Results 2,521-2,540 of 9,065 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (19 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Ongoing Data in relation to vacant local authority owned homes is not routinely collated by my Department. Local authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock. Vacancy levels naturally vary over time, as tenancy surrender and re-letting of stock is a continuous and ongoing process. Notwithstanding that, statistics in relation to social housing stock, at a point...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Artificial Intelligence (19 Mar 2025)

James Browne: In 2024 my Department consulted with Ernst and Young Business Consultants on the potential use of a Microsoft AI product, specifically Copilot for Power BI, to assess if this could enhance the flexibility and capability of the Housing For All reporting service that is available through the Insights data platform. My Department does not currently conduct any operations using artificial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Inquiries (6 Mar 2025)

James Browne: My Department notes the commitment in the recently published Programme for Government 2025 – Securing Ireland’s Future to introduce planning guidelines for solar energy developments. In light of this commitment, my Department has begun an initial scoping process to identify the component factors relevant to the preparation of planning guidelines for solar energy development,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (6 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 298 and 303 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Inquiries (6 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Tailte Éireann is an independent Government agency under the aegis of my Department. Tailte Éireann provide a property registration system, property valuation service, and national mapping and surveying infrastructure for the State. Under Section 8(6) of the Tailte Éireann Act 2022, Tailte Éireann is independent in the performance of its functions. Registration of all...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Inquiries (6 Mar 2025)

James Browne: It is important that there is a clear view, both at national level and local authority level, as to what the policy approach to determining planning applications for Short Term Lets should be. Any policy approach should consider numerous complex factors, such as existing planning legislation, the long-term housing need in the local authority area, the location of the proposed Short-Term Let...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (6 Mar 2025)

James Browne: My Department collects, collates and publishes data on social housing delivery on a quarterly basis. The Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR) provides details of social housing developments and their location that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. It also includes details on when they were...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Statutory Instruments (6 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: Departmental Data (6 Mar 2025)

James Browne: My Department does not hold data in relation to solar PV developments. Planning statistics are compiled by each planning authority on an annual basis for collation and publication on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6e88b-planning-statistics/ The data collected relates to the total number of applications and decisions for all developments that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (6 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Act, 1981. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy and progressing legislation,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Inland Fisheries (6 Mar 2025)

James Browne: While my Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is responsible for legislation and policy around invasive alien species in Ireland, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has the statutory responsibility for the protection, development, and management of Ireland’s inland fisheries and sea angling resources.. My Department would have consulted widely when drawing up the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Schemes (6 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department is currently considering tenders for a single-year Hen Harrier nest protection service for the Slieve Bloom Mountains Special Protection Area, during the 2025 breeding season. This is required in an effort to improve the fledging success of the local Hen Harrier population. A number of tenders were received and are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Hedge Cutting (5 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The dates for the cutting of hedges are set down in primary legislation. Section 40 of the Wildlife Act prohibits the cutting of vegetation, with certain strict exemptions, from 1 March to 31 August. There is provision in the legislation for certain exemptions in respect of cutting vegetation in the ordinary course of agriculture or forestry, for health and safety reasons, the destruction...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (5 Mar 2025)

James Browne: As with all Exchequer-supported projects, my Department, as approving authority, assesses each project application for suitability, value for money and compliance with the various requirements of the applicable funding scheme. For reasons of commercial sensitivity, details of specific proposals which are pending funding approval in my Department cannot be released. My Department continues...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (5 Mar 2025)

James Browne: In 2024 my Department’s Multi-annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP) was launched to cover the period 2024 to 2026 and a total of 875 individual applications for funding were received from the local authorities. Given the large number of applications and the associated work load and in order to allow work begin on projects it was decided to take a phased approach to the approval of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (5 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) was commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The detailed operation of the Scheme is a matter for the designated local authorities with the Housing Agency acting as agents of the local authorities under the grant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (5 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the performance of their functions and the discharge of their governance and other responsibilities. Elected members have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which includes adopting the annual budget. Accordingly, it is a matter for each local authority...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge sa Státseirbhís (5 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Bhí líon foirne 1,818 ag mo Roinnse ag deireadh mhí Feabhra 2025. Cé nach bhfuil an t-eolas maidir leo siúd atá inniúlach sa Ghaeilge le fáil, soláthraíonn mo Roinnse maoiniú agus tugtar tacaíocht d’fhoireann a théann faoi Oiliúint sa Ghaeilge, arna éascú ag Gaelchultúr agus arna deimhniú ag...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (5 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109, 110, 111, 112, 113 and 114 together. My Departments’ Rural Water Programme provides grant support to households in specific circumstances where capital works are required to rectify defective Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (DWWTS), including septic tanks. There are currently three grants available and their purpose is to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (5 Mar 2025)

James Browne: A flagship element of Project Ireland 2040, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) was one of four funds established under the National Development Plan (NDP) 2018 – 2027. Launched in 2018 with committed Exchequer funding of €2 billion, the review of the NDP in 2021 extended the URDF programme to 2030. To date, there have been three rounds of funding provided under...