Results 381-400 of 9,065 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (17 Sep 2025)

James Browne: 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. A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000. In order to qualify for the grant,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (17 Sep 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 702, 703, 704 and 705 together. In 2021, following the second call for proposals under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), a provisional allocation of €11,027,500 in URDF support was announced for Mayo County Council's two successful proposals – the Castlebar Historic Core Reactivation Initiative (€8,527,500) and works to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Human Rights (17 Sep 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 706 and 707 together. In January 2024, Government approved the priority legal drafting of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill which seeks to amend the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 by making provision for residency and habitual residency as an eligibility criteria for social housing support. The General Scheme of the Bill was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (17 Sep 2025)

James Browne: The Programme for Government commits to introducing statutory timelines for pre-connections, and water / wastewater connection agreements to ensure large developments can proceed without delay, and establishing a new procedure for large developments above 100 units where a developer can meet local authority planners and Uisce Éireann on site to iron out issues at pre-planning stage. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (17 Sep 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 & 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (17 Sep 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 712, 713, 714, 715, 716, 717 and 718 together. The Cork Events Centre (CEC), which will provide a venue for concerts, conferences, community events and contribute to the economic and social development of Cork and the Southern Region, was included as a Government commitment under the revised National Development Plan in 2021. The Government decision of 22...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Eighteen priority areas have been identified nationally for the development of Domestic Violence Refuges. These projects, which are supported through my Department's Capital Assistance Scheme and by Cuan (the State agency for Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence), are at various stages of progress. The first of these, the Wexford Women’s Refuge, was completed in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: I am satisfied there are no undue delays processing claims from local authorities for approved acquisitions funded via the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS). That said, while a small number of safe homes may have been funded directly via CAS in the past, groups sourcing, providing and operating safe homes for victims of domestic violence are supported to do so by Cuan, the State agency for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Eighteen priority areas have been identified nationally for the development of Domestic Violence Refuges. These projects are being supported through my Department's Capital Assistance Scheme and by Cuan, the State agency for Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence. CAS provides up to 100% capital funding to Approved Housing Bodies to advance Domestic Violence Refuge projects in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: The Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ (CRTiS) scheme was introduced on 1 April 2023 for tenants in private rental homes who are not in receipt of social housing supports but are at risk of homelessness because a landlord has served a valid Notice of Termination due to an intention to sell the property. The Local Authority conducts the initial assessment for eligibility of the tenant for this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: The scale of defects in apartments and duplexes is significant.  My predecessor Minister O'Brien established a Working Group to examine defects in housing in February 2021.  The Working Group, reporting at the end of July 2022, estimated that between 50% and 80% of apartments and duplexes (or associated common areas) constructed between 1991 and 2013 may be affected by one or more...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: My Department assesses, approves and records local authority social housing delivery on a project basis, rather than on the basis of individual unit types. However, as Social Housing Investment Programme funded construction projects by local authorities must, like all publicly-funded construction programmes, comply with the Infrastructure Guidelines (Public Spending Code) and Capital Works...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Housing for All includes measures to support local authorities to acquire the necessary land required in order to meet social and affordable targets. As part of the measures Local Authorities began updating and providing details of their respective landbanks. The National Social Housing Data Map was established by the Department in conjunction with the Local Authorities to capture this data....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: There are over 450 residential estates across the country that rely on developer provided infrastructure (DPI) for wastewater services and have not yet been taken in charge by Uisce Éireann. The information reflects point-in-time data provided by local authorities to my Department in April 2023. Following the Government decision effective 1 January 2024, Uisce Éireann, as the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 requires private developers to ensure that a specified percentage of land zoned for residential and other uses is reserved for social and affordable housing. Local authorities negotiate Part V agreements with the developer in line with a range of guidelines and supports aimed at assisting them in maximising the benefits of Part V in the context...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: My Department publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR), on a quarterly basis. The CSR provides details of social housing developments and their location that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. The most recent publication was for Quarter 1 2025. All CSRs are available at the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Health and Safety (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: The housing estates referenced in the Question are among a number of developments across the country that continue to rely on Developer Provided Infrastructure (DPI) for their water services. As these estates have not yet been taken in charge, their water services are not connected to the public Uisce Éireann network and remain privately owned. To support the resolution of this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: The specific query relates to a private individuals application under Capital Assistance Scheme however this would appear to be in error as private individuals cannot make applications under the Capital Assistance Scheme. It is recommended that the matter be checked with Kerry County Council who may be in a position to provide some clarity on what the specific individual has applied for and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (8 Sep 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. Under the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (8 Sep 2025)

James Browne: Under the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme, applications are assessed by an independent Expert Panel against the published criteria, including cost-effectiveness and other factors. The application referred to in the details supplied was considered by the Panel but was not recommended for funding. I accepted that recommendation. My Department has provided detailed feedback on this...