Results 601-620 of 7,010 for speaker:James Browne

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 546, 547, 548, 549 and 550 together. Waterways Ireland is a North South Implementation Body established under the British Irish Agreement of 10 April 1998. It is funded by my Department and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. I am informed that Waterways Ireland has identified the existence of more than four hundred alleged...

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

James Browne: The Local Authority Purchase and Renovation (LAPR) loan is an expansion of the Local Authority Home Loan, and supports the purchase and/or renovation of vacant or derelict homes which are eligible for the existing Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant. Decisions on individual applications are a matter for the Local Authority. The LAPR is for creditworthy first-time buyers and fresh start...

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

James Browne: I am fully aware that Architectural Technologists are an essential profession working to high standards in the construction sector. In general, the regulation of professions is in the first instance a matter for industry representatives working in consultation with relevant industry stakeholders. My Department has been engaging with the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists...

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

James Browne: On 25 April 2023, the Government approved additional measures under the Housing for All Action Plan to incentivise the activation of increased housing supply and help reduce housing construction costs, including the introduction of temporary time-limited arrangements for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions and the refunding of Uisce Éireann...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department is working with the appointed planner for the participant, to verify and process this payment in compliance with the terms and conditions of NPWS Farm Plan Scheme. Payment is expected to be made in the near future.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (25 Feb 2025)

James Browne: NPWS Farm Plan Scheme payments are scheduled to be processed on the anniversary date of each farm plan. However, certain payment requests may be submitted prior to this date. Payments are processed promptly upon receipt of the required documentation, which includes a compliance report and an application for payment. These are provided to the National Parks and Wildlife Service by the...

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

James Browne: The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2024, to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants. My Department does not hold the details sought. However, arrangements have been put in place to facilitate the...

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

James Browne: Recent Governments have introduced significant changes to the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 - 2024 (RTA) in the past number of years to enhance tenancy protections and increase the powers of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). The RTB was established as a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2024 (RTA) to regulate the rental sector;...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 560 and 561 together. Under Housing for All, the Government aims to deliver 47,600 new build social homes and a further 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. Under the plan, there was provision for 200 social housing acquisitions each year. However, for 2023 and 2024, the Government agreed that there would be increased...

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

James Browne: There are a broad range of funding and delivery mechanisms available to local authorities to deliver social and affordable housing and related supports in partnership with Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). The funding is primarily provided by my Department directly to local authorities, and to the Housing Agency in respect of the Cost Rental Equity Loan Scheme, who in turn release this funding...

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

James Browne: The Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme (LAAPS), as provided for under Part 2 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 (the Act), is the successor to various now-discontinued affordable schemes previously implemented through Local Authorities. All previous affordable housing schemes were stood down in 2011. The Affordable Housing (No.2) Regulations 2023 prescribe how the minimum purchase...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 569 and 570 together. Under the Vacant Site Levy provisions contained in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 (the Act), planning authorities were empowered to apply a vacant site levy of 3% of the market valuation of relevant properties which were listed on local authority vacant site registers in 2018, which relevant owners were liable to pay in...

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

James Browne: The information requested with respect to Land Development Agency (LDA) expenditure breakdowns relates to operational matters and as such is not held by my Department. Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (20 Feb 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take questions Nos. 230, 247, 248, 259 and 260 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (20 Feb 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take questions Nos. 231 and 232 together. 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 new scheme is now open to applications in five counties: Clare, Donegal, Limerick, Mayo and Sligo with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (20 Feb 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 Housing Agency acts as agent on behalf of the local authorities under the grant scheme. Once a home has met the damage threshold for entry to the scheme, the Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (20 Feb 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: Local Authorities (20 Feb 2025)

James Browne: My Department provides funding to local authorities under the Disabled Persons Grants scheme to carry out works on social housing stock to address the needs of older people, people with a disability or overcrowded situations. Typical works include adaptations such as stair-lifts, level deck showers, ramps and grab rails, widening door opening widths and improving circulation spaces....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (20 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government, as set out in Pathway 4 of Housing for All. Vacancy is a complex issue and there are a number of reasons why properties may become vacant or derelict. The findings of Census 2022 provided a range of such reasons, including that the previous owner is deceased, is living with relatives,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (20 Feb 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 2023, is available on my Department's website at The report shows that there were 967 households qualified for social...