Results 621-640 of 9,065 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Government is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social, affordable and cost rental homes at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures. This is demonstrated by the record level of investment which is being provided for the delivery of Housing in 2025, with overall capital funding available of €6.8 billion. The capital provision is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Under the Programme for Government published in January 2025, the Government has committed to introduce a new national housing plan to follow "Housing for All", including a new Starter Home programme across the public, private and AHB sector which promotes home ownership and secures long-term rental tenures for young people and fresh start applicants. My Department is currently examining that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Capital Expenditure Programme (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Details of the total gross capital expenditure from my Department’s Vote for the years 2020-2024 are set out in the attached PDF. It should be noted that the 2024 outturn figures are provisional and may be subject to minor amendments. Final outturn figures will be set out in the 2024 Appropriation Account to be published later this year following the audit by the Comptroller and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Supporting individuals and families experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness is a priority for Government. Critical to addressing homelessness is increasing the supply of housing. A record level of capital investment is being provided in 2025 with overall capital funding available of almost €6.8 billion to support the delivery of social, affordable and cost rental...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Planning and Development Act 2024 (Act of 2024) introduces a number of key reforms to the planning process that will assist the delivery of housing, including:the introduction of mandatory statutory time periods for decisions on all consent processes including, for the first time, for An Coimisiún Pleanála - to give confidence and certainty to both the public and stakeholders...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. There are over 150,000 local authority homes in the state and the ambition is to have...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mayoral Election (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Part 6 of the Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2024 makes provision for a local authority, including Cork City Council, to hold a plebiscite on the question of whether to have a directly elected Mayor with executive functions for their administrative area. A plebiscite of the electors of an administrative area may be proposed in three ways: 1. where a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reviews (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The declaration of qualification for posts in the local government sector is a power given to me as Minister for Housing Local Government and Heritage under section 160 (1) (a) of the Local Government Act. My Department keeps existing qualifications under review and will, where necessary, and in consultation with the local government sector and unions, propose changes to existing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (29 Jul 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: National Planning Framework (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: On 20 June 2023, Government gave approval to commence the process of undertaking the First Revision of the National Planning Framework. The National Planning Framework (NPF), is the whole-of-Government strategy for strategic planning and sustainable development of our urban and rural areas to 2040, with the core objectives of securing balanced regional development and a sustainable...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: There is a commitment in the Programme for Government that a new, all of government, national housing plan to follow Housing for All, underpinned by multi-annual funding will be published. This plan will take a whole of government approach, as Housing for All did, and my Department has been engaging across Government to agree the high-level measures that will be included in the plan. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I am considering the report, entitled 'A Review Into Certain Planning Matters in Respect of Donegal County Council', by Mr. Rory Mulcahy S.C., and will bring this matter to Government for consideration in due course. The review is a scoping report and as such it does not make findings as to the truth or otherwise of allegations that have been made by an individual against named persons. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Government is fully committed to delivering affordable housing at scale, and continuing to accelerate housing supply across all tenures. Overall, over 14,500 affordable housing solutions have been delivered since the launch of Housing for All to end Q1 2025, including over 5,400 affordable purchase and cost rental homes delivered by Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and the Land...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Functions (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: In areas for which my Department has responsibility, there are 9 open infringement cases relating to transposition and implementation of EU environmental legislation. Information on the infringement process, including information on Commission decisions is available The following table lists the relevant Directive or regulations and the stage of proceedings. Commission...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (29 Jul 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 service...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Housing First approach to addressing homelessness places direct access to housing first and foremost for vulnerable individuals using homeless services consistently or intermittently over long periods of time, and those unable or resistant to accessing homeless services and who may then become habitual rough sleepers. These individuals often have complex high support needs such as mental...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Interim Remediation Scheme (Scheme) was opened in December 2023 for the funding of emergency fire safety defect works in apartments and duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013. The Scheme provides for the full funding of eligible interim measures in order to provide an acceptable level of fire safety in buildings, pending completion of the full remedial works under the forthcoming...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the grant scheme and the related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023. The table below provide details in respect of the Defective Concrete Block Grant (DCB) schemes to 30 June 2025. The total grant amount recouped to four of the five designated local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Procurement Contracts (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The information sought is not readily available and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work. My Department aims to meet government policy goals in relation to matters including (but not limited to) incorporating social considerations, environmental sustainability and SMEs when procuring. Social considerations have been incorporated into the specifications...