Results 361-380 of 7,615 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (14 May 2025)

James Browne: Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government, as set out in Pathway 4 of Housing for All. The Vacant Homes Action Plan – Progress Report 2025, launched in March, sets out the significant progress that has been achieved across government under objectives contained in Pathway 4 of Housing for All in 2024 and the further steps...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Election Management System (14 May 2025)

James Browne: Local authorities, in their capacity as registration authorities, are responsible for the management and maintenance of the electoral register. It is the duty of each authority to ensure, as far as possible, and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and completeness of the Register in respect of its own administrative area. The Electoral Reform Act 2022 provided for significant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (14 May 2025)

James Browne: 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 Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Coastal Erosion (14 May 2025)

James Browne: It is clear that climate change is causing significant challenges for the entire planet, with many areas already experiencing more frequent extreme weather events, changes in rainfall patterns, and changes in temperature norms. Ireland is not immune from these challenges. In particular, the predictions for sea level rise this century, associated with increasing temperatures due to...

Housing and Critical Infrastructure: Motion [Private Members] (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I thank all the Deputies for their contributions. I echo the comments made by the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, and reassert the Government's commitment to tackling challenges in the housing sector and with regard to critical infrastructure. We know these challenges are having a very real impact on people's lives. We understand the urgency and the need to ensure sufficient homes are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rural Schemes (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 651, 675 and 676 together. The Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP) is the main funding stream providing capital funding to address the challenges faced by rural dwellers with their water services. Under the MARWP there is one specific measure that is providing funding to local authorities for projects to address the wastewater collection and treatment...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 652 and 782 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 653, 654, 707 and 708 together. While the Planning and Development Act 2024 was enacted in October 2024, it is not yet commenced and the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended and associated Planning and Development Regulations 2001 remain in force. A review of the current Exempted Development Regulations is ongoing and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (13 May 2025)

James Browne: A Government decision in December 2023 agreed that a working group should be established to examine a sustainable funding model for the LDA, and that it will report to the Housing for All Investment Group. The Housing for All Investment Group is chaired by the Department of Finance and the Department of An Taoiseach is the secretariat to the group. The Terms of Reference consist of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (13 May 2025)

James Browne: Part 9 of the Land Development Agency Act 2021 provides that planning permission will be granted for residential development on land that was relevant public land on 1 January 2023 on condition that a certain percentage of dwellings on the land are designated and leased as cost rental, or, transferred to the ownership of the planning authority, or, to a Local Authority Affordable Purchase...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (13 May 2025)

James Browne: A flagship element of Project Ireland 2040, the €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is supporting a programme of significant transformational capital projects that will contribute to the regeneration and development of Ireland’s five cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and the National Development...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (13 May 2025)

James Browne: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities. To assist in ensuring...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rural Schemes (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 663, 664, 665, 666, 667, 668, 669, 670 and 671 together. In relation to the issues raised, the Deputy will be aware that the revised National Planning Framework (NPF) was approved by Government and both Houses of the Oireachtas in April 2025 and sets out an all-of-Government high level vision for the future development of our country to 2040. The NPF...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 672, 673 and 674 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Climate Action Plan (13 May 2025)

James Browne: The Climate Action Mandate requires my Department to demonstrate, in practice, that we can contribute directly to Ireland’s commitments on climate action. In line with the requirements of the mandate my Department has developed a Climate Action Roadmap which details how we aim to meet its 2030 carbon and energy efficiency targets and how we are implementing the requirements of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 678 and 679 together. My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Child Protection (13 May 2025)

James Browne: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities. Addressing homelessness...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (13 May 2025)

James Browne: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual local authorities. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (13 May 2025)

James Browne: My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on social housing delivery activity in all local authority areas on the statistics page of its website. Data in relation to HAP funding and tenancies to end of Q4 2024 can be found on my Department’s website at this link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provis ion/#housing-assistance-payment. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (13 May 2025)

James Browne: Under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. Since 11 July 2022, each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up...