Results 21-40 of 7,615 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (11 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The overall aim of the Urban Development Zone process under Part 22 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 is to provide for an updated and more flexible approach to the masterplanning and delivery of areas with significant potential for large scale development and the associated necessary infrastructure, replacing the provisions providing for the Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) process...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Policy (11 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Lough Neagh is the largest freshwater body in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with an area of 383km² and a shoreline of 125 km in length. It is a cross border catchment with a surface area of 5,787km², with just over 6% (374km²) located within the Republic of Ireland. This large catchment encompasses around 43% of the land area in Northern Ireland and is home to over 40% of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (11 Jun 2025)

James Browne: A flagship element of Project Ireland 2040, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) was one of four funds established under the National Development Plan (NDP) 2018 – 2027. Launched in 2018 with committed Exchequer funding of €2 billion, the review of the NDP in 2021 extended the URDF programme to 2030. To date, there have been three rounds ('calls') of funding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (11 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Interim Remediation Scheme (Scheme) was opened in December 2023 for the funding of emergency fire safety defect works in apartments and duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013. A total of €20 million was allocated to this area for 2025. The Scheme provides for the full funding of eligible interim measures in order to provide an acceptable level of fire safety in buildings,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (11 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The drafting of the Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Bill is progressing. Various issues requiring legal advice are under consideration. The Bill is included in the Government Legislation Summer Programme 2025 and I intend to seek Government approval to publish shortly. Subject to this approval, the General Scheme will be made available to undergo pre-legislative scrutiny. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electricity Supply Board (11 Jun 2025)

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

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Meetings (11 Jun 2025)

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

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (11 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Under section 106 of the Local Government Act 2001, local authority borrowing must be agreed by the elected members of a local authority (by passing a resolution); and must be sanctioned by the appropriate Minister. In addition, as part of Ireland’s obligations under the Maastricht Treaty regarding general government deficit and debt and the requirements of the revised Economic...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (11 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this end,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Election Management System (11 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 to 178, inclusive, together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (11 Jun 2025)

James Browne: From time to time my Department engages Consultants/Consultancy bodies. My Department does not have visibility on all of the staffing of such bodies including whether retired officials may be engaged within those bodies and therefore does not hold information on whether retired officials are re-engaged as consultants or as part of consultancy contracts. However, in tendering and putting...

Vacant Council Housing: Motion [Private Members] (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Vótáil.

Vacant Council Housing: Motion [Private Members] (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I thank all Members for their contributions. I echo the comments made by the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, and reassert this Government's commitment to tackling the challenges in the housing sector. I will highlight the steps being taken by the Government to minimise vacancy and to ensure strategic and informed programmes of planned maintenance work for local authority housing are...

Vacant Council Housing: Motion [Private Members] (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: -----submitted by a local authority does not exclude €11,000. In addition, and where turnaround times are not impacted, local authorities can also complete the suite of works applicable to the energy efficiency retrofit programme on a vacant dwelling with additional funding up to a maximum of €48,850. There is evidence to suggest, however, that while re-letting costs are...

Vacant Council Housing: Motion [Private Members] (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: It did not have the money to put in stairs.

Vacant Council Housing: Motion [Private Members] (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: It did not have the money to put in stairs. Is the Deputy having a laugh? This is the problem. The local authority should be putting in those stairs.

Vacant Council Housing: Motion [Private Members] (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Deputy should think about what he is saying. These voids should not be there. The local authorities have the ability and wherewithal to resolve the issue.

Vacant Council Housing: Motion [Private Members] (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Government has in the past given them the money to do so. The funding available from my Department under the planned maintenance voids programme is available to support minimal turnaround times, with all local authorities moving to a position of aligning works with the criteria of the relevant regulations and meeting their legal obligations as a landlord. This will limit the impact of...

Vacant Council Housing: Motion [Private Members] (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Deputy comes in and blames the Government for allowing that to happen.

Vacant Council Housing: Motion [Private Members] (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: It is madness and should not be happening. Of course, in line with local authorities' best practice and with regard to rental standards, whether a house is old or has a long-standing tenant in situ, it should be inspected and improvement works carried out at regular intervals to prevent excessive maintenance costs and delay when the property becomes vacant. To that end, my Department and...