Results 701-720 of 9,173 for speaker:James Browne

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

James Browne: Data on residential Commencement Notices, disaggregated by local authority and dwelling type, are published monthly on my Department's website. These data can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-her itage/publications/residential-commencement-notices/

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

James Browne: My Department collects, collates and publishes data on social housing delivery on a quarterly basis. The Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR) provides details of social housing developments and their location that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. It also includes details on when the...

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

James Browne: Local authorities, including Wicklow County Council, have published 5 year Housing Delivery Action Plans setting out their affordable housing delivery targets up to 2026. Additional affordable homes will also be delivered by the Land Development Agency (LDA), Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), via the higher Part V requirements introduced in the Affordable Housing Act 2021 and via the First...

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

James Browne: The tables below contain the number of deer shot in Wicklow under licences issued for Section 29 (deer hunting) and Section 42 (serious damage) of the Wildlife Acts, 1976, as amended. Figures for the number of deer shot during the 2024/25 season under a S29 deer hunting licence will not be available until 2026, as returns are received as applicants apply for their new deer hunting licence....

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1527 and 1528 together. I use my Departmental email address for all official business. I do not conduct any Government business through personal email accounts. I use a mobile phone provided by my Department. The only messaging applications used are Email and MS Teams – both of which are used in Departmental communications.

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

James Browne: The Government is acutely aware of the housing challenges faced by many sectors of society including those in the rental sector who receive a Notice of Termination. The Government supports people in that position through as number of different Schemes detailed below. The First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme designed to help bridge the gap between a...

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

James Browne: The Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) was approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. The revised NPF recognises that investment in high quality, affordable early learning and childcare is critical both as an educational support for children, and as an enabler of parental labour market participation. National Policy Objective 41 of the NPF in particular prioritises...

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) was commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The scheme is now open to applications in five counties: Clare, Donegal, Limerick, Mayo and Sligo with comprehensive information of all aspects of the Scheme available on...

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

James Browne: As part of its role in protecting nature, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) manages the network of National Parks and Nature Reserves within Ireland. In keeping with the aims of the Programme for Government, it occasionally purchases land for strategic and conservation purposes. Such acquisitions are always considered carefully on a case by case basis. In light of the...

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

James Browne: I acknowledge that the Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk is an important piece of infrastructure, both from a tourist perspective and for the benefit of the people living in Bray and Greystones, and that prior to its closure for safety reasons, the annual usage of the walk peaked at over 292,000. I note that the Council will be seeking tenders for Consultants to carry out an assessment of the...

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

James Browne: Part V of the Local Government Act 1991, as amended, contains provisions relating to local authority boundary alterations, including procedures in relation to proposals for such alteration; provision for the establishment of a boundary committee to review boundaries; and power for the Minister, subject to specified conditions, to alter boundaries by order. There are currently no proposals...

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

James Browne: The funding system for local authorities is a complex one, as authorities derive their income from a variety of sources including commercial rates, charges for goods and services, Local Property Tax (LPT) as well as funding from Government Departments and other bodies. Central Government funding of local authorities similarly presents a complex picture, with transfers, both current and...

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

James Browne: Government is fully committed to delivering affordable housing at scale, and continuing to accelerate housing supply across all tenures. 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. While work is being undertaken to progress a new plan, building on the progress already made to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1537, 1538 and 1549 together. My Department's latest round of formal workforce planning is currently underway. The outcome of this process will determine the estimated number of vacancies in the Department including the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) across all grades, administrative, professional/technical and industrial, due to arise going...

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

James Browne: 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 January 2019. The rate of the levy increased to 7% for sites...

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

James Browne: Tackling vacancy is and will continue to be a key priority for this Government. 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...

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

James Browne: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 & 2003. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a...

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

James Browne: The Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future includes a number of commitments to deliver “Practical Housing Options for Positive Ageing”. These commitments build upon the policy objectives in 'Housing for All', which commit to increasing the housing available to older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence. This includes a...

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

James Browne: Applications for a Local Authority Home Loan are made through the individual Local Authorities and the final decision on loan approval is a matter for the relevant local authority and its Credit Committee on a case-by-case basis. Decisions on all housing loan applications must be made in accordance with the Regulations establishing the scheme and the Credit Policy that underpins the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (29 Jul 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 under the Croí Cónaithe, 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...