Results 241-260 of 6,997 for speaker:James Browne

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I understand the frustration among local authorities and approved housing bodies but there was a general election, which caused a certain delay in projects. Those projects are being worked through now as quickly as possible, though. A final check always has to be done on every project before its approval is notified to the local authority. I cannot guarantee that every single house will be...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy for his question. We recognise the need to address the short-term letting sector in areas of housing need, especially in areas of high demand such as Dublin city, and where properties are not compliant with planning requirements. The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment is committed to introducing a short-term letting and tourism Bill that will provide the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I thank Deputy Ó Broin again for raising this important question. We know that short-term lets are a problem, not just in Ireland but right across the world, particularly where properties are taken over and used. It is an increasing problem in Ireland, putting significant pressure on areas of high demand, such as Dublin city. I am working with the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: It is unacceptable that there are commercial entities profiteering from situations where people are in breach of the law. We want an approach where we can enforce the law in such a way as to ensure these properties are brought back into use and are available for long-term renting in high pressure zone areas, while ensuring the impact on more rural areas that rely on short-term lets for...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The programme for Government commits to delivering more than 300,000 houses between 2025 and the end of 2030, an average of over 50,000 per annum. Delivery over the period will need to rise incrementally to 60,000 homes per year by 2030. This target of reaching an annual average of over 50,000 homes is both ambitious and credible. It is drawn from the work done by the ESRI in 2024 on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The Local Authority Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage for creditworthy applicants who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. It is a successor loan to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan. The loan can be used both for new...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: 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. A further Government decision extended such acquisitions into 2024 with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 59 together. The use of Modern Methods of Construction is a key measure to support the delivery of housing under Housing for All and the Programme for Government. Modern Methods of Construction or MMC is the term used to describe a range of manufacturing and innovative construction alternatives to traditional construction. MMC has the potential...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: My Department is supporting the acceleration of affordable housing delivery with funding and other practical measures, both for local authorities, and more widely, by other key partners such as Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency and via the First Home Scheme. Funding support is available to all local authorities from the Affordable Housing Fund to deliver new affordable...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Pathway 4 of Housing for All identified tackling vacancy and reusing existing property as a key priority for Government and the subsequent Vacant Homes Action Plan, published in 2023, set out the various actions being pursued to return vacant properties back into use. According to the CSO, the number of vacant dwellings recorded in Census 2022 had fallen to 8%. Other measures of vacancy...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The Programme for Government commits to delivering a revised target of 300,000 new homes between 2025 and 2030. It also commits to a new national housing plan to build on the robust platform laid by Housing for All and support delivery of the revised targets. In the meantime, we have begun work on priority actions in the Programme for Government with the potential to make the most...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 commenced on 22 of June 2023 and contains the current grant scheme and the related Regulations, which were adopted on 29 of June 2023. Following updated cost reports from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland and advice from the Expert Group established to consider the matter, a further increase was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 79 together. Increasing the supply of new homes is key to addressing many of the challenges in the housing market. Supply has increased significantly in recent years, with some 125,000 new homes delivered since July 2020. This includes 92,500 homes delivered from 2022 to 2024, exceeding the combined target for new homes for the period by 5,500...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: 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. A further Government decision extended such acquisitions into 2024 with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (20 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. No applications submitted by Carlow County Council are awaiting approval. Kilkenny County Council submitted two proposals for social housing projects in late...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Under planning legislation, enforcement of planning control is a matter for the relevant planning authority, which can take action if a development does not have the required permission, where the terms of a permission have not been met, or if development has otherwise been undertaken in breach of planning control. There are extensive enforcement provisions provided for in Part VIII of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: It should be noted in the first instance that the zoning of land within a statutory city or county development plan or a local area plan is not broken down on the basis of individual sites or parcels of land by individual ownership. My Department therefore does not have the requested details for local authorities available. However, the Land Development Agency (LDA) has developed the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30, 46, 49, 72, 76 and 113 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. A...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: My Department jointly published the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People (NHSDP) 2022-2027 and Implementation Plan with the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The Strategy and Implementation Plan may be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (20 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 92 together. I understand that the Question is referring to housing estates which have not, as yet, been taken-in-charge by local authorities that are not connected to the public Uisce Éireann network but instead rely upon infrastructure provided by the developers of the estate for their water services. This infrastructure is called Developer...