Results 321-340 of 6,997 for speaker:James Browne

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

James Browne: Where a homeowner suspects they may have pyrite in their home as the adjoining home has pyrite and is in the Pyrite Remediation Scheme, the process is well established. To be included in the Pyrite Remediation Scheme, a dwelling must have a damage condition rating of 2, as defined in the Irish Standard I.S. 398-1:2017 Part 1 and outlined in the Pyrite Remediation Scheme guidance, available...

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

James Browne: The Land Development Agency (LDA) was established on a legislative basis in 2021 following the commencement of the Land Development Agency Act 2021. The LDA is advancing delivery of affordable and social homes across the country through building a portfolio of vacant and underutilised State Lands, through partnerships with local authorities, and through its market engagement and partnership...

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

James Browne: The 'Residential Zoned Land Tax - Guidelines for Planning Authorities' were issued in June 2022 to assist planning authorities in meeting the statutory requirements relating to the Residential Zoned Land Tax set out in the Finance Act 2021, which amended the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (as amended). These obligations involve the publication of draft, supplemental and final map(s) identifying...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (20 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 in conjunction with their AHB partners to identify suitable sites and...

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

James Browne: No staff in my Department have been seconded from consulting firms in the period from 2020 to date.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (20 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. Tailte Éireann is independent in the exercise of its valuation functions under the Valuation Act 2001, as amended (the Act). The making of...

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

James Browne: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Social Housing Tenant In Situ Scheme: Motion [Private Members] (19 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. As my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, has stated, it is a clear focus of the Government to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes. Increasing the overall housing supply is key to addressing the housing challenge and preventing, and ultimately eliminating, long-term homelessness. This being...

Social Housing Tenant In Situ Scheme: Motion [Private Members] (19 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Some €325 million is being made available-----

Report of the Housing Commission: Statements (Resumed) (19 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I thank the House for the debate on the report of the Housing Commission and the views put forward throughout it. I once again express my appreciation to the commission members for their time, effort and commitment. It is clear from the views expressed during the debate that there is much we agree upon about where we must get to. That said, it is unsurprising that we are not all agreed,...

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

James Browne: One of the recommendations of the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) review in 2023, was to establish a working group to examine the issue of debt in the AHB sector and to recommend solutions. Debt in a company is often expressed as its level of gearing which is a ratio of its debt to equity. The Debt Levels in the AHB Sector Working Group was established in May 2023 to consider the...

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

James Browne: 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 three grants available to householders and their purpose is to provide financial assistance to reduce the environmental impact from defective...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 814 and 935 together. One of the recommendations of the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) review in 2023, was to establish a working group to examine the issue of debt in the AHB sector and to recommend solutions. Debt in a company is often expressed as its level of gearing which is a ratio of its debt to equity. The Debt Levels in the AHB...

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

James Browne: The information sought is not available in my Department. Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility, under section 7 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013, for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation. As Minister, I have no role in their operational matters. Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 816 and 840 together. 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”...

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

James Browne: The MIPIM (Marché International des Professionnels de l'Immobilier) is an international property and real estate conference that takes place each year in France. This year, the four-day conference was expected to attract over 20,000 delegates, from over 90 countries, as well as Government Ministers, senior civil servants, and the mayors of major cities. This year, the Ireland Real...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 818, 828 to 830, inclusive, 855, 856, 874, 875, 920 and 931 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...

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

James Browne: The information requested is provided in the table below and sets out in alphabetical order the staffing position by grade in the Planning Division of my Department at the end of February 2025. Grade Number of Staff Administrative Officer 10 Assistant Principal 17 Assistant Secretary 1 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (19 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department is aware of the long term and escalating issue of coastal erosion in the vicinity of Courtown, including its impact on Courtown Woods, part of which is managed by the NPWS. The coastal erosion problem extends along a significant stretch of the coastline in the area and some coastal protection infrastructure has previously been...

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

James Browne: The Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme (LAAPS) was introduced under the Affordable Housing Act 2021. It assists first-time buyers purchasing Local Authority-delivered new homes. This scheme uses an equity share model to give eligible purchasers the opportunity of home ownership at a significant discount. For the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme, each local authority will...