Results 321-340 of 7,615 for speaker:James Browne

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

James Browne: In July 2016, my Department invited local authorities to apply for funding under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF), the objective of which is to provide public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages. The types of infrastructure being provided include roads, bridges, diversion of power-lines, drainage works, as well as public amenities...

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

James Browne: Increasing supply is key to addressing homelessness. 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. This is demonstrated by the record level of investment which is being provided for the delivery of Housing in 2025, with overall capital funding available...

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

James Browne: 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. This is demonstrated by the record level of investment which is being provided for the delivery of Housing in 2025, with overall capital funding available of €6.8 billion. The capital provision is...

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

James Browne: On 20 June 2023, Government gave approval to commence the process of undertaking the First Revision of the National Planning Framework. 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...

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

James Browne: Waterways Ireland is the North South Body responsible for the management and maintenance of more than 1000km of Ireland's inland waterways including the river Shannon, the Shannon Erne Waterway, Erne System, the Barrow, the Royal and Grand Canals and the Lower Bann Navigation. Waterways Ireland is funded by my Department and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. Works...

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

James Browne: My Department does not provide allocations to Local Authorities for social housing. Rather funding is provided in respect of the ongoing funding commitments arising on social housing projects such as new builds, turnkeys and regeneration. This means that the greater the level of social housing delivery the greater the level of funding my Department provides. In respect of refurbishments...

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

James Browne: 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. Proposals for measures to help scale up delivery further are being considered in the context of the development of the new national housing plan, to follow Housing for All, as committed to in the...

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

James Browne: The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) published a research paper in February 2025, which explores the investment requirements for energy efficiency upgrades in the private rental sector. The research was funded by my Department, under a joint programme the Department operates with the ESRI. The ERSI’s research is a valuable contribution to our understanding of future...

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 preventing and ultimately eliminating long term homelessness, and that unquestionably must be the priority for all local authorities including Fingal County Council. My Department is continuing to providing substantial...

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

James Browne: The EU Short Term Rental (STR) Regulation was adopted by the EU on 11 April 2024 and is applicable from 20 May 2026. This Regulation lays down harmonised rules on the collection and exchange of data on short-term rental services for member states, hosts providing short-term accommodation rental services, and online platforms that offer services to hosts providing short-term accommodation...

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

James Browne: Under Housing for All, last year, Government approved new national housing targets up to the year 2030. 303,000 homes will aim to be delivered in the period from 2025 to 2030, equating to an annual average of 50,500 homes, building up to 60,000 in 2030. The revised targets were informed by research and modelling by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) on population projections...

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 preventing and ultimately eliminating long term homelessness, and that unquestionably must be the priority for all local authorities including Dublin City Council. My Department is continuing to providing substantial financial...

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

James Browne: The DCB Scheme is neither a redress nor a compensation scheme, rather it is a grant scheme of last resort to enable affected homeowners remediate their homes. The approach taken under the Pyrite Remediation Scheme (PRS) was considered in the development of the DCB Grant Scheme. However, due to the different scale of both schemes and the flexibility sought by DCB homeowners, the DCB Grant...

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

James Browne: In December 2023, Minister O'Brien approved more than €45 million of funding for pilot projects under my Department's Multi-annual Rural Water Programme for the waste water collection and treatment needs for villages without access to public waste water services. Following this approval my Department wrote directly to Clare County Council confirming a funding contribution of almost...

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

James Browne: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants of local authority houses that are available for sale under the scheme. The scheme is underpinned by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015, as amended by the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2023. The regulations...

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

James Browne: Restrictions on cutting hedgerows are set out in Section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976, as amended. This Act stipulates that it is an offence to destroy vegetation on uncultivated land between 1 March and 31 August each year. It is a significant legal protection for our hedgerows and recognises the importance of this habitat for many species and as wildlife corridors. Good quality hedgerows are...

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

James Browne: 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. This is demonstrated by the record level of investment which is being provided for the delivery of Housing in 2025, with overall capital funding available of €6.8 billion. The capital provision is...

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

James Browne: The 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) 2023-2030 was published in January 2024 and sets out Ireland’s vision for biodiversity, that by 2050 ‘Biodiversity in Ireland is valued, conserved, restored and sustainably used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people’. The Plan strives for a...

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

James Browne: I assume 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 Éireann...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 238 and 239 together. Appendix 4 in the Revised Estimates of Expenditure (REV) relates to the Public Capital Programme of Voted and Non-Voted Estimates in relation to my Department. The €490m relates to Uisce Éireann’s own internal income/own resources and consists of budgeted commercial funding for 2025, which is made up of...