Results 341-360 of 7,010 for speaker:James Browne

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...

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

James Browne: As of the end of February 2025, 200 applications to the Interim Remediation Scheme (IRS) have been validated, having met the required eligibility criteria. These applications represent 19,048 residential units, located in 28 local authority areas, with circa 78% in the Dublin region. To support the implementation and increase the efficiency of the IRS, four pathfinder projects are...

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

James Browne: It is very welcome news that approval was received by Louth County Council on 24 February 2025 from An Bord Pleanála for the Westgate Vision project. The project is described as an Urban Regeneration project to transform the Westgate area of Drogheda and establish a positive regeneration dynamic in the broader town centre. In line with the objectives of the National Planning...

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

James Browne: The setting of pay and pension policy for the public sector is a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. However, my Department has general responsibility for pay and pension policy for the local government sector in consultation with that Department. Current policy is that retired employees of local authorities that are members of the Local Government...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 825 and 845 together. My Department provides funding to local authorities in respect of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People, to assist eligible people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants, which includes the Housing Adaptation Grant for Disabled People, the Mobility...

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

James Browne: The allocation of dwellings to qualified households is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation scheme made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations. A local authority may disregard the order of priority given to a household under an allocation scheme in certain exceptional circumstances. ...

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

James Browne: In line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan (NDP), the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) provides part-funding to applicant-led projects, enabling more compact and sustainable development within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and large towns, while also ensuring that more parts of our urban areas can become...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 831 and 865 together. 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 Service Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department supports fire authorities...