Results 41-60 of 7,615 for speaker:James Browne

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

James Browne: The move to the planned maintenance approach for stock management and maintenance is crucial in this regard to ensure that local authorities can maximise the funding available from relevant stock improvement programmes by only completing the measures applicable with the housing standards for rented housing regulations when a property becomes vacant. Providing cyclical maintenance over the...

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

James Browne: -----provided a maximum average is maintained across the local authority's programme.

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

James Browne: Given the legal responsibility on local authorities with regard to management and maintenance, they play an important role to ensure adequate budgetary provision for the purpose of housing repairs and cyclical maintenance from their rental income. The funding my Department provides is supplementary rather than available to fully replace local authorities' own self-funding. Returning to...

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

James Browne: That is not a Government responsibility but a local authority responsibility.

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

James Browne: We will continue doing everything in our power to minimise turnaround times, as referenced in the programme for Government, with the proposed introduction of a new voids programme to support local authorities to ensure their homes comply with the relevant standards and to provide good comfort levels for their tenants and implement strategic programmes for planned maintenance informed by stock...

Housing: Statements (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I very much welcome the opportunity to come before the House this evening to speak on housing matters. I take this opportunity to thank all of the Members who contributed this evening to the important, worthwhile and very interesting debate. First, I echo the contributions of the Ministers of State, Deputies O'Sullivan and Cummins, earlier and reassert the Government's commitment and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Not for existing tenancies.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Not for existing tenancies.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Flood Risk Management (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Planning System and Flood Risk Management Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2009) were prepared jointly by my Department and the OPW and were issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The Guidelines provide for the incorporation of flood risk identification, assessment and management in the planning process. Planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Water Action Plan 2024 published by my Department sets out a roadmap to restore Ireland’s water bodies to ‘good status’ or better and to protect water from any further deterioration. In some instances, water bodies have been physically modified in the past to serve a beneficial specified use to society such as; a drinking water abstraction, a hydroelectric scheme,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 737, 839, 841, 850 and 869 together. At present, the Minister for Justice and his Department continue to have responsibility for the oversight of Owner Management Companies (OMCs) and related regulations. Under Housing for All, so as to ensure that OMCs are financially sustainable, the Department of Justice, in collaboration with my Department is committed...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The local authority Development Plan is the principal planning strategy document which sets out the relevant policies and objectives to guide the physical development of each city and county over a six-year period and is required to be consistent with the National Planning Framework (NPF) and the relevant Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy. The Revised NPF was approved by Government...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policies (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: My Department launched its blended working policy in June 2022, based on the centrally agreed blended working Framework. A phased rollout of blended working arrangements took place from September 2022 to March 2023. Staff with suitable roles, performance and remote workstations are eligible to apply for blended working. The current blended working model is 3 days per week in the office...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The clear focus of Government is to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes. Increasing the overall housing supply is key to addressing the housing challenge and in particular preventing and ultimately eliminating long term homelessness. My Department operates a number of funding programmes that assist local authorities to work in partnership with Approved Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (10 Jun 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. The amount of rates liable on a property is determined by multiplying the valuation of the property set by Tailte Éireann by the Annual Rate on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Inquiries (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 742, 756, 757 and 766 together. The drafting of the Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Bill is progressing. Various issues requiring legal advice have been sought and are under consideration. It is included in the Government Legislation Summer Programme 2025 and I intend to seek Government approval to publish shortly. Subject to this approval,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Issues (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Water Action Plan 2024 published by my Department sets out a roadmap to restore Ireland’s water bodies to ‘good status’ or better and to protect water from any further deterioration. In some instances, water bodies have been physically modified in the past to serve a beneficial specified use to society such as; a drinking water abstraction, a hydroelectric scheme,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 744, 745 and 799 together. The drafting of the Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Bill is progressing. Various issues requiring legal advice have been sought and are under consideration. It is included in the Government Legislation Summer Programme 2025 and I intend to seek Government approval to publish shortly. Subject to this approval, the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The concept of a Housing Passport, intended to facilitate eligible social housing applicants to access social housing in any local authority of their preference has been considered by my Department in consultation with local authorities. An initial scoping exercise was carried out by my Department which identified a range of practical and administrative issues, including those related to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Information on the total number of publicly owned Health Service Executive (HSE) buildings and lands is not held or collated by my Department. With regard to buildings and land held by public bodies, such as the HSE, I should point out that they are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the performance of their functions and the discharge of their...