Results 721-740 of 9,173 for speaker:James Browne

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

James Browne: The scope of this question is very broad and would amount to a disproportionate number of days of work to produce all of the information requested including reading large numbers of reports to extract and summarise the information sought. I can however provide a breakdown by year of the number of licenses granted for archaeological excavations in Cork from 2020 -2025. On foot of a new...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1547 and 1633 together. 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. The Vacant Homes Action Plan, published in January 2023, built on Pathway 4 and set out the various actions that were being pursued to return vacant properties back into use as...

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

James Browne: Following clarification with the Deputy, in responding to this question I am taking heritage sites to mean buildings of architectural merit that are listed on the Register of Protected Structures (RPS) under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) rather than other forms of heritage sites, such as archaeological sites or monuments, cultural locations, or other forms of heritage...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1550, 1551 and 1552 together. Information relating to the various sources of accommodation for students studying English language courses is is not available in my Department. Access to affordable and secure student accommodation is now the single biggest non-academic barrier for students seeking to attend higher education. Student demand for...

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

James Browne: Tailte Éireann is an independent Government agency under the aegis of my Department. Tailte Éireann provide a property registration system, property valuation service, and national mapping and surveying infrastructure for the State. Under Section 8(6) of the Tailte Éireann Act 2022, Tailte Éireann is independent in the performance of its functions. It is understood from...

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

James Browne: The information requested is outlined in the table below and reflects the essential duties and training carried out by staff across sixty-five (65) locations domestically, as well as, our EU/Non EU obligations. My Department has grown from 1,205 to 1,795 staff during this period and has spent the following on travel and subsistence in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025: ...

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

James Browne: Tá an Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe, Pobail agus Gaeltachta freagrach as comhordú agus maoiniú chur chun cinn na Gaeilge, agus comhordaíonn sí an Straitéis 20 Bliain don Gaeilge 2010-2030. Níl aon ról agam sa mhéid seo. Is eintitis chorparáideacha neamhspleácha iad údaráis áitiúla a bhfuil lánfhreagracht orthu faoin...

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

James Browne: The Land Development Agency (LDA) is a statutory body under the aegis of my Department and in line with section 12(4) of the Land Development Agency Act 2021 is independent in the performance of its functions. Arrangements have been put in place by my Department to ensure that public bodies under its aegis have a dedicated email address in place to facilitate the provision of information...

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...