Results 301-320 of 7,615 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 May 2025)

James Browne: On 25 April 2023, the Government approved additional measures under the Housing for All Action Plan to incentivise the activation of increased housing supply and help reduce housing construction costs, including the introduction of temporary time-limited arrangements for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions and the refunding of Uisce Éireann...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The qualification criteria for social housing support are set down in Section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.A household may apply for social housing support to one local authority only, which may be the authority for the area in which the household normally resides or with which it has a local connection,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (15 May 2025)

James Browne: My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. The review is addressing a number of key aspects of the Guidelines including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. My Department, in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC)...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, is a matter for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local Authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure all their tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the housing (standards for rented houses) Regulations 2019. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (15 May 2025)

James Browne: It is assumed that the Question refers to developer provided waste water treatment plants (commonly called DPI) in housing estates that are not in the charge of local authorities. With effect from 1 January 2024, Uisce Éireann, as the national water authority, is responsible for the progressive remediation of DPI infrastructure nationally. It is not the intention that Uisce...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The clear focus of Government is to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes. This is key to addressing the housing challenge and in particular, to preventing and ultimately eliminating long term homelessness, which unquestionably must be the priority for all local authorities including Cork City and County Councils. My Department is continuing to providing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Planning Framework (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The National Planning Framework (NPF), is the whole-of-Government strategy for strategic planning and sustainable development of our urban and rural areas to 2040, with the core objectives of securing balanced regional development and a sustainable ‘compact growth’ approach to the form and pattern of future development. The NPF, together with the National Development Plan 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The clear focus of Government is to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes. This is key to addressing the housing challenge and in particular preventing and ultimately eliminating long term homelessness, and that unquestionably must be the priority for all local authorities including Galway County Council. My Department is continuing to provide substantial financial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The clear focus of Government is to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes. This is key to addressing the housing challenge and in particular preventing and ultimately eliminating long term homelessness, and that unquestionably must be the priority for all local authorities including Donegal County Council. My Department is continuing to provide substantial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (15 May 2025)

James Browne: Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual projects is a matter for Uisce Éireann and is approved through its own internal governance structures. Under Section 7 of the Water Services (No.2) Act 2013, I have no function in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 May 2025)

James Browne: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2024, is available on my Department's website at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-ass...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Process (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The Marine Protected Areas Bill is at an advanced stage of drafting. It is intended to finalise this draft as soon as possible and seek government approval to publish the Bill this year. The draft Bill will need revision to reflect new Ministerial responsibilities and transfers of functions between Departments once these have taken place.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The Government is providing continuing and substantial financial support to local authorities to acquire second-hand properties for priority categories of need including tenants-in-situ who have been in receipt of supports under HAP or RAS and who had received a Notice of Termination. The €325 million allocation I announced on the 31 March 2025 has been made available to our local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The policy of providing grant funding for remedial work on septic tanks arises from the need to address damage being done to water quality in sensitive areas in particular. There are three grant schemes available to householders relating to Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (DWWTS), commonly known as Septic Tank Grants. The purpose of these grants is to incentivise householders to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Budgets (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The Uisce Éireann Strategic Funding Plan 2025-2029 was approved in November 2024 and sets out an ambitious capital investment plan to make necessary improvements to water and wastewater infrastructure including new capacity to facilitate growth. The Strategic Funding Plan 2025-2029 includes the capital and operational costs expected to be incurred by Uisce Éireann over a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (15 May 2025)

James Browne: The Social Housing Investment Programme is a major capital funding programme under which all local authority led Social Housing delivery is funded. In that context, and when all Social Housing Investment Programme funding streams are included for the referenced years 2023, 2024 and 2025, over 5,000 funding applications have been submitted to my Department, therefore, the information...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 May 2025)

James Browne: Local authorities set and collect rents on their dwellings in accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. The making or amending of such rent schemes is generally a matter for local authorities within broad principles set out by my Department, including that rent levels should be based on income and reflect tenants’ ability to pay. Local discretion and flexibility are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (15 May 2025)

James Browne: Increased supply is key to meeting need and addressing the challenges in the housing market. Government is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social, affordable and cost rental homes at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures. Housing for All contains a suite of actions that have, and continue to, increase the provision of housing through...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Grant Payments (15 May 2025)

James Browne: My Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People scheme, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for Disabled People, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People Grant, which are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (15 May 2025)

James Browne: An Bord Pleanála (the Board) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts. The Planning and Development Act 2024, includes a number of new provisions relating to An Bord...