bn capital funding and...