Results 201-220 of 6,997 for speaker:James Browne

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...

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

James Browne: My Department has no direct role in the provision of accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection, which is a matter that is under the remit of the Minister for Children, Equality, Integration, Disability and Youth.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Mar 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. Eligible households can source their own accommodation in the private rental sector which should be within the HAP rent limits provided to them by the local authority. The...

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

James Browne: Local authorities are supported by my Department to purchase and renovate vacant/derelict properties to be upgraded as new, value-for-money social homes. The Buy & Renew Scheme allows local authorities to acquire and refurbish such properties and since it was introduced in 2016, in excess of 950 properties have been delivered under this arrangement, as new social homes. Buy and...

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

James Browne: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by Tailte Éireann under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2020. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. Information in relation to Commercial Rates Income and...

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

James Browne: A flagship element of Project Ireland 2040, the €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) supports a programme of significant transformational capital projects that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan. As...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: In fairness, I think I was supposed to respond before Deputy Hearne, so if he wants to speak after me again, I have no difficulty with that. With the tenant in situ scheme, we believe that criteria need to be applied to it. It was introduced as a temporary measure. It is there as a last resort to prevent people from going into homelessness. I responded to all of this last night. It is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Their work should certainly not be treated as an add-on; it should be focused on ensuring compliance with the Disability Act. We have had a number of these officers in my local authority in County Wexford. They have been absolutely excellent in ensuring that the relevant requirements are met. I will certainly reach out to the local authorities to remind them of the importance of this role....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I certainly agree with the Deputy. As someone who has served on a town council and a county council, I am a great believer in local democracy. We will be strengthening the role of county councillors throughout the country. We will be setting up a task force soon which will report quickly to ensure that councillors have their role to be able to hold officials to account where they are not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Tenant in situ acquisitions were introduced by Government in 2023 in response to a reported uplift in sales by landlords under the HAP and RAS schemes. Such acquisitions have been an important measure in preventing homelessness. The Government therefore agreed to continue the programme in 2025. My Department has notified local authorities about the extension of the programme. A circular...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: It is not only families.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Water Charges (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy for tabling this important question. I will address some of the issues that have arisen. The Government decided in 2017 that water charges would not be levied on domestic customers and that the funding of domestic water services would instead be met through general taxation and paid through my Department's Vote. This position remains unchanged. There is a provision...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Water Charges (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I again thank the Deputy for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to reiterate the Government's position on it. I reiterate that there is no work being done on this issue. The measure is not in the current programme for Government. There are no plans to introduce it. We will not be taking any further action in relation to it.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Water Charges (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: There will not be any return. That has always been clear. There was a proposal by the previous Government to bring in water conservation charges. It is noticeable that Sinn Féin did not table a Bill to change the legislation during the previous Government's term of office. It has now put forward a Bill that has made the front page of a newspaper. It is interesting that when it was...