Results 21-40 of 7,010 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 267 and 268 together. My Department is working to progress the housing actions in the Programme for Government, including the commitment to establish a new Strategic Housing Activation Office in my Department to help coordinate and accelerate home building by unblocking infrastructure delays. The establishment of the Strategic Housing Activation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Water Supply Project – East and Midlands Region (WSP-EMR) is a strategic national project, included in the National Development Plan, to help meet the long-term water supply requirements for the Eastern and Midlands region. The Preliminary Business Case (PBC) received government approval on 25 June 2024 and currently moving through the next stage of the Infrastructure...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Government is acutely aware of the housing challenges faced by many sectors of society. Housing for All is the most ambitious and comprehensive housing plan in the history of the State. The Plan contains a suite of actions that have and continue to increase the provision of housing through accelerating supply and increasing the affordability of homes for our citizens. A list of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 271 and 272 together. I refer to my reply to Question Number 150 of the 9 April which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 273, 274, 275 and 277 together. The allocation of local authority dwellings, including the prioritisation of certain categories of 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. This legislation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department has an advisory role with regard to the protection and management of our built heritage which is set out in Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. This act gives primary responsibility to planning authorities to protect the architectural heritage in their functional area. My Department has produced ‘Architectural Heritage Protection: Guidelines...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant introduced in July 2022, provides a grant of up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent. A top-up grant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department has developed and published a data strategy. This will enable and support the wider digital transformation programme of the Department towards 2030. The strategy has five goals and a range of actions to support the better use and management of data. The data strategy is available on my Department's website at the following link:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 283 and 282 together. My Department does not have any projects underway with CeADAR, Ireland’s national centre for AI. Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective system to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department has recently concluded a program of work with EY and Microsoft to assess if a Microsoft AI product, specifically Copilot for Power BI, could enhance the flexibility and capability of the Housing For All reporting service that is available through the Insights data platform. The outputs are still in evaluation internally and is not operational at present. If it is further...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department recognises the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in improving public services, enhancing productivity, and supporting evidence-based decision making. My Department provides funding and encourages staff to consider AI Training to ensure they have the necessary skills and understanding to use AI responsibly and effectively. The courses offered align with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Correspondence (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 286 and 287 together. My office, and those of my colleagues, Minister of State Alan Dillon and Minister of State Malcolm Noonan, received an exceptionally high number of emails and letters in hard copy from a range of sources on a wide variety of matters in 2024. Accordingly, it is not possible to determine the number of those emails or letters that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Functions (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department is committed to continuously adapting and improving its structures and processes so that its organisational structure, culture, governance, processes and technology, together with a learning culture, support the delivery of its strategic goals. In pursuit of this commitment, over the past several years my Department has focused on delivery of several strategies and action...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Ready to Build Scheme, funded by the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, to support addressing vacancy, was launched in September 2022. Under the Scheme, local authorities can make vacant serviced sites in towns and villages available to potential individual purchasers to build a home. Under the scheme, local authorities identify suitable vacant sites in their ownership or purchase...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Údaráis Áitiúla (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: Faoi Alt 159 den Acht Rialtais Áitiúil 2001, tá gach Príomhfheidhmeannach freagrach as na socruithe foirne agus eagrúcháin atá riachtanach chun tabhairt faoi fheidhmeanna an údaráis áitiúil a bhfuil sé/sí freagrach as. Foráiltear le halt 63(3) den Acht Rialtais Áitiúil 2001, faoi réir an dlí, go...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Parking Provision (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: There are several car parks within Glenveagh National Park. The main visitor centre car park has tarred roadways and coach parking which were last resurfaced in 2023 with the adjacent parking spaces gravelled. The design purpose of this split in surfacing materials is to improve drainage and reduce the volume of surface run off. In 2022/23 a new overflow car park was built onto the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policies (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: In early 2019, legislative amendments to provisions relating to placename changes in Part 18 of the amended Local Government Act 2001 were commenced. At the same time, previous provisions under local government legislation for the changing of placenames were repealed, and replaced by provisions in the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011, amending Part 18 of the 2001 Act, which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Sites (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department funds a range of grant schemes for the repair and conservation of protected structures and certain other historic buildings. The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) provides grants of between €2,500 and €50,000 for a wide range of conservation works; the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) provides grants of between €50,000 and €200,000 for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 153 and 154 together. Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the performance of their functions and the discharge of their governance and other responsibilities. Elected members have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which includes adopting the annual...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mayoral Election (9 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The 2022 Dublin Citizens’ Assembly was asked to consider the type of directly elected mayor and local government structures best suited for Dublin. Its final report was presented to the then Taoiseach in January 2023. In June 2023, the Houses of the Oireachtas referred the report to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage for consideration of its...