Results 481-500 of 6,997 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (4 Mar 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 rejuvenation 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: Departmental Policies (4 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Pursuant to a commitment in 'Housing for All', a review of the Payment and Availability-Capital Advance Leasing Facility (P&A-CALF) Scheme was conducted and a report published in 2023. The review occurred against the backdrop of certain local authorities, mainly in the West and North West, finding it very difficult to achieve viability under the then P&A-CALF funding model...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (4 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The zoning of land for particular purposes, including housing, is an exercise undertaken by planning authorities as part of their overall statutory plan function generally as part of a development plan under sections 9 to 13 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended), but can at present also be carried out as part of a local area plan (LAP) process. The making of a development...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (4 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The process for taking in charge of housing estates is a reserved function of the elected members of local authorities in accordance with Section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the 2000 Act). Section 261 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 (the 2024 Act) which is not yet commenced, maintains taking in charge as a reserved function of the elected members under...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (4 Mar 2025)

James Browne: A household’s qualification for social housing support may be reviewed at any time at the discretion of a local authority, as part of the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA) or where the local authority becomes aware of changes in the household's circumstances. It will also be assessed at the point of allocating support. Households deemed to exceed the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Investigations (4 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme introduced in 2012 is targeted at those households in mortgage arrears who have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process. In order for a borrower to qualify for the MTR scheme, the mortgage, property and household must meet detailed eligibility criteria, including being eligible for social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Septic Tanks (4 Mar 2025)

James Browne: My Departments’ Rural Water Programme provides grant support to households in specific circumstances where capital works are required to rectify defective Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (DWWTS), including septic tanks. The purpose of these grants is to provide financial assistance to reduce the environmental impact from defective septic tanks and to protect human health....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (4 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I refer to the reply to Question No. 768 of 22 January 2025 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (4 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Additional capital funding of €450m was agreed by Government for the approval of projects to deliver social, affordable and cost rental homes. Under this funding, some 3,000 new homes are expected to be delivered over the period 2025-2027, of which, 2,261 new homes will be delivered through the Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) and the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF). A further 734...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (4 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 442, 444 and 448 together. The Tenant in Situ Acquisitions Programme was introduced by way of Government decision in 2023. It was originally intended as a short term response to the reported uplift in sales by landlords of homes which were within the HAP and RAS schemes in order to prevent potential homelessness where other solutions could not be found for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Equipment (4 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility, under section 7 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013, for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation. As Minister, I have no role in their operational matters. I have, however, made enquiries and have been informed that Uisce Éireann is the largest consumer of energy in the State and depends heavily on electricity...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Schemes (4 Mar 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: Electoral Process (4 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Under electoral law, in order to be able to vote at electoral events in Ireland, a person's name must be entered in the register of electors for a constituency in the State in which the person ordinarily resides. With some exceptions (mainly postal and special voters) all persons must attend in person to vote at their local polling station. Irish citizens ordinarily resident outside the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (4 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Eligibility for tenancies in Cost Rental homes is primarily determined by the net household income of applicants, which is assessed at the point of application. In August 2023, the Government increased the net household income limits to €66,000 for Cost Rental homes in Dublin and €59,000 elsewhere. These limits were introduced across the Cost Rental sector from 1 August 2023 by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policies (4 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The issues outlined by the national organisation and which are relevant to my Department, are currently being engaged on very constructively directly with the organisation in question and that engagement will continue in coming weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (4 Mar 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 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 vacant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Process (4 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The Marine Protected Areas Bill is at an advanced stage of drafting. It is intended to finalise this draft as soon as possible and seek government approval to publish the Bill this year. Most of the outstanding technical issues have been resolved. However there are still a small number currently under consideration. The draft Bill will also need revision to reflect new Ministerial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (4 Mar 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 rejuvenation 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: Departmental Communications (4 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 453 and 454 together. Stakeholder engagement plays a key role in the planning system, enabling planning authorities to have due regard to the policies of government departments and state agencies, thereby ensuring effective decision-making at local level that is consistent with government policy and national and regional policy objectives. Under...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (4 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The Programme for Government commits to introducing a new, all-of-government national housing plan to build on the robust platform laid by Housing for All and to support delivery of more than 300,000 new homes by the end of 2030. A number of priority actions from the Programme for Government with the potential to make the most immediate impact, including establishing a Strategic Housing...