Results 461-480 of 9,065 for speaker:James Browne

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

James Browne: The First Home Scheme is a shared equity scheme, designed to help bridge the gap for eligible first-time buyers, eligible homebuyers, and self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). Full details are available on the First Home Scheme website, www.firsthomescheme.ie/. The First Home Scheme...

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

James Browne: The funding system that applies to local authorities in Ireland is a complex one, as those authorities derive their income from a variety of sources including commercial rates, charges for goods and services and funding from Central Government including my Department but also other government departments and state agencies. Most of the funding from Central Government to local authorities must...

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

James Browne: Responsibility for energy policy, including fossil fuels and biofuels, is a matter for the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (DCEE). The current planning system, provides a sufficiently robust policy and legislative framework to facilitate the proper planning and sustainable development of large scale developments, which may be considered on a case-by-case basis in...

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

James Browne: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by Tailte Éireann under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2020.  While some property and land is exempt from rates (the full list of exempted properties is set out in Schedule 4 of the Valuation Acts 2001 to...

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

James Browne: Based on the funding drawn down by the local authorities from my Department, the table below sets out the average costs for Part V properties acquired by each local authority as new social homes in 2023 and 2024. It does not include data on Part V properties for social housing acquired by AHBs. Individual local authority and annual data can be influenced by individual transactions for Part...

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

James Browne: Specific delivery costs per unit are variable and can greatly differ between both the affordable schemes themselves and the typology, location and overall layout of the developments in question. The maximum funding available to Approved Housing Bodies under the Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) scheme is 55% of the capital costs, split between a CREL loan of up to 35% and equity of up to...

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

James Browne: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support available for people who have a long-term housing need. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of Q1 2025, almost 127,000 HAP tenancies had been set-up...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1252 and 1253 together. There are currently three defects remediation schemes operating; namely, the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme, the Pyrite Remediation Scheme, and the Interim Remediation Scheme. The Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme applies to the owners of dwellings located in Donegal, Mayo, Clare, Limerick and Sligo which are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (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 housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level.  Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual housing authorities.  My Department does not fund any homeless...

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

James Browne: Continuing to increase the supply of new homes is key to meeting need and addressing many of the challenges currently facing the housing market. Supply has increased significantly in recent years. Some 140,000 new homes have been delivered since July 2020, with 92,400 of these delivered between 2022 and 2024 inclusive, exceeding the combined target for the period by 5,400 or so.  New...

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

James Browne: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is available to all eligible households throughout the State. Under HAP, a tenant sources their own accommodation in the private rented market. The tenancy agreement is between the tenant and the landlord and is governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, as amended. HAP supported tenancies are afforded...

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

James Browne: I can confirm that a response to your representation issued on 2 September, and that response contained the most current and accurate information available.

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1263, 1299, 1300 and 1320 together. Storm Éowyn was named by the UK Met Office on Tuesday 21 January 2025, the fifth named storm of the 2024-25 windstorm season.  Widespread red and orange weather warnings were issued across Ireland and the United Kingdom ahead of the rapidly strengthening storm.  Ireland experienced one of its most...

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

James Browne: Storm Éowyn was named by the UK Met Office on Tuesday 21 January 2025, the fifth named storm of the 2024-25 windstorm season. Widespread red and orange weather warnings were issued across Ireland and the United Kingdom ahead of the rapidly strengthening storm. Ireland experienced one of its most damaging, dangerous and destructive weather events with gale force/storm force winds,...

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

James Browne: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2024, is available on my Department's website, along with all summaries since 2011...

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

James Browne: The day-to-day operation of the social housing system is primarily a matter for local authorities. Accordingly, details regarding the allocation of social housing by local authorities to qualified households are not held by my Department. This information could be sought directly from Kerry County Council.

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1269 and 1270 together. My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority. This data is available to the end of Q1 2025, and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s...

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

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) was commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The Appeals Panel has been established to assess appeals made under the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the use of Defective Concrete (DCB) Blocks Grant Scheme. The...

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

James Browne: I refer to the reply to Dáil Question No. 834 of 9 September 2024 which was provided by my colleague, Minister Darragh O’Brien TD, and the reply to Dáil Question No.  8331 of 26 February 2025 regarding the situation at Somerton Park, Ballinlough Road, Cork and I can confirm that the position remains unchanged. As outlined in the responses issued by my Department, the...

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

James Browne: I assume the question is referring to the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards. My Department provides annual funding to Chambers Ireland for the running of these Awards. The Awards are an opportunity to highlight the innovative work of local authorities all across the country. Last year, a total of 98 local authority projects were shortlisted across a broad variety of...