Results 561-580 of 7,010 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 498 and 499 together. Government maintains a strong focus on the use of vacant and underutilised public land for housing. The transfer of over 30 state owned sites to the Land Development Agency (LDA) for regeneration and development of affordable and social housing has now been agreed under the Government’s Housing for All Plan, and following...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: In September 2021, social housing targets were issued to each local authority for the period 2022-2026. Under Housing for All, local authorities are responsible for approximately 60% of new build social homes (including homes delivered under Part V) and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are responsible for approximately 40% of new build delivery (also including homes delivered under Part V)....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: My Department jointly published the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People (NHSDP) 2022-2027 with the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in January 2022 and jointly published the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 – 2027 Implementation Plan on 22 June 2023. The Strategy and Implementation Plan may be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: My Department jointly published the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027 with the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in January 2022 and the Implementation Plan for the Strategy on 22 June 2023. The Strategy and Implementation Plan may be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: . The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 503 and 506 together. 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 or she is responsible. Section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions. Local authorities have broad 'general competence' to take action in relation to local matters, such as accessibility improvements, with little direct involvement of Central Government.The Disability Act 2005 places a statutory obligation on public...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions. Local authorities have broad “general competence” to take action in relation to local matters, such as the organisation of events, with little direct involvement of Central Government. The Disability Act 2005 places a statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (25 Feb 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: Water Services (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Government’s Policy Paper on Water Sector Transformation sets the vision for water services based on the full integration of water services into Uisce Éireann as the national water services authority. The transition of public water services from local authorities to Uisce Éireann is due to be completed by the end of 2026. The costs to local authorities for providing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Consultations (25 Feb 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: Housing Provision (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: All new dwellings must comply with building regulations, the aim of which is to provide for the safety and welfare of people in and about buildings. The Building Regulations set out the minimum requirements for the construction of new buildings and certain works to existing buildings. Part L of the Building Regulations-Conservation of Fuel and Energy implemented the requirements for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended, prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority in different bands according to the area concerned, with income defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. The policy provides for a range of income disregards and local authorities have discretion to disregard income that is temporary, short-term...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The former Government agreed on 7 March 2023 that the ‘Winter Emergency Period’ under the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022 would come to an end on 31 March 2023, with deferred tenancy terminations taking effect over a staggered period from 1 April to 18 June 2023 as planned and legislated for under that Act. When the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) aims to retrofit a local authority home to a BER rating of B2. It is expected that 36,500 local authority owned homes will be retrofitted under this programme out to 2030. The programme has been devised in a way to give local authorities a level of flexibility when selecting properties to retrofit, ranging from those requiring minor levels of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Procurement Contracts (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The information sought is not readily available and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work. In accordance with the Freedom of Information publication scheme, my department maintains a contracts register for contracts with a value in excess of €25,000 (excl. VAT). The register is published on an annual basis at . The 2024 contracts register is currently...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Procurement Contracts (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The information sought is not readily available and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work. In accordance with the Freedom of Information publication scheme, my Department maintains a contracts register for contracts with a value in excess of €25,000 (excl. VAT). The register is published on an annual basis at . The 2024 contracts register is currently...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 517, 518, 567 and 568 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: All development proposals require planning permission unless they are specifically exempted under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the 2000 Act) or the supplementary Planning and Development Regulations, 2001, as amended (the 2001 Regulations). When a person submits a planning application for a house (including modular housing or log cabins) under section 34 of the 2000...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Government has set ambitious housing targets for the period from 2025 to 2030. The measures introduced under Housing for All provide an excellent platform for delivery. The focus now is to achieve a further step-change and that will provide an uplift to 300,000 new homes by 2030. The measures under Housing for All are supporting innovation in construction to improve the pace and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (25 Feb 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 of...